Sean Elo-Rivera

Top 3 Priorities:

Free College for All - You and your children should be able to earn a college degree without accruing a mountain of debt. Other major cities in California have made community college tuition-free and we can do the same. More Full-time Professors - Our students need more full-time educators and our hardworking professors deserve to make ends meet. Meet Students’ Essential Needs - Housing, healthcare, food, and transportation impact a student’s ability to learn. I will ensure better connections to existing resources, so our students have access to life’s essentials while minimizing cost.

Political Philosophy:

The Opportunity For All Agenda

Free College for All

Imagine a San Diego where every person knew she or he could attend college without money standing in the way. Where everyone graduates without debt and with the freedom to build the life they’re told is waiting for them after college. Such a future isn’t some faraway dream. It’s within our reach.

States such as New York and Rhode Island have guaranteed free community college to their residents. Some California community college districts, including Santa Barbara, are covering the cost of tuition, fees, and required books and supplies. There is no reason we cannot do the same in San Diego.

Everyday, I lead and work with a team of dedicated individuals who are tackling huge challenges – the criminal justice system, transportation, and even an election system meant to disenfranchise.

I know how to level the playing field and will be relentless about getting the job done for the San Diego Community College District. From day one as a Trustee, I will fight with all of my energy and ability to ensure every San Diegan has the freedom to grow up in a community where cost is never seen as a barrier to college.

More Full-Time Professors & Counselors

The impact of an over dependence on adjunct faculty at San Diego community colleges isn’t just felt by professors and their families, it is felt by our students.

Fact: There are community college teachers and counselors who start their work day in Chula Vista and spend the second half of the day in the City of San Diego. Some travel much further, working campuses as far as Los Angeles County. Each campus requires full-time preparation, full-time attention, and full-time dedication. But more often than not, despite their hard work, these committed and selfless educators can barely make ends meet. They deserve better. So do our students.

When a professor has to leave right after class so they can make it to their next campus, students are not given an opportunity to engage with the teacher personally after the lesson, which can make a significant difference in a student reaching their goals. When a counselor has to mentally juggle multiple community college systems, it becomes more difficult to provide the roadmap and support students need to navigate the maze of higher education.

San Diego Community College District has taken important steps to address this issue and I am committed to furthering these efforts. Through local and statewide advocacy, we can make even more headway.

Meeting Essential Needs for Students & Professors

In 2011, in the midst of law school, I was homeless. For weeks, I searched for a safe location to park my car and sleep in order to get a full night’s rest for school each morning. One night in late-November, I was startled by flashing blue and red lights and the sound of police intercoms. I lied in my backseat convinced the police were there to remove me from the car. I had no idea what my penalty would be – maybe a ticket? maybe a night in jail? I didn’t know, but I was certain it wouldn’t be good. Luckily, the police pulled over another car, but I spent the remainder of my night shaken up by the immense lack of security I felt.

The next day, I wasn’t at my academic best. Nor was I at my academic best for the remainder of the semester. I was exhausted by the time finals rolled around, putting my scholarship and chances of remaining in law school in jeopardy.

My experience with homelessness gave me a first hand perspective on the impact of not having basic needs met. That’s why it is my mission to build bridges from the San Diego Community College District to our local government and non-profit community to do all we can to connect students with the essentials they need to fulfill their potential. Our campuses can and should be hubs for the programs and services that keep students housed, healthy, fed, and with a way to get to school and work. As a proven coalition builder with deep experience identifying potential allies, establishing and maintaining partnerships, and taking projects to the finish line, I will make sure this becomes a reality.

Is there anything you would like to add?

About Sean:

First and foremost, Sean is a son, brother, and committed friend who is fueled by love. His family’s diversity and experiences riding an up-and-down roller coaster in and out of the middle class will forever shape the way Sean sees the world and motivate him to make it better.

A first-generation college student, Sean attended Golden West Community College. He then transferred to and earned his bachelor’s degree from Chapman University, where he studied psychology, sociology, and history. While in school, Sean was an award-winning high school swimming and water polo coach. Inspired by President Obama’s historic 2008 Presidential campaign to make a more widespread impact, Sean went abroad and served as an English and Special Needs teacher in Peru and volunteered as environmental preservationist in Ecuador. He then taught English in a rural South Korean community.

Sean subsequently came to San Diego to attend California Western School of Law where he was selected to receive a Creative Problem Solving Scholarship. At Cal Western, he served in multiple leadership roles, including president of La Raza Student Association and Amnesty International and as a Student Representative.

Inspired by his diverse background and belief in the importance of historically disadvantaged communities working together, Sean also worked to strengthen the Student Diversity Coalition. Sean received a Pro Bono and Public Service Honors Society Award for his work with the City Heights Community Law Project, where he helped bring free legal clinics to schools.

Sean now serves as an associate director of a local non-profit organization committed to working with the community to create a healthy, safe, and productive San Diego. In this role, Sean leads a team fighting to create change from the ground up at all levels of government. He is an effective coalition builder who is committed to ensuring the people most impacted by decisions are at the table helping make those decisions.

When not at work, Sean remains committed to improving the community. He is a 2017 RISE Urban Fellow, serves as President of the San Diego County Young Democrats and as a board member of multiple non-profit organizations, including Community HousingWorks and the San Diego Leadership Alliance. Sean also enjoys traveling and eating with his wonderful girlfriend, Angela.^[2]