By Lili Ramirez
Staff Writer
With a new school year comes many changes, but students can look forward to seeing one familiar face, returning Associated Students Inc. (ASI) President, Jordan Sylvestre.
Sylvestre, a highly engaged individual who has pursued many leadership roles during his time at CSUDH, is starting his fourth year of involvement with ASI.
His determination has led him to be actively involved in many organizations, such as the Black Student Union, where he has taken on the role of president, as well as being the former organizations commissioner and former director of student services for ASI.
Sylvestre sat down with The Bulletin recently for a brief question-and-answer session about his goals for the campus – and the future.
What do you have planned after you graduate?
I do not have a set plan, and that is something that I love. I love telling students that. You don’t have to feel like your life is figured out every which way. I mean, it is good to make plans, it is good to make efforts but right now, more so, I’m looking toward the future, but even in saying that I live for the present. I still focus on what I am doing right now. I am the president for the next couple of months, as much as my foresight is focused on after college, I still have to get things done before I graduate.
Do you play or watch any sports?
Well I’m a kinesiology major for physical therapy. So yes, it’s one of my pastimes. I used to play football when I was in high school, I also did track and field, but I definitely watch it. I am a Cowboys’ fan for football and (a) Lakers fan in terms of basketball, but I don’t necessarily always watch for the fun of it, I also watch for the actuality and the medical realm of it all. I do love sports genuinely.
What have been your favorite courses at CSUDH?
University 101. It’s a class about finding yourself, in terms of time management. I am an art person, so I would say Humanities 200; that is more of a difficult class for some people. It is considered a GE; you have to be well-rounded. It gives you insight into someone’s thoughts. You see how an artist was able to put something together, the timeframe and how that piece was created.
If you could give advice to the freshman class what would it be?
You have to be willing to fail. Those are things that most successful people do. They fail often, but most people see a failure, and they take it (as), “Oh my god, I failed a college class.” I’ve actually failed seven college classes. It’s not good, bad or indifferent. It has also showed me what I could do better, what I had to step up in. The failure actually shows you it’s OK.
I’ve lost president before, but it also showed me what I had to do to be a better president. It gave me new insights. I took that loss and asked myself, ‘What did I learn from it?’ If I didn’t lose I wouldn’t have been the president that I am now. I wouldn’t be as committed or as dedicated.
Sometimes failures teach you those things. Next thing would be having a support system. You have to have people around you that believe in you, and it’s not always the people you think are in your corner. It’s more so trusting the people who give you that energy when you need it most.
