Name: Sion Roy
Age: 37
Occupation: Physician (cardiologist at Harbor UCLA hospital), UCLA professor
Neighborhood of residence: Ocean Park
Own or rent: Own
Marital status/kids: Married, have a one-year-old son
Party affiliation: Democrat
School history (High School, college/university with degree attained):
Johns Hopkins University (Bachelor’s Degree), Medical College of Virginia (MD)
What Santa Monica organizations or institutions are you involved with outside SMC?
Santa Monica Democratic Club Executive Committee (co-President last year)
Elected delegate to the California Democratic Party from our Assembly District (AD50)
SMMUSD Health and Safety District Advisory Committee (Past chair)
President Elect, Los Angeles County Medical Association
What SMC classes have you taken? What was your grade?
While I’ve never been a student in an SMC class, I have enjoyed learning an immense amount through the annual Public Policy Institute Symposium. Additionally, I have taught health policy at SMC and served as an adjunct professor. I’ve also been a guest lecturer at the Emeritus College several times.
What classes are essential offerings to prepare students for the modern job market?
The key is for SMC to help students identify clear, achievable goals during their time at SMC, whether it is transferring to a 4-year institution or developing a skill set for a specific job. A student’s curriculum should then be tailored towards that goal.
How many arts events (plays, concerts, art shows) featuring SMC students have you attended in the past two years?
I’ve been to several events. A personal highlight was the Emeritus student photo exhibition earlier this year.
What more can be done to bring students to campus without the use of a car?
Studying options to build on-campus housing is something I’m in favor of. In addition to having a positive impact on car usage and traffic, it could help address student homelessness, which is a significant issue.
Is the SMC Board more accountable to students (wherever they might live) or residents (regardless of their SMC affiliation)?
The board is absolutely accountable to residents to be good neighbors, responsible stewards of bond money, and to specially focus on the LOCAL students that come from SMMUSD. The mission of SMC is to provide quality education to its students, which the board is accountable for as well.
Is the campus a never-ending construction project or can you foresee an end to expansion?
As a board member, I will be committed to limiting any further land expansion in Santa Monica.
How much time and energy should be put into continuing adult education vs. undergrad?
Adult education is essential to SMC’s mission. I’m committed to prioritizing funding for Emeritus, which is particularly important for local students. Additionally, an important role for SMC is to provide classes for mid and late career adults to learn new skills that they can utilize in a changing job market.
Does the future of college education still focus on the campus experience or will education become more virtual?
While more and more aspects of education become virtual, it’s essential that SMC and other institutions maintain a campus experience where students can interact with each other and their professors. The social skills and maturity that are gained in human interactions are as valuable as didactic education.
In planning maintenance for a city’s infrastructure, a civil engineer estimates that, starting from the present, the population of the city will decrease by 10 percent every 20 years. If the present population of the city is 50,000, which of the following expressions represents the engineer’s estimate of the population of the city t years from now?
- A) 50,000(0.1)20t
- B) 50,000(0.1)t/20
- C) 50,000(0.9)20t
- D) 50,000(0.9)t/20
The answer is D.
What qualifies you to lead a major educational institution like SMC and how will/do you contribute to the board?
I’m running for the SMC board because the importance of education is personal for my wife Kathy and I. I’m a first generation American and the son of a college professor. A great education allowed my immigrant parents to make a better life for themselves in this country, and allowed me to achieve my dreams as a professor and cardiologist helping the underserved at Harbor UCLA, a county hospital. With a one-year-old son, my commitment to our local education system is stronger than ever.
I have been a progressive education advocate in Santa Monica for almost a decade. In addition to serving as adjunct faculty at SMC, I've served as chair of the SMMUSD Health and Safety committee, vice-chair of the SMC Bond Oversight Committee, co-chair of Santa Monica Democratic Club, and am an elected delegate to the California Democratic Party from AD50. These leadership experiences have helped prepare me to serve on the SMC board.
As SMC trustee, I’ll advocate for:
- Expanding medical curriculum because healthcare offers the jobs of the future
- Increased ties between the college and school district, so that our local students show up at SMC with the basic skills for success
- Hiring more fulltime faculty, because this is a student equity issue
Because of this platform, I’m proud to be endorsed by the LA County Democratic Party, Santa Monica Democratic Club, Congressman Ted Lieu, Senator Ben Allen, Assemblyman Richard Bloom and many others to be your next SMC trustee.
For more information on my campaign, please go to www.roy4santamonica.com
Why is SMC and therefore this election relevant to residents who have not attended SMC?
The college is obviously most relevant to those who take classes there, and SMC is fortunate to have the highest level of local participation in the state. As a board member, I will focus on enhancing the local participation of students at Samohi in dual enrollment classes at SMC. Additionally, I will emphasize the vital importance of the Emeritus College for our community’s seniors who rely on the classes there. Finally, I will look to increase ties between the college and school district so that the college can use its resources to help SMMUSD students that matriculate to SMC show up prepared for success.
SMC is relevant to the community at large, because our excellent public school system is a reason so many residents choose to live in Santa Monica (including Kathy and me), and that includes SMC. SMC is one of the top community colleges in the county, and it offers our kids a great, local option for college after they graduate from Samohi, particularly for those students who are unsure of what career path they are best suited for or who have limited financial resources. Even if residents don’t personally participate in SMC classes, the majority of people in Santa Monica will have family members who will benefit from this great public institution in our own backyard.
