The Waubonsee Community College Board of Trustees seated Juan Chiu to serve as the student trustee for the 2022-2023 academic year.
The student trustee was chosen by the student body and serves as the liaison between the Board of Trustees and the Student Senate, representing student interests at the board level. Chiu was seated at the board meeting held on April 20.
Chiu, of Aurora, is pursuing an Associate in Science with a concentration in Geology at Waubonsee. He plans to transfer to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to earn a bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering.
Chiu has held many leadership roles at the college, serving as the Student Senator and the Student Senate Vice President. He also serves on the Mandate Response Team and the Curriculum Council.
Chiu serves as a peer mentor through the Creating Alliance Through Mentoring and Inclusive Navigation of Opportunities for Students (C.A.M.I.N.O.S.) Program. C.A.M.I.N.O.S. prepares students for their journey inside and outside the college by incorporating cultural awareness of the Latinx culture.
Outside of Waubonsee, Chiu leads a community-wide drive to collect donations for Aurora's Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry.
Chiu is also an Eagle Scout and regularly volunteers with the Boy Scouts of America Scouts B.S.A.
Chiu believes that one of the many barriers to success is the lack of student perspectives and representation in impactful decisions. "My goal is to help remove barriers for current and future students by ensuring students' concerns and needs are fulfilled," said Chiu.
