Bakersfield College needs a president that treats students as the number one priority. Whether we are here for a certificate, degree or transfer credits, students want a president that put their best interests at the top of his or her to-do list.

We felt presidential candidate Pedro L. Martinez was the candidate that would do just that.

We felt that though Kevin Trutna expressed a strong belief in general education, and Sonya Christian made a compelling case by focusing on our future, we felt Martinez showed the strongest case for the job by mentioning fundraising.

“The role of the president is to be able to find all the resources to enhance what you have,” Martinez said in a Sept. 26 discussion on campus.

While we were weighing the strengths and weaknesses of each candidate, the administration was doing the same. On Oct. 15, Kern Community College District chancellor Sandra Serrano announced the candidate to fill the vacant presidential position would be Christian.

Though we felt a bit robbed of our chance to publish the phrase “Vote for Pedro,” we feel the decision was a solid one.

We praised Martinez on his fundraising ideas, but it turns out Christian has had success in grant writing herself.

We also felt Martinez would be a great addition to our campus as he had many professional and personal reasons for wanting to be a part of our community, but having Christian in office means we have someone who already knows our community.

She has already been a faculty member here in the past and knows how our campus operates.

She left quite an impression after her Sept. 26 discussion, where her charisma and personality was highlighted as she spoke to the audience full of old colleagues.

Out of the three candidates, she seemed the most relaxed and at home at BC saying, “I’ve got to be here.”

We were impressed that Martinez felt that students were the most important part of our school, but Christian felt the same way.

Though she seemed quite quirky as she joked with the audience, she was focused and serious about things like the budget and student success.

We’re excited to have someone in charge that knows what our values are as a community. We’re excited to have a president who has the experience to help us achieve our greatest potential.

We’re excited to have a president who values our athletic and extra-curricular programs just as much as our academic programs.

As BC is reaching its 100-year milestone, it’s only fitting we have a president who has been here for more than a decade of its history.