Current ASMC Board of Directors

Meet your ASMC President, David Katz! David is a second-year student at Moorpark College who is pursuing degrees in Mathematics and possibly Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering. He plans to transfer in Fall 2022. As the ASMC President, David chairs weekly meetings for the ASMC Board of Directors, and he bridges the gap between the student body and faculty to strengthen their communication. He also serves on the Guiding Pathways Committee, which is dedicated to providing students with alternative methods of determining their interests and transfer schools.

David also works as a math tutor at the MC Math Center, where he has met students and heard their ideas for improving the college experience. David looks to implement his ideas and those of his fellow students for the good of the college and for whom it provides an education. Some of his big goals are to improve the process for transferring schools and making college an easier path to navigate.

When he’s not at the piano (which is rare) or in Zoom class, David likes to explore extracurricular topics of interest, bond with friends at coffee shops, drive to the beach, and attend some more Zoom meetings.

Do not hesitate to contact David with any questions, concerns, or ideas! His email is ASMCPresident@vcccd.edu.

Meet your ASMC Vice President, Gasia Benlian! Gasia is a second year Biology major at Moorpark College and will be transferring after this year. She is co-chair of the Inter Club Council (ICC) and a voting member for the ASMC Programming Committee, which distributes financial resources to departments and clubs that support student activities and development. Gasia also coordinates the ASMC Delegates program, and she leads the hiring and training of ASMC student staff.

In addition to serving on the ASMC Board, Gasia is a member of the Armenian Students Association, the Research in Biology club, the Youthfully Evolved Society club, and many more. She is also in the Honors Program.

Gasia hopes to be able to support the students of Moorpark College, especially during this difficult time. She is eager to establish closer connections with new and returning students. In her free time, she enjoys playing volleyball, hanging out with friends, shopping, and playing with her poodle. 

Want to connect with Gasia? Send her an email at ASMCVP@vcccd.edu.

Meet your ASMC Director of Academic Affairs, Adailton Nali "Junior." Junior is an international student at Moorpark College majoring in Electrical Engineering. Junior credits the wonderful time he has had at the campus so far, plus his desire to give back, as his reason for deciding to be a part of the student government. 

Junior oversees the ASMC Scholarship Program, where he will lead a committee in distributing $15,000 in student awards. Junior also develops activities to highlight our students majoring in the Arts through his management of the ASMC Commissioned Arts Program.

Junior is a dedicated and hardworking student who is deeply engaged in the community. He used to spend most of his time in the library working at the tutoring center, and now he is an Embedded Course Tutor for math classes. He hopes to lead fundraising efforts to support the MC Foundation in distributing additional scholarships, and he plans to promote more art contests so students can show their skills and build a portfolio for their future careers.  

You can reach Junior at ASMCAcademicAffairs@vcccd.edu.

Meet your ASMC Director of Budget and Finance Marina Bayless. Marina is a second-year student at Moorpark College. She is double-majoring in Mathematics and Economics with a plan to transfer to either Vanderbilt University (Nashville, TN) or to the University of California, Los Angeles for fall 2021.

As ASMC's Director of Budget and Finance, Marina led the development of ASMC's annual operating budget. She tracks spending from the Board's ten (10) trust accounts, and she also chairs the ASMC Programming Committee, which provides funding to clubs and departments that aim to enhance campus life.

Some of Marina's favorite pastimes include surfing, hanging out with friends, hiking, and reading. She's really excited to be a part of the Associated Students Board of Directors and to continue building the Moorpark community, even from a virtual platform!

You can reach Marina at ASMCFinance@vcccd.edu.

Meet your ASMC Director of Campus Events, Nicole Bicakci! Nicole is a Sociology major at Moorpark College. As Director of Campus Events, Nicole plans and oversees ASMC campus events and activities to enhance student life. In addition, Nicole serves on the ASMC Programming Committee, which awards funding to clubs and organizations to support their initiatives and activities. Nicole also represents students on a campus-wide multicultural planning committee.

Nicole also serves as secretary for the LatinX Club at Moorpark College, and she provides student input on campus racial and social justice workshops.

You can connect with Nicole at ASMCCampusEvents@vcccd.edu.

Meet your Director of Constitution and Standing Rules, Jin Kim! Jin is currently attending his second year at Moorpark College, where he majors in Computer Science. In addition to his primary major, Jin is interested in studying cognitive science and plans to further his studies after transferring to a university such as the University of California (UC) Los Angeles or UC Berkeley. 

