At a time of increased demand for affordable higher education among young people, two new young members of the SF City College Board of Trustees were inaugurated last night, alongside two incumbents in a ceremony at the college’s flagship Balboa Park campus.

The four trustees—Chris Jackson, a 25-year-old former student activist; 33-year-old lawyer Steve Ngo; and longtime board members Natalie Berg and Milton Marks—took their oaths of office after a grueling nine-candidate campaign which centered on concerns about the fiscal governance of the college in the aftermath of a scandal regarding its use of public funds. Each was elected to a four-year term on the seven member governing board of City College, which serves more than 100,000 students annually at campuses around the city.

The college’s budget was the primary topic of discussion at the inauguration, as each trustee spoke about the dual challenges posed by the slumping economy: at the same time as education programs are being squeezed by statewide budget cuts, demand for affordable higher education is rising.

Jackson said that mid-year state funding cuts necessitated by California’s $40 billion budget deficit could create a multi-million-dollar budget deficit for the college. But he said that the board must look to expand, not cut, programs in this time of need.

Jackson, who served as student body president at San Francisco State University and has been active in debates around statewide education policy since graduating in 2006, advocated expanding outreach to students from the San Francisco Unified School District as well as a renewed commitment to support services for students. A model, he said, could be Project Connect, the “recruitment and retention center” for K-12 students that he created at SFSU.

In addition, Jackson pushed for the establishment of a curriculum to train students for the growing sector of “green jobs.” He plans to take up his proposals within his first two years on the board.

“It may seem a little strange,” he said, “but I do truly believe that now more than ever people need City College.”

Ngo, a civil rights activist within the Asian American community who has served as a budget consultant for the California State Assembly, echoed that theme, but said that balancing the college’s budget is the board’s first priority.

“We’re in triage mode now,” he said. “Budget has to be the number one thing or we can’t do anything else.”

“I do want to protect the most vulnerable students,” he added.

Jackson and Ngo both said they believe that their youth will serve them as trustees because they can more easily connect with students.

“It’s cliché, new energy and new voices,” Jackson said. “But it’s true—I want to bring the voice of the underserved … the voice of the young, the voice of people who want to see change in the institutions.”

“I’m the first person in my family to have graduated with a bachelor’s degree, but I know the value of a community college education because my mom took classes at Laney College,” Jackson added. “That really helped her get a union job to support our family.”

Ngo said that he hopes to use online mediums such as Facebook and blogs to engage students in the governance of City College. “We’re looking at different avenues to reach out to students,” he said.

Milton Marks, the returning trustee who is also an environmental activist, listed environmental sustainability, open governance, health care education, and community service among his priorities for his third term on the board.

“It truly is an unsettling time .... It’s easy to get dispirited or despondent. My goal is to make sure that doesn’t happen to me,” Marks said.

Natalie Berg, who returns to the board for a fourth term, reiterated her commitment to the college. She also served as a faculty-member and administrator at City College for three decades.

The inauguration event drew several notable local politicians, including State Senator Mark Leno, Supervisors Bevan Dufty and David Campos, City Treasurer Jose Cisneros, San Francisco City and County Superior Court Judge Teri Jackson, and three members of the San Francisco School Board.