San Diego City College student Celina Martinez has a clear goal: to make a difference for her community. With an impressive record of leadership and advocacy, she is already putting that mission into practice as the newly elected Associated Student Body (ASG) President for 2025-26.

A native of San Diego, Martinez aspires to work as an attorney focused on corporate and immigration law, an interest fueled through ample hands-on experiences. At Rudolf, Baker, & Associates, she gained valuable exposure to immigration law while working directly with the firm’s attorneys. She’s further honing her professional skills as an intern with the MAAC Project San Diego, short for Metropolitan Area Advisory Committee on Anti-Poverty, where she supports outreach efforts and has gained a deeper understanding of the challenges facing local families in underrepresented areas. She remains active with the California Green Policy Initiative, a student-driven organization committed to addressing climate issues, and she broke new ground on campus as the founder of City’s first mock trial team.

Now, as ASG President, Martinez leads a governing body that organizes, funds, and directs student-sponsored programs and activities at the East Village campus. By virtue of her position, she also serves as City’s student representative on the San Diego Community College District’s Board of Trustees, which guides policy at the region’s largest system of higher education and leading provider of workforce training.

Up next: transferring to UCLA or UC Berkeley next fall for a bachelor’s degree in political science before moving on to law school.

Until then, Martinez is mostly focused on her leadership role at City. Guided by her philosophy — “Knowing what is best for the community, not just yourself” — she prioritizes student engagement and campus involvement. “Anything we can do to help students become more informed about the great resources we have at the college is well worth looking into,” she said.

Martinez has been active with ASG almost since the day she arrived on campus. Last year, she served as ASG Government Affairs Officer and as a delegate to the Student Senate for California Community Colleges, where she represented City College students at the statewide level. “I learned valuable lessons from these experiences, and I hope to apply the knowledge acquired to shape an incredible atmosphere for the upcoming school year through new memories, advocacy, and most importantly teamwork.”

She calls joining ASG as among the best decisions she’s made. “I see student leadership on campus as an integral part of the college community as it allows us to engage with one another and enhance the student life experience,” she says.

Despite her success, Martinez’s path to City has been paved with more than her share of challenges. Growing up in the Logan Heights/Golden Hill area, Martinez said she often struggled in class. Later, taking a bus to La Jolla High School meant grueling commutes  that often took 90 minutes or more, limiting her ability to participate in student life and leaving her feeling isolated. Uncertain about the future as late as her senior year, Martinez discovered City, decided to check it out, and has been thriving ever since.

“I see a lot more of my people here, I have an opportunity to become involved in ASG, and it is so close to the downtown law firms,” she said.

From the challenges of long bus rides and academic uncertainty to the opportunities of ASG leadership and statewide advocacy, Celina Martinez has transformed her path. For her City College is not just a stepping stone, but the place where she found her voice, her purpose, and her mission.