Nicky sees the whole student, advocating for their needs inside and outside of the classroom. Nicky has supported free tuition, lost cost bus passes and affordable housing.

As a community college faculty leader and political science instructor for over 30 years, Nicky is also completely focused on student engagement, empowerment and self-determination. Throughout his local career at Peralta, as a statewide community college leader, and as a community college instructor, Nicky has mentored thousands of community college students. These students have developed successful careers as leaders in our communities, been elected to community college boards and state legislative seats, and served our communities in countless ways.

He regularly meets with, orients and mentors new student trustees. He believes that if we want students to be successful, we must support and empower students to have sustainable and healthy conditions in which to live, study and learn. Nicky helped draft the Board policy granting student trustees the right to make and second motions.

Nicky led the successful board efforts to provide all Peralta students with low-cost AC Transit bus passes and then persisted to insure that this program was re-instated after it was erroneously discontinued through administrative error.

He has led over 30 political and civic engagement training camps for Peralta and other community college students throughout the state; and he initiated procedures resulting in successful voter registration for thousands of Peralta students.

Most recently, Nicky has focussed on pathways to provide students with affordable housing, resulting in the Peralta Board’s vote to apply for State-funded affordable housing grant funds. In the Foothill-De Anza district where he works, working with student organizers Nicky successfully helped lead a community supported bond campaign that raised $200 million in affordable housing funds.