Paul Medina is a first generation, non-traditional student and son of immigrants from Mexico. Medina hails from the East Los Angeles, California area. He is majoring in International Relations with applied Cybersecurity Studies and is planning on embarking on a career in public service. Medina is a community college student at East Los Angeles College. He also attends Compton College where he served as the Associated Student Government President from 2022-2023. Previously, in 2022 Mr. Medina was the Student Trustee on the Compton Community College District Board of Trustees and from 2021-2022 served on the Board of Directors of the Student Senate for California Community Colleges. In 2022, Medina was appointed by California Governor Gavin Newsom to serve on the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges system. Where he participates in creating, enhancing and further developing policy for the 1.8 million students throughout the 73 district, 116 community colleges in the state of California. With such a position he simultaneously is a Board of Trustees member at Calbright College, where he currently serves as the Student Trustee. Medina has a strong passion for academic equity and Diversity Equity and Inclusion efforts which has led him to advocate for countless students, the majority coming from non-traditional backgrounds, marginalized and disenfranchised communities. Medina believes that in order for the United States to continue to thrive into the 21st century as a global force, that leaders in government should be made up from the best and brightest people from all walks of life. Medina implores that “society needs to interrupt the current way of doing things and make public service careers more accessible to all.” Medina’s goal is to someday be in a position of leadership in which he can help create a pipeline to further include more people reflective from all communities throughout this great country to serve in government.