Whether he’s talking about student government or the
latest basketball game, Troy Isaac cannot contain his passion for
UCLA.
The third-year political science and psychology student and
candidate for undergraduate student government president would be
easy to pick out of a crowd as a UCLA fan: He sports a Bruin pin
and blue and gold bracelets, and totes a UCLA logo backpack.
“Troy is constantly wearing UCLA apparel and he’s
always inviting us to games. He always tries to get us more
involved,” said Daniel Flores, a fourth-year sociology
student and a friend of Isaac’s.
Isaac, who transferred to UCLA this past fall from Los Angeles
Trade Technical College, wants to change the Undergraduate Students
Association Council so more students will become involved.
“It really disturbs me that some people don’t know
what USAC is. All students should know they are welcome and that
they are a part of the process,” Isaac said.
Isaac said he has always felt a connection to UCLA, since moving
from Texas and coming to Los Angeles as a 17-year-old to attend
Santa Monica College.
Through mentoring and outreach programs at SMC run by UCLA
students, Isaac quickly developed a love for the Blue and Gold and
said he already “felt like a Bruin.”
“It just wasn’t official until I got my (acceptance)
letter,” he said jokingly.
As the only independent presidential candidate, Isaac may have a
more difficult task than students running with a slate, as the
president’s office has been occupied by a slate candidate for
the past several years. In his campaign, he will need to gather
support from students who often do not vote as much as students who
are mobilized within a slate, which functions like a political
party.
Isaac chose to run as an independent candidate because of his
disdain for the personal agendas that arise from slate politics,
labeling past councils as guilty of sitting in the “ivory
towers of Kerckhoff and dictating.”
Though Isaac has not been involved with USAC, he has worked in
student governments his whole life and said running for USAC
president is simply the next step.
His past offices include president of his high school student
government and president of the Associated Student Organization at
SMC.
At UCLA, Isaac is a member of several student groups, including
CHAMPS, which provides tutoring to elementary and middle school
children; the Center for Community College Partnership, which
encourages community college students to attend four-year
universities; and the Student Transfer Outreach and Mentor
Program.
Isaac said working in outreach puts him on “cloud
nine” and that helping people is second nature.
Isaac said he developed his leadership qualities while growing
up in a poor family in Texas and under the constant guidance of his
mother.
“In the South, especially as an African-American, if I saw
something that was unfair and unjust I would speak out,” he
said.
Isaac’s friends said his leadership skills and passion are
unquestionable.
“Troy is a leader. He takes initiative, is responsible and
thorough, and follows through,” said Kristina Kelch, a close
friend and member of the Student Action Coalition, a
student-lobbying group at Los Angeles Trade Technical College,
which Isaac helped found while attending the school.
Kelch said it is Isaac’s constant encouragement and
inspiration that drives her to academic success.
“I wish I could be there to vote for him,” she
said.
Flores said Isaac’s enthusiasm and hard work motivates the
Center for Community College Partnership office.
Isaac is campaigning on a platform grounded in reforming
student-group funding allocations and unifying the campus.
Isaac wants to change the process by which USAC funds are
allocated so fraternities and sororities, as well as other
selective membership student groups, will receive more money.
He also plans to create an “Inter-Club Council,” a
body underneath USAC which would consist of representatives from
each USAC-sponsored student group.
The “Inter-Club Council” would serve as a liaison
between USAC and student groups and aid in the collaboration
between groups, Isaac said.
He said he hopes the council would provide a greater opportunity
for individual student involvement and therefore help decrease
student apathy toward USAC, he said.
“USAC should be advocating for students, not specific
groups. All student issues need to be brought to the table,”
he said.
Isaac said he wants to increase student involvement by
establishing an online evaluation system, so students can easily
express their concerns and ideas.
“USAC should represent every student on campus. No student
should feel alienated from student government,” he said.
“We can change student government but it starts in each
and every one of us.”