Candidate Vanessa Lozano. Image courtesy of ASI Election Council.
By Jereme Lua
Junior health science major Vanessa Lozano is running for an ASI Student Government senator position in the ASI Elections. Lozano is currently in her second semester at CI and enjoys painting, rollerblading and walking Doc, the therapy dog at CI Veterans’ Affairs.
As a health science major, Lozano hopes to bridge her expertise in nutritional health with social equity for those on campus. She plans to find a way to allow more access to fresh fruit and healthy snacks through grants, as well as sourcing these foods locally. When asked about why she is running, Lozano shared, “The body needs raw nutrients to function better. Healthy eating contributes to better mental health and wellness, improving the overall health of peers…I noticed at the Freudian Sip, there were healthy food options, but also affordability issues.”
Lozano’s platform also seeks to increase student resources on campus, like expanding access to class note-taking and making more counselors available at Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). She feels that there is a stigma around learning disabilities, and education would be a way to help students be more comfortable around others with disabilities.
When discussing access to mental health resources, Lozano shared that at the recent Clubs and Organizations Fair, she spoke to the Students for Quality Education (SQE), a grassroots organization on campus. They shared with her that it often takes students up to a month to get an appointment with CAPS, which she feels is too long to wait for students facing mental health struggles. As a senator, she will push to get more CAPS counselors hired.
In all, Lozano’s platform consists of improving student accessibility to resources that are vital to the overall wellness of CI. This effort is especially focused on mental health, nutritional health and resources for students with disabilities. She shared, “As senator, I will be dedicated to students, and populations that need the most support and feel that they do not have (that) support here at school. As a person who cares, I would appreciate having the capacity to help students. It would be my privilege to do so.”
