NC State’s first Latino student body president on the importance of diversity and unity

Isaac Carreno, a fourth-year studying social work and political science, is NC State’s newest student body president. While his goal is to bring practical solutions to the student body, he is also NC State’s first Latino President. 

Jackie Gonzalez was the student body president of the 97th session of student government, and the first Latina elected to this position. Her partnership with Vice President Mia Connell was the first woman-of-color team to be in the highest office of student government.

As an incoming freshman from Goldsboro, North Carolina, Carreno campaigned and won a seat as a CHASS student senator. He later served as the deputy chief of staff to the Reid-Markert Administration, then as student body vice president alongside Allison Markert in the 104rd session.

Carreno said becoming student body president was the result of passion and hard work, but also something that was beyond any expectations he had coming into college.

“I don’t know that I could have ever imagined that I would be student body president as a first-generation son of Mexican immigrants coming to a predominantly white university,” Carreno said. “That’s not necessarily something that I thought was in the cards.”

His work has involved a lot of direct communication with students, focused on delivering not just policy change, but change that those on campus can actually see and feel.

“We’re going out into the campus community and delivering results, talking to students, engaging with students and demonstrating that we’re not just this ivory tower of political science nerds,” Carreno said.

In addition to his work on campus, Carreno stays connected to the Latinx community by participating in the volunteer organization Voluntarios Ahora en Raleigh, or VOLAR. He works at the Guatemalan consulate in Raleigh, working with Spanish-speakers from across the state to provide support and community when they are most vulnerable. 

“That’s been nice to see outside of the NC State bubble, and actually learning more about what’s happening on the ground, and seeing people, especially at that consulate,” Carreno said.

This past summer, Carreno participated in an internship at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, where he worked in a congressional office for 10 weeks. This experience was not only incredibly informative about working in government and leadership, but he also had the opportunity to work alongside 27 other Latinx students and form close bonds through their shared work and heritage.

In contrast, Carreno said that within NC State’s student government, representation is lacking and he hasn’t always been able to find people who related to his background or identity.

“I’ve experienced the challenge of not always having somebody to relate to about my personal background or experiences. It’s one of the reasons why I think this summer has been so influential for me and impactful,” Carreno said.

Carreno said it is essential to form connections with all students, regardless of background. Increasing diversity is part of his mission to strengthen representation and community within his organization.

“I will always try to ensure that we’re bringing in as many voices as possible to student government, particularly Latino voices,” Carreno said.

Gavin Bell, the assistant director at Multicultural Student Affairs, said college is a place where most people see facets of the world that they haven’t encountered before. He said universities are a hodge-podge of identities and that is a special part of the experience.

Bell said that one of the most essential priorities of the Multicultural Student Affairs is facilitating conversation across groups, which often involves discomfort and disagreement. However, he said listening and sharing are a part of growing cultural competence. 

“People think sometimes that all these students are on one accord and understand each other, and they don’t. There’s so many different things that come up, as far as different belief systems, different faith identities and different orientations. So much dialogue happens even within the community,” Bell said.

Bell said having multicultural representation in leadership is important when trying to engage all of those very different groups and identities on campus, make sure their interests are spoken for and unite the student body in its differences.

“Rapport has to be a big thing when it comes to even remotely trying to bring these folks together, to get them to learn about each other,” Bell said. “Nobody’s gonna do a thing unless they feel authenticity.”

Coming into the role of student body president, Carreno said he knew he would be a representative for Latinx students across campus, a facet of the job he did not take lightly. 

“It meant that the leadership I carried forward and the year I have here is one that has the opportunity to ideally impact and inspire many students before me or that will come after me,” Carreno said.

Carreno also said being in his position held an opportunity to show other students who identify with the Latinx community, are children of immigrants or first-generation students that they could be the most important person in the room.  

“I hope that it is by seeing me, by seeing other Latino student leaders in this organization, that if there are interested members of the community out there on campus, that they feel welcome and comfortable, and that they know there is a space for them to be a part of this place,” Carreno said.