This year’s team of student leaders is bringing fresh perspectives, enthusiasm, and a shared commitment to making Clatsop Community College a place where every student feels welcomed, supported, and heard.
The College’s Associated Student Government (ASG) has welcomed six students into leadership roles for the 2026–27 academic year. President Sophie Alsbury and Vice President Ezekiel Duchene were elected by their fellow students this past spring term and began serving this fall. Together, they helped recruit additional student leaders to fill the remaining positions, welcoming Alexis Martinez as Secretary, Julian Rocha-Loe as MERTS Representative, Tyler Rockwell as Accounts and Clubs Bookkeeper, and Paige Johnson as Public Relations Representative.
While each student brings a different background, educational goal, and reason for getting involved, they share a common purpose: making the college experience better for their fellow students.
Throughout the academic year, ASG members serve as the voice of the student body in college meetings, advocate for student needs, and organize events and activities that encourage students to connect with one another and become more involved in campus life.
The new leadership team has already been putting those goals into action this fall. ASG helped co-host the Spooktacular Student Costume Contest, bringing students together for some shared fun, and encouraged participation in the fall term student survey to ensure student experiences and opinions are represented in college planning and decision-making. Members are also working with students interested in establishing new clubs on campus, helping create more opportunities for students to connect through shared interests. Looking ahead, ASG is sponsoring a turkey feast lunch for students, offering another opportunity to gather, enjoy a meal, and build community.
For ASG President Sophie Alsbury, a third-year art student and 2024 Warrenton High School graduate, student government is an opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the college community. “I am very excited to get to work this year, planning events, representing the student body, and making sure students feel like they belong,” Alsbury said.
That sense of belonging is especially meaningful to Public Relations Representative Paige Johnson, who knows firsthand how much a small gesture of kindness can matter. Originally from the Eugene area, Johnson moved to Astoria in 2024 and enrolled at CCC after spending approximately a decade away from school. Having supported herself through full-time work since she was 17, Johnson saw college as an opportunity to focus on her future. She is now pursuing an associate degree in business management, with plans to eventually earn her cosmetology license and open her own hair salon.
Her inspiration to join student government came from an interaction with a former ASG president who remembered her name after meeting her just once. “That simple act made me feel seen, and much less alone in a new town where I didn’t really know anybody,” Johnson shared.
Now, she hopes to provide that same welcoming experience for others, helping students from all backgrounds feel connected while reducing barriers to participation in campus activities. “We have a great little community here, and everyone should be able to feel like a valued member of it no matter how long or short their time here will be,” Johnson said.
For Secretary Alexis Martinez, a Seaside native pursuing a business transfer degree, serving in student government is an opportunity to give back to a college that has helped him grow. Martinez chose CCC because it allowed him to pursue higher education close to home in a supportive environment. He hopes to strengthen communication between students and college leadership and help create opportunities that bring students together.
“I wanted to become a student leader because I care about helping others feel heard and supported,” Martinez said. “My goal is to help create opportunities that make students feel connected, supported, and proud to be part of the CCC community.”
Ensuring that all students have a voice, regardless of where they attend classes, is particularly important to MERTS Representative Julian Rocha-Loe. Originally from Hermiston, Oregon, Rocha-Loe came to CCC to pursue an Associate of Applied Science degree in Vessel Operations. Drawn by the college’s specialized maritime training opportunities and his interest in hands-on industry work, he quickly discovered a community of motivated students at CCC’s Marine and Environmental Research and Training Station (MERTS) campus.
Inspired by his classmates’ experiences, ambitions, and work ethic, Rocha-Loe decided to step into a leadership role to ensure students at the MERTS campus are included in college conversations and decisions. “My goal as a student leader is to seek out concerns of students and listen and relay that information to relevant people to make sure voices are heard,” Rocha-Loe explained. He wants students attending classes at the MERTS location to feel just as informed and connected as those attending CCC’s Lexington campus.
Accounts and Clubs Bookkeeper Tyler Rockwell also sees student government as a way to contribute to the community around him. Originally from The Dalles, Oregon, Rockwell is pursuing a transfer degree with plans to continue his education in zoology. For Rockwell, CCC provided the starting point for his higher education journey, and student leadership offers a chance to become involved and help others along the way.
Together with Vice President Ezekiel Duchene, these students form a leadership team representing different academic pathways, personal experiences, and perspectives across the college. “ASG is important for supporting students and voicing student issues,” Duchene said. “I’m hoping we can have some fun events and make our voices heard as much as possible.”
From encouraging student feedback to helping launch new clubs and hosting activities that bring people together, ASG’s efforts reflect a commitment to both student advocacy and campus life. Their work goes beyond organizing events. ASG members participate in college meetings, communicate student concerns and ideas, and help ensure students have a direct connection to college leadership and a chance to influence the community in which they learn.
The students’ willingness to take on these responsibilities while balancing their own coursework and personal commitments reflects the leadership and community spirit that CCC works to foster.
Whether they are helping a new student feel welcomed, advocating for classmates at MERTS, supporting student clubs, or planning the next campus event, CCC’s ASG leaders are demonstrating that student success is about more than earning a degree. It is also about finding a voice, building connections, and making a difference along the way.