Jin is also a tutor at the MC Writing Center and secretary for the Enthusiastic Programmers club, and he was a participant in the spring 2020 MC L.E.A.D.S. cohort.

Jin believes he is best suited for his ASMC position of Director of Constitution and Standing Rules because he has previous experience as the best delegate for Model United Nations and ASMC Delegate for the MC Student Equity and Achievement (SEA) Committee. He hopes that in his time as  Director of Constitution and Standing Rules that he promotes ASMC elections to a greater extent, and to make sure every students' concerns be addressed by school committees.

In his spare time, Jin enjoys video editing, fiddling on his cello, and watching anime. You can connect with Jin at ASMCStandingRules@vcccd.edu.

Meet your Director of Public Relations, Scott Pugh! Scott is a second-year student at Moorpark College, majoring in Accounting and Finance. Scott hopes to transfer to the University of Southern California's Leventhal School of Accounting. 

Scott is a barista at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and spends his free time playing basketball, golf, guitar. As Director of Public Relations, he is responsible for running the ASMC social media accounts and informing the students of Moorpark College of all events and decisions made by the Associated Students of Moorpark College. (So, if you're reading this, then he's doing a good job.)

Feel free to reach out to Scott at ASMCPublicRelations@vcccd.edu.

Meet your Director of Student Advocacy, Isabella Ernst! Isabella is a Film, Television, and Electronic Media major at Moorpark College. As Director of Student Advocacy, she leads support efforts on behalf of MC students' interests, and she serves as the primary representative to off-campus entities. This includes representing ASMC at the monthly Ventura County Community College District Board of Trustee meetings.

Isabella also chairs a student-led committee focused on increasing voter registration, engagement, and participation amongst MC students.

Isabella is thankful for the opportunity to represent the interest and goals of the Moorpark College student body. She looks forward to establishing relationships with fellow students and collaborating on future goals for the campus. Along with serving on the ASMC Board, Isabella is a member of the Honors Program and is involved in the MC Theatre Arts department.

Reach out to Isabella at ASMCAdvocacy@vcccd.edu. 

Meet your Director of Student Organizations, Ashwin Naresh Kumar! 

Ashwin is a Computer Science and Engineering major at MC. Being a part of a lot of different clubs at Moorpark College, Ashwin is able to recognize the needs and assistance that a club may require to flourish. He is the founder and former president of the Social Media Society, and is the current treasurer for Circle K International. 

As the Director of Student Organizations, Ashwin hopes to increase engagement through advocacy and to provide additional opportunities for clubs to connect with ASMC board, which will give clubs the chance to voice their concerns.  Ashwin also chairs the Inter-Club Council, which connects student organizations each month.

Send Ashwin a message at ASMCStudentOrgs@vcccd.edu. 

Meet your Director of Student Services, Shayan "G" Gheidari!

G is a pre-Medicine major, packing his schedule with Biology, Chemistry, Math, Physics, and Natural Sciences courses. He plans to transfer to a University of California school for fall 2021, though is still deciding on which campus. G is interested in using science to help others and strives to be a Neurosurgeon in the future. 

G is also an English tutor in the MC Writing Center and is almost finished with writing his first adventure novella. As ASMC Director of Student Services, G plans to give more voice to the students through the dissemination of information necessary for success in school. G led ASMC's implementation of digital student ID cards, and he is connecting with local business to expand the discounts offered to students. He is also working on improving communications to students.

G would love to hear your questions and concerns! Contact him at ASMCStudentServices@vcccd.edu. 

Meet your ASMC Director of Sustainability, Kobe Catton! In his second year at Moorpark College, Kobe is well on his way toward earning five Associate degrees in Math, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, and Environmental Science.

As Director of Sustainability, Kobe hopes to implement several of his own ideas, as well as the idea's of faculty and fellow students, to improve the campus's environmental efforts. Kobe plans to build a more efficient way to recycle, add a variety of vegan and vegetarian food options, help create an online space to communicate with each other openly, provide information on ongoing objectives, and host some fantastic events! These are just some of the ideas Kobe plans to achieve as the Director of Sustainability, but he is always looking for more ways to improve the college for the better!

Outside of school, Kobe's hobbies include making music, playing basketball, reading, and watching movies!

Share your thoughts and ideas with Kobe at ASMCSustainability@vcccd.edu.