Boca Raton campus leader selected as student trustee

 

Palm Beach State College Boca Raton Student Government Association president and entrepreneur Ryan Steeghs has been selected as PBSC’s new student trustee for the 2024-25 academic year.

Chosen for the role out of nine candidates who interviewed for the position, Steeghs will represent PBSC’s student body at his first District Board of Trustees meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 20. He is the 24th student to serve in the role.

A graduate of Boca Raton Community High School, Steeghs says his extensive experience in student leadership and a deep commitment to student advocacy are some of the reasons he applied for the job.

“Through organizing events, collaborating with administrators, and actively engaging with students, I have cultivated the necessary skills to effectively represent student interests at all levels,” said Steeghs in his application essay.

Steeghs has served as treasurer, vice president and now president of the SGA at the Boca Raton campus. He says one of his most rewarding experiences was organizing a PBSC presentation at his high school, where he and two college recruiters provided graduating students with insights into college life and opportunities available at PBSC.

Steeghs even started his own business in February of this year called Cuztm Plates, which creates customized Florida license plate designs. You can learn more about it on Instagram at @CuztmPlates.

Boca Raton Campus Provost and Dean of Student Services Dr. Van Williams says Steeghs is a dedicated scholar who consistently demonstrates a heart and passion for excellence and education.

“I have witnessed his leadership and commitment to the Boca Raton campus student body via his service as student government vice president and his competent advocacy at the state level for causes important to his fellow students,” said Williams who recommended him for the role. “Moreover, I have witnessed Ryan’s leadership as vice president and his unshakeable resolve to do what is in the student body’s best interest. Ryan consistently brokered consensus when no imminent resolution was on the horizon. His outstanding leadership and demeanor are an extraordinary inspiration to the campus and extend to his contemporaries on the Board.”

Another Boca Raton campus leader who recommended Steeghs was the Dean of Academic Affairs Dr. Roy Vargas.

“A trait that I admire most about Ryan is his ability to effectively communicate with a diverse audience, regardless of their background and/or social standing. Due to his congenial and pleasing personality, he is able to make people feel comfortable and build positive relationships.”

Steeghs also was recently a special guest on episode #6 of a podcast called The Panther Experience at PBSC hosted by former student trustee Daniel Gil Sanchez and Lake Worth SGA president Tomas Leon Nunez. That episode will be released shortly.

Steeghs can be contacted at ryan.steeghs@my.palmbeachstate.edu.