Saratoga News

Photograph by Robert Scheer

Karin Dowdy (left) chats with Don Cordero, academic senate president at Mission College, and new West Valley trustee Chris Constantin.

Twenty-year-old sworn in as youngest West Valley trustee

Parents record historic moment on camcorder

By Cecily Barnes

Last Thursday Chris Constantin, recorded by his parents' camcorder, walked into West Valley College's board room to be sworn in as the district's youngest trustee. At 20, Constantin beat out two candidates for a seat on the board, securing more votes than incumbent Joy Atkins. Constantin, who is in his second year at San Jose State University, says he has always felt the desire to serve in public office.

"I've had this dream since I was a child. I was about 6 years old, and I wanted to be president of the United States. I still hold that dream; you never know. If Bill Clinton can, maybe I can," Constantin said.

Constantin lives with his parents in Los Gatos in the same house he grew up in as a child. He attended Los Gatos Union Middle School and then Bellarmine College Preparatory. From there he went to San Jose State University.

"Throughout high school, I never went into student government because there wasn't any student government. It was only if you were popular. As soon as I got into college, I got on the board of directors of Associated Students Inc.," Constantin said.

Last year Constantin ran for the Republican Central Committee and lost. Running for West Valley's Board of Trustees was his second shot at public office.

Since his victory, Constantin has been pouring over information he'll need to know as a trustee, beginning with the Brown Act.

"I've been reading the Brown Act intensely. I don't want to do anything to violate it. I know the fine is about $3,000, and why take that money away from education," he said.

At the swearing-in ceremony, Constantin was presented with three binders of information to read through.

"[Trustee] Nancy Rucker and I spent a long time talking about how long it will take me to adjust to the board of trustees. She said it will take about a year to a year and a half. It looks like for the next year, I'll be trying to catch up to where the other trustees are," Constantin said.

Constantin says he is already swamped with faxes, phone calls and mail.

To make himself accessible to students, he plans to publish his phone number in the Norseman. So far he is very pleased with the responsibilities of being a trustee.

"The Board of Trustees is not as formal as the Associated Students. It seemed more relaxed; that surprised me. I expected it to be a very strict, formal situation," Constantin said.

At the present time, Constantin can't say if he'll run for political office in the future.

"Truthfully, I don't know," he said. "I'm in the here and now. I'm going to do the best that I can for West Valley, and if it ends here, that's fine. If it takes me farther, [that's] fine, too."