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Lincoln Trail College sophomore Guadalupe Amicone is wrapping up her one-year term as a Student Trustee on the Illinois Eastern Community Colleges Board of Trustees.
“My experience as Student Trustee has been a valuable journey, involving both understanding the needs of the student body and personal growth,” said Amicone. “Serving in this role gave me the opportunity to observe how a college works as a business. I realized how complicated is to turn an idea into a real project and finally make that project happen. Additionally, I gained insights into the student body's desires for improvement, their feelings about college, and the significance of it in their lives.”
Amicone says serving on the Board helped her develop her leadership skills.
“When I reviewed policies and projects, I consistently questioned whether they truly benefited the students. This experience has equipped me with valuable skills, including effective communication, proper etiquette, the ability to act appropriately in formal meetings and my networking abilities have improved as well. I gained the skill of understanding perspectives from both sides - that of the students and the college.”
She says when she was first elected to the Board, her goals were to improve the pantry, cafeteria, and contribute to housing projects.
“My significant achievements on the Board include playing a key role in the approval of housing-related policies and enhancements to the LTC pantry. Additionally, I am currently involved in initiatives to enhance the cafeteria in collaboration with PTK. As the President of this chapter, we have chosen to focus our 2024 College Project on cafeteria improvement. The collaboration with the administration in our college projects adds a lot of value. We have held two meetings with President Tona Ambrose so far, and I am committed to completing the college project before my transfer. I am sure this is the first step towards making the LTC cafeteria better in the future.”
Amicone has advice for her successor.
“For future Trustees, my advice is to acknowledge that you may not know everything discussed in board meetings, so do not hesitate to ask questions. Dr. Gower, despite a busy schedule, always makes time for Trustees, highlighting the importance of communication. The Board encourages you to share your perspective, so do not hesitate to speak up. I have experienced feeling nervous about talking in front of experienced individuals, but the truth is, that learning involves both listening and communicating. Moreover, pay attention to the concerns and desires of the students you represent.”
Amicone, who is from Buenos Aries, Argentina, plans to transfer to Mid-America Christian University to continue her academic and soccer career. She says she’s thankful for the students who had confidence in her and voted for her last year.
“Two years ago, the idea of coming to the US as a student-athlete was unbelievable. But serving as the Student Trustee for IECC Colleges and representing the student body on the board has been an immense honor.”
