Leesa Hogan, a Merritt College graduate and continuing student who serves as a Student Trustee on the Peralta Community College District Board of Trustees as well as President of the Associated Students of Merritt College was recently chosen to be a part of the Advisory Committee on Educational Services for the Community College League of California (CCLC). Student Trustee Hogan sat with Mark Johnson, Executive Director of Marketing, Communication, and Public Relations on September 16, 2022 to talk about this prestigious appointment and her experiences as a student leader at Merritt College and the Peralta Community College District.
In her new appointment on the CCLC Advisory Committee on Educational Services, Hogan will represent students from the Peralta Community College District and across the state as she is the only student on a committee made up of elected trustees and administrators from the California Community Colleges system. The Advisory Committee on Education Services (ACES) is responsible for identifying and reviewing the educational and professional development programs offered to the colleges, particularly those targeted to trustees and CEOs. Committee members assess and evaluate the need for board, CEO, and leadership development services, prepare for and attend meetings of the committee, contribute to discussions and program design, participate in or attend events as available, and work on committee projects.
It has taken time, hard work, and courage for Student Trustee Leesa Hogan to reach this point as a leader on a statewide committee. Hogan first attended Merritt College in 1996. At the recommendation of a personal connection, she attend an African American Studies course and would later choose it to become her major. “I was hooked, because I’m a history buff and I hadn’t really learned about African American history in school. It was so interesting, I took almost every African American Studies class they offered.” Hogan also learned about the strong ties between Merritt College and the Black Panther movement.
Hogan would get her first taste of student government in 2009 when she served on both the Senate as well as the Black Student Union at Merritt. She had a strong desire to change the system of an institution where “decisions that are made by administration are not always tailored for students,” citing her own frustrations as a student requiring an Individualized Education Program (IEP) to accommodate her needs. However, she found comfort in one of her counselors Mr. Nielsen, who pushed her to return to student government and be an active force for change. “He said, ‘You can’t wait for anyone else to change your community or a system that you don’t feel is right for you.’ So here I am.”
The road has not been easy, as Hogan admits to dealing with imposter syndrome throughout her time in student government. “I had never felt good enough to be able to be a part of this atmosphere on the student level. I was always apprehensive about putting myself out there. I had some insecurities that I dealt with that made me feel like I’m not good enough. But now that I’m here that has totally changed; my confidence has been boosted, and I do feel like I deserve to be here. I do feel like I’m good enough to be here now, because I’ve been doing it.” Hogan has served as a student trustee since June 2021.
Despite her fears, Hogan delivered a heartfelt speech during the 2022 Merritt College Commencement ceremony, where she gave special recognition to long-time Board of Trustee member Linda Handy. Hogan commented on the importance of having someone like Trustee Handy – another woman of color – in a position of government, “People don’t realize how disproportionate government is in [the] community that I lived in. We don’t usually put ourselves out there to be a part of any type of government. It was not instilled in me. It wasn’t even offered to me in high school. That needs to be something that’s more focused on in not only the collegiate level, but on the K-12 level for students of color that are from these marginalized places like Oakland.”
Hogan’s story is one of perseverance in the face of personal adversity, overcoming doubt, and finding reassurance in her own self-worth. In a final statement, she gave special recognition to some of the faculty & staff at Merritt College: Dr. Siri Brown, Dr. Chriss Foster, Mr. Sales, Mr. Nielsen, Miss Barbara, Mr. Levy, and Interim Chancellor Jannett Jackson.
