Introducting the student legislative intern

My name is Ruffaro Guzha (she/any), and I am excited to be the legislative intern for the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges!

I’m a second generation Malian-Zimbabwean American, and a current second year history major at Pierce College, primarily attending the Fort Steilacoom campus. I plan to transfer to a four-year university this fall and go on to pursue a bachelors in Africana Studies. Long term, I hope to get a combined JD/PhD, with the goal to study and work at the intersections of historic African and African diasporic cultural knowledge systems, relationships to land and contemporary environmental law and policy.

On campus, I serve as the Associated Students of Pierce College District (ASPCD) Fort Steilacoom Student Government Vice President Through presenting at board of trustee meetings, assisting with our campus’ food and hygiene pantry to helping set up events for students on campus, this role has taught me so much about how to be an advocate, a person for others, and what it truly means to be a servant-leader. I’m excited to use this background and experience to advocate for student voices statewide!

I’ve been interning since November, and the primary focus of the past two months have been with the Washington Community and Technical College Student Association, or WACTSA. In this space, student representatives from CTCs all over the state come together to advocate and lobby for issues important to students, such as housing accessibility and free, high eligibility two-year programs. Since the introduction of Governor Ferguson’s Supplementary Budget Proposal, much of WACTSA’s attention has gone to preventing cuts within the Community and Technical Colleges, particularly the lowering of the running start enrollment cap from 1.4 to 1.2 full-time equivalents for the next academic year. This reduction forces the average running start student to take ten fewer credits per year. Running start students are the life blood of community college campuses, with many of the students I work alongside not only at WACTSA, but at Pierce College being in the running start program. This reduction will not only cost Washington students seeking higher education thousands overall, but leaves college campuses empty of so many talented, ambitious, and bright students who may have chosen running start over a more traditional K-12. As someone who did AP courses, college in high school, and running start, I can personally say that choosing to do running start in high school is a decision that continues paying me in dividends, and I know that for many other students it is the same.

Something that I’ve also been learning these past two months is how to negotiate, not only with others, but with myself and my beliefs about both who I am and why I am here. To be honest, since I got the offer for this position, I’ve struggled with imposter syndrome, constantly grappling with the idea of ‘why do I deserve to be here?’. I felt like the bank robber that made it to the county line, waiting for someone to realize that I didn’t belong and send me on my way. It’s not hard to feel different in these spaces either; I’m the awkward, black teenager with the strange name who stumbles through introductions and second guesses my name while I say it, all while those around me seem to move through these spaces as if they were always meant to be there. But over this time at the State Board, I’ve learned that acknowledging my doubts while still choosing to act anyways is how I grow. There are still days where I still struggle with belonging and deservingness, but it is in showing up, not only for myself, but for all the students I represent I find a reason to be here every day.

I know that the rest of this session is shaping up to be an interesting one, but I’m excited for what’s in store. I’m eager to continue learning and working alongside Sam Herriot, Arlen Harris, and everyone else at the SBCTC. I look forward to sharing more!