Student Eager but Nervous About State Appointment

When Gov. Gray Davis named 20-year-old Matthew D. Roy to the California Community Colleges Board of Governors last week, the Northridge student’s happiness was tempered with anxiety.

“It’s a great honor,” Roy said. “Of course, I’m elated at the chance to serve in this capacity. But I’m also a little nervous because I do realize this is a tremendous responsibility.”

Roy, the only student on the 16-member board, planned to attend his first meeting today in Sacramento.

The student position was created in 1988, after shared governance legislation mandated that decisions affecting students must have student participation.

Board members must be confirmed by the state Senate. They are not paid for their work.

Roy said he was told by Michael Yamaki, Davis’ appointments secretary, that he had been selected from among four candidates because of his experience as an athlete and a lifeguard. That shows he is a team player and has strong people skills, Yamaki told him.

Roy plans to put those skills to good use in campaigning for issues he feels strongly about, such as gaining more student representation on the Board of Governors.

He also is passionate about raising consciousness about the importance of community colleges.

“I’d like to make sure that community colleges remain accessible to the public,” Roy said.

“They’re such a great investment for the state because they’re great for work force development, they’re great institutions for transfer, and they’re good for returning students,” he said.

Roy should prove to be a great asset to the Board of Governors, said Michael Wilding, dean of students for the College of the Canyons in Valencia, where Roy was active in student government during his two years there.

“Matt was very concerned about the students’ welfare,” Wilding said. “Matt saw himself as the advocate for students.

“It was really refreshing to me because he took his role very seriously, he did his homework, and he understood the issues,” Wilding added.

Besides student government, Roy, who graduated in June, served for the past 18 months as a liaison between the college and the California Student Assn. of Community Colleges.

This fall, he will transfer to Cal State Sacramento, where he plans to major in international relations. He also will take classes at American River College in Sacramento, because as a student member of the board he must attend a community college.

Roy decided to go to school in Sacramento so he could live in the state capital.

His mother, Lynne, said he has been drawn to politics since he was a young boy. In kindergarten, he dressed up as the president, wearing a suit and carrying a little briefcase, she said.

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Roy sees both his relocation to Sacramento and membership on the Board of Governors as important steps in what he hopes will be a life of public service.

“I guess I’m drawn to politics because I want to be able to make a difference,” Roy said. “It’s a pretty generic answer, but it’s truthful for people who get into politics. I think I have something to offer, and as long as there are people that believe in me and what I have to offer, I’d be glad to serve them.”