Community Colleges Can Change People's Lives

Nick Heimlich returned as the youngest member of the West Valley-Mission Community College District Board of Trustees last November, when he was elected by a wide margin of 67.2 percent. He was first appointed as trustee for Area 3 last May when his predecessor resigned to pursue other endeavors.

West Valley College in Saratoga and Mission College in Santa Clara enroll more than 26,000 students annually. The district serves residents of Campbell, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, Saratoga, Sunnyvale and Santa Clara and is governed by the seven-member board.

Besides growing up in Santa Clara near Mission College, Heimlich said he came to appreciate community colleges when he took classes at Foothill and De Anza. “Whether it’s getting a college degree, gaining job skills or learning basic math or English skills, community colleges can change people’s lives,” he said.

A lawyer, Heimlich, 32, received a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of California, San Diego, where he was elected president of his pre-law fraternity, Phi Alpha Deta. He received his law degree from Wake Forest University School of Law in Winston-Salem, NC. He practices law at the Law Offices of Nicholas D. Heimlich in Santa Clara.

He and his wife, Ainura Orunbaeva, have a daughter, Kaitlin, and they live in San Jose.

Campbell Patch: In this last election, you won by a wide margin. Why do you think you received such overwhelming support? 

Nick Heimlich: I am honored that the community voted me into office, and I think the reason for the support is that I took my goals from the community. The community wanted someone who recognized that we must be responsible with money and balance the budget but also wants to have the community colleges serve the critical needs of helping people achieve a college education, get skills for a new job and basic skills. I took a lot of time speaking with members of the community, the colleges and the general public to establish these goals. 

Patch: Do you feel like you've met some of your goals already?

Heimlich: My goals are longer term. Having a balanced budget is an ongoing item. The colleges have made progress by implementing SB 1440, which will make transfer easier for students, and I was proud to vote for that. I have also been proud to hear that our faculty and colleges are focusing our classes on the core mission areas: transfer classes, basic skills and job training. 

Patch: What influenced your decision to run to fill the vacant, temporary seat last May?

Heimlich: I’ve been involved in the mock trial program helping kids in high school for four to five years. When I heard there was a vacant seat, I decided that I wanted to learn more as a way to use my experience both as a former student of community colleges and an attorney to help deal with the challenges that education faces today.

Patch: What are some of the main challenges to overcome at the West Valley-Mission Community College District?

Heimlich: We still have challenges of making sure that our programs and classes are up to date and that we manage to maintain our offerings as best as possible with budget cuts. The governor’s proposed budget will be very difficult for us to deal with. There are no simple solutions, and I will work with the administration to come up with solutions to these issues. I think we need to focus on the core classes, find greater efficiencies where we can and ask for input from all people to find solutions

Patch: With the state's budget situation, is West Valley-Mission having to turn away students?

Heimlich: Yes, unfortunately, we have had to turn away students, but we are working to minimize that. We have increased our enrollment by nearly 30 percent while maintaining a balanced budget. I—like the colleges, faculty, administration and classified staff—am continuing to look for ways to serve our students within our budget. We have continued to offer and expand distance learning, and the faculty is constantly reviewing the courses to make sure that our courses meet current demands and the community needs.

Patch: How has your life changed since you won the election?

Heimlich: Personally, the birth of my first child has had a huge impact and made me realize what is really important.