The Parkland Board of Trustees is comprised of 8 seats from the college district, one of which is reserved for students to be represented. In April 2021, Jayden Sortor was elected to this position and has represented the student body through an unusual year.
The Student Trustee plays a unique role in Parkland’s governance. According to the Student Trustee Information Guide the Student Trustee holds several responsibilities. Along with being elected to bridge the gap between student government and the Board of Trustees, winning a student trusteeship comes with multiple roles. The Student Trustee meets with the Board of Trustees, the Illinois Community College Board Student Advisory Committee (ICCB-SAC), and the Illinois Board of Higher Education Student Advisory Council (IBHE-SAC). These are quarterly meetings that bring school representatives together to discuss student experiences.
During the Parkland board meetings, the Student Trustee can voice the view of the student body. Although the Student Trustee is engaged in the same material at these meetings and can voice an opinion, student representation is limited in its capacity to act on any measure. On proposed measures, each non-student Trustee is entitled to voice their opinion and an official binding vote. The Student Trustee is limited to a non-binding advisory vote.
Despite lacking the authority granted to non-student Trustees, Student Trustee Jayden Sortor feels this system works well to help students with concerns. The Student Trustee is required to hold at least 4 hours of office hours per week. During office hours, students can meet with their Trustee in their office U111. Along with this requirement, Sortor is readily available through email. Sortor explained, “I feel like the students’ interests can only be heard if the students come to me… but so far, all the concerns of Parkland students have been heard and something [has been] done about them.”
Along with working with the board, the Student Trustee works closely with student government. Sortor has spent much of the past year working with student government to benefit students. She explained, “There are a lot of projects that student government is working on to help students [at] Parkland feel more welcomed and excited to come to campus.” This role is very important to Sortor. She explained, “I love this position so much. I love helping the students at Parkland be heard.”
This devotion to public service is a part of who Sortor is. Sortor is originally from a small-town north of Springfield named Sherman, Illinois. After graduating Williamsville Highschool, she has come to Parkland to study Elementary Education/Special Education and hopes to one day be a 3rd or 5th grade teacher. Along with her studies, Sortor has played on Parkland’s volleyball team and started 33 of the teams’ 34 matches in her freshman season. With no prior experience campaigning, running for public office can be daunting. However, after receiving a nudge from Brendan McHale, Parkland Athletic Director, she decided to take the shot and ended up securing the position. Sortor’s term began on April 15, 2021 and will continue through April 15, 2022.