Kamila Baez never expected Hillsborough College to become such an important part of her life. A Riverview native and business administration major, Kamila serves as the SouthShore Campus Student Government Association (SGA) president and Hillsborough College’s student trustee for the 2026-2027 academic year.
When she graduated from Sumner High School in 2024, she hadn’t planned on attending college. After her father encouraged her to apply to HC, what began as an unexpected next step evolved into an opportunity for Kamila to find her voice, build community and discover her passion for leadership.
When Kamila arrived at HC in the fall of 2024, she found herself drawn to the community at the SouthShore Campus. While attending an event with a friend, she saw students volunteering and getting involved, which inspired her to step outside her comfort zone and become more active on campus.
“I was never really involved in high school, and I told myself, I want to be more involved, whether it be at school or in the community,” she said. “So, I decided to join the SGA.”
Her decision to get involved came at a time when Kamila was also learning how to overcome challenges in the classroom. After failing her classes during her first semester at HC, she saw the experience as a make-or-break moment.
"You either stay down in the hole that you're in, or you're going to get back up and try again,” she said.
Kamila chose to get back up. She retook her classes, improved her GPA and continued moving forward. At the same time, SouthShore Student Activities Coordinator Cheyenne Olson encouraged her to take another leap—joining the SGA executive board as its media representative.
The experience helped shape the mindset Kamila carries with her today: keep moving forward, even when an opportunity looks different from what she originally planned.
"I really like going through open doors. If a door opens for me, I see it as a path that I should be taking. Whether or not that's my plan, I take the leap,” she said.
After serving on the executive board, Kamila expected to step back, focus on completing her degree and eventually move on from HC. Instead, Olson encouraged her to run for SGA president. The opportunity helped Kamila recognize that she could take on a larger role than she initially imagined.
"She's always pushing me. She actually pushed me to go on the executive board for the first time. She was the one that pushed me to apply and do everything I'm doing right now,” Kamila said.
That encouragement ultimately led Kamila to one of her biggest leadership opportunities yet—being selected as Hillsborough College's student trustee.
Kamila said she was surprised when she was selected, particularly because she knew the other candidates were strong, but the opportunity quickly became about more than the title.
"For me, it really means serving the community that has given me so much,” she said.
In her role as student trustee, Kamila wants to make sure students across Hillsborough College feel connected to their college community and recognize the role they can play in shaping it.
“I hope to represent them in a way that, you know, they feel like they have a purpose,” she said. “They’re not just students. They have a voice, they can be heard and they have a much bigger role than they think they do.”
That philosophy stems from Kamila's own experience. Once uninvolved in school, she found a sense of belonging through SGA, campus events and mentors who encouraged her to step forward.
Now, she wants to help create that same sense of connection for other students.
"I want them to realize there's more to HC than just going to classes, getting your requirements and leaving," she said.
As SGA president, Kamila hopes to make student voices more visible at the SouthShore Campus and create opportunities for students to feel connected to one another and to the surrounding community. Through her work as student trustee, she hopes to bring that same approach to students across all five campuses.
She plans to visit each campus, connect with students and hear directly about their experiences and needs. She also hopes to create more opportunities for students from across the College to come together through community service and larger intercampus events.
For Kamila, bringing students together reflects how much her own experience at Hillsborough College has changed her. She arrived at HC without plans to attend college, faced an academic setback during her first semester and found a community that encouraged her to get involved, find her voice and take on leadership roles. Now, she serves as the College’s student representative on the Board of Trustees, helping create the sense of connection she once discovered for herself at the SouthShore Campus.
Her own journey has shown her that unexpected opportunities can lead to something bigger.
Now, as the student voice on the Board of Trustees, she hopes to help other students recognize their own potential and give themselves the opportunity to find the same sense of purpose she discovered at Hillsborough College.
Her advice to students who may be hesitant to get involved is simple:
"Don't be scared, and don't sell yourself short."