To the student body:

On the front page of the last edition of The Pioneer there was a breaking news teaser that I said I was to undergo an impeachment hearing. However, on Wednesday May 1, I turned in my resignation letter feeling there was no other option.

I was the best president that I knew how to be and supported my students to the best of my ability. That part will never change. My promises to the students will not go away. I will still go to the theater performances, baseball games, and other Pierce College events.

My wish is that you will begin to support each other in the same way.

I need you to understand something. We all had our part to play in my departure. It was just as much my fault as it was student government’s. Please, do not shun them or think they are the bad guys. They are great people who are now going to accomplish great things.

Perhaps it was just that the leader I am was not the leader they needed me to be. A leader’s purpose is to inspire, to encourage others to dream. In that regard, I have done my job. The team in charge now has a great team and is fulfilling that dream. I hope we have inspired that dream in you, as well. The college’s motto of “Possibilies Realized” is nothing short of truth and in some ways, and understatement.

Not only do you have all those possibilities just waiting to be realized, but you have an awesome support structure to help you reach out and grab them.

My greatest wish is that people will know what happened and realize that it was the process, and not the people involved, that is to blame.

Please, get involved in anything you can. Find a cause that you can get behind and go for it. I do not just mean Student Government, as what happened will hopefully be rectified in future teams to make a more fair process; but with your life and your world.

You cannot make a difference if you stand still. I still stand by my favorite quote spoken by Mahatma Ghandi, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

What changes do you wish to see? What are you doing to make it happen?

I have always been a leader and I always will be. Nothing can change that. You are all leaders too. Find your voice. Let your voice be heard.

You are all still welcome to stop me in the halls and say hello. I am honored to have once been called your president.

–Nicole Ortega