Jose Leon has been sworn in as the new student trustee on the Tompkins Cortland Community College Board of Trustees. Leon is a full-voting member of the 10-person Board of Trustees. His term is for one year.

Leon graduated from high school in Florida and came to Ithaca to study at Cornell University. His freshman year at Cornell included the start of the COVID pandemic, and personal struggles led to him taking a break from higher education. Over the next few years he worked in several different jobs before he was ready to return to the classroom. In Fall 2025 he enrolled at TC3. 

“When I first came to TC3, I'll admit I had some hesitations because the idea I had of education was a very narrow one,” he said. “When I arrived, the first thing I felt was shocked. I was shocked with the high quality of education at TC3. The next thing I felt was a little embarrassed that that was even in question.”

Combining his time at Cornell and some credits from high school, he was able to graduate with an international studies degree in just one semester. “I intended to only be at TC3 for one semester,” he said. “This may sound corny, but I really did fall in love with the school. I didn’t want to leave so soon. Community and a sense of belonging are crucial, and I found that on this campus. So, one semester turned into a year, and this year turned into a second year.”

Leon’s first year at TC3 included serving a Vice President for the Student Government Association and creating a new student club – TC3 Voices – that combines food from all over the world with learning about public speaking. Now Leon is the student trustee and is working towards a second degree – this one in social science – with his eyes on possibly earning a third degree before he crosses the stage in May 2027. “I want to know who does what,” he said when explaining his interest in rounding out his college experience by becoming the student trustee. “Obviously student don’t just come to this building by themselves – there are administrators, educators, and I want to understand that a little more.”