As the only boy in a family of three older sisters and a single mother, Jesse Rogel learned early on that success was determined by his own motivation.
Rogel drew inspiration from his mother, who immigrated to the United States and settled in Salinas.
“My mom always treated me like a responsible person and made me realize how my decisions were going to affect my life,” Rogel said.
Rogel’s sister, Claudia Rogel, described him as a natural leader who was looked to as the decision-maker of the family.
“Jesse has always been committed to doing everything he can to help others. He doesn’t just look after himself,” she said.
Rogel excelled in school and was active in student government while in high school.
One week after being elected student body president during his senior year, he was faced with a problem.
“There was an $80,000 dollar budget deficit. I was told there would be no homecoming, no prom, no anything,” Rogel said.
Tasked to fix these financial woes, Rogel solicited the superintendent and local businesses for extra capital.
By the end of the summer, he had turned the deficit into a surplus.
“We fund-raised like crazy. I don’t remember how many cars we washed, but that year, there were two homecomings,” he said.
Claudia Rogel confirmed her brother’s dedication to accomplishing his goals.
The best example of this, she said, is Jesse Rogel’s rise from the being the youngest child in an immigrant family to attending UCLA, where he thrived.
Now Rogel, a fourth-year global studies student, said he hopes to bring this same level of dedication to the office of undergraduate student government president.
As the presidential candidate for the Bruins United slate, Rogel is campaigning on a platform of student voice and campus unity.
This means improving relations between the undergraduate and graduate communities, creating a more direct line of communication with the administration, and conducting a campus-wide survey to identify and address student concerns.
Rogel said he also hopes to place a focus on transfer and South Campus students, who he said are often overlooked by student government.
“Especially in this time of economic decline, we need to come together to discuss how best to prioritize our needs,” Rogel said.
“To do this, there has to be a clear student body voice.”
The first in his family to attend a university, Jesse Rogel has shown himself to be forward thinking.
But his ambitions have not always been matched with success.
As a second-year student, Rogel ran for USAC general representative and lost.
He described being heavily criticized during this campaign ““ even being called a “race traitor” for aligning with Bruins United, a reputedly conservative slate, as a Latino student.
“At that point in my life, I could have stopped and said, “˜Why am I doing this?'” he said.
“But I kept going,” he added, “and as it turned out, a lot of the issues I had set out to confront I was able to accomplish in other outlets.”
Rogel moved on to become chair of the Associated Students UCLA Board of Directors. He is also treasurer of the Latin American Student Association and a resident assistant in Delta Terrace.
Rogel is quick to put his achievements into perspective.
“It’s not about titles ““ it’s about action,” he said. “The reason why I have a lot of titles is I’ve been committed to making a real change.”
Those who know Rogel best said they believe him to be a highly motivated, caring individual with the necessary experience to lead.
“Jesse’s the guy who, when you need things done, you can rely on to give 110 percent effort,” said Boris Lipkin, a fourth-year business-economics and geography student.
Rogel and Lipkin have been friends since their first year at UCLA, and were roommates their second year.
“Whenever I’ve needed help, Jessie has been the person I can always reach out to,” Lipkin said. “When I had trouble with coursework, he helped me organize my ideas and get the resources I needed to be a better student.”
Vicki Huber, Rogel’s co-resident assistant in Delta Terrace and a fourth-year geography student, offered a compelling example of his compassionate sense.
“At the beginning of the school year, there was a resident with a medical emergency,” Huber said.
“The standard protocol failed, and Jesse was basically left alone to cope with the situation.”
Rogel kept his head and took care of the student while managing a hall full of boisterous residents, Huber said.
“If it had been any other RA in that position he probably would have lost control of the situation,” she said.
After the sick resident was transferred to a hospital, Rogel made sure to visit and bring her balloons.
“He really cares for his residents and for the school,” Huber said.
Rogel said he would not be where he is today without the support of his mother, who taught him values and a strong work ethic.
“Something I stand by is if you’re in a position to create change, you need to take responsibility and make it happen. Having been involved in all aspects of UCLA life, I think I am in that position, and I hope to give back to UCLA everything it has given to me.”
He laughed.
“It’s corny, I know. But I’m running because I think I am the candidate who can bring this community together.”