GTCC student government president appointed to a seat on board of trustees
Published on: August 29, 2024
Catalina Aldana-Archila, a sophomore at Guilford Technical Community College who is originally from Colombia, has been appointed to the college’s board of trustees.
The chemistry major was elected GTCC’s Student Government Association (SGA) president last spring. With that post comes a one-year seat on the board of trustees.
“I am excited to see the backstage work the school does. I know there is a lot more than what we see as students,” said Aldana-Archila. “I’m excited to see that work and meet those people, the people that are so important to the school.”
Aldana-Archila and her family moved from Colombia to Greensboro in 2021 when she was 17 years old. She attended Western Guilford High School for her junior and senior years and enrolled at GTCC after graduation in 2022.
“GTCC was always on my radar, and then I came to a point where I had to balance pros and cons to see which one (college) benefitted me the most. That was GTCC,” said Aldana-Archila.
The transition to GTCC was difficult at first for Aldana-Archila, but she used that to her advantage.
“My first semester was the toughest,” said Aldana-Archila. “I had to get used to the course load. It is different from high school. So, I found all the resources available to me.”
Friendships and community were equally as important to Aldana-Archila. The best route for that, she figured, was extra-curricular activities.
“I just wanted to meet more people and make more friends. The SGA was the first group I joined. I felt I could benefit from it.”
Her involvement in clubs and organizations grew quickly to include the International Students Club, the Chemistry Club, and the Art Club. It’s a list, she says, that will continue to grow.
The SGA, though, was the centerpiece of her extra-curricular activities, and by late last winter, she decided to run for office in the organization. Her intended post was quickly upgraded.
“I was going to run for vice president of special events, but I talked with some of my friends and mentors, and they asked, ‘Why not run for president’? They made me question myself. They tried to push me out of my comfort zone. I took the challenge to see if I was capable.”
Aldana-Archila wound up running for president with one of her best friends as her primary foe. What could have been a contentious situation turned out to be convivial and rewarding.
“I enjoyed the process, enjoyed going out of my comfort zone, talking with faculty and students.”
And when the results came in, no one was upset.
“It was something we celebrated, all of the candidates together, supporting each other,” she said.
Aldana-Archila will soon have her first meeting with GTCC President Anthony Clarke, Ph.D., one of her duties as a member of the board of trustees. It is, she hopes, the first step in a rewarding year on the board.
“I definitely want to have a positive impact,” said Aldana-Archila. “I want to do as much as I can do to help the college.”
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