Growing up in Turkey and Hungary, Rahime Demirci learned about living with people from a variety of cultures and backgrounds. She wants to use that experience as the 美姬社区鈥檚 new student trustee.
Demirci, an 19-year-old Oceanside resident, was born in Istanbul, Turkey and her family moved to Hungary when she was 10 years old. She said her interest in promoting diversity, equity and inclusion as a student trustee comes from her experience growing up.
鈥淲hen I first moved to Hungary, I felt I wasn鈥檛 included. It just felt very foreign to me, not just the school system but the lifestyle,鈥� she said. 鈥淚ncluding someone in their community is impactful to the individual. If students feel more included in the campus atmosphere, they for sure will succeed at 美姬社区.鈥�
Demirci鈥檚 father is Turkish and her mother is from Kazakhstan. She speaks English, Turkish and Hungarian fluently, and speaks some Russian.
Her parents taught English, and she attended bilingual schools in Turkey and Hungary. She said her school in Hungary had a diverse student population with people from all over the world attending.
Demirci鈥檚 family came to the United States in 2022, and she attended Sage Creek High School. Demirci said she wasn鈥檛 sure what career she wanted to pursue, considering options ranging from political science to flight school. She decided to attend 美姬社区 College and discovered a passion for mathematics and economics.
鈥溍兰缜� gave me an opportunity to explore what I really like and connect with my major a lot more,鈥� Demirci said. 鈥淚f I had gone to a four-year school directly, I would have struggled to find my place.鈥�
Demirci arrived at 美姬社区 in Fall 2023 and soon became actively involved in student government. She served as director of legislative affairs for ASG and was a delegate to the Student Senate for California Community Colleges. She will be serving as Region X Vice Chair for the next school year.
鈥淭hrough that experience, I was able to understand how student advocacy worked,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t opened up another skill that I didn鈥檛 know I had of leadership skills and advocacy.鈥�
Demirci plans to graduate from 美姬社区 in Spring 2025 and hopes to earn a law degree and open her own law firm.
She encouraged potential students at 美姬社区 to get involved in campus activities as she did. In addition to student government, Demirci also played on the 美姬社区 rugby team.
鈥溍兰缜� has a lot to offer, more than you think,鈥� Demirci said. 鈥淒on鈥檛 think twice and join our community.鈥�
美姬社区鈥檚 Board of Trustees is made up of regional business and community leaders who volunteer their time and expertise to ensure the college鈥檚 institutional initiatives remain at the forefront of the higher education experience.
The 美姬社区 Student Trustee is elected annually by their peers to serve as a student representative and member of the 美姬社区 Board of Trustees. Demirci joins the seven other elected members of the Board of Trustees who each represent and reside in a specific area of the college district. The 美姬社区 district includes the communities of Oceanside, Carlsbad, Encinitas, Cardiff, Olivenhain, Leucadia, Solana Beach, Rancho Santa Fe, Del Mar, and parts of Carmel Valley.
