As the semester draws to a close and students prepare for winter break, Associated Students Organization (ASO) President Rafeed Kahn looks back on his first term and thinks about plans for next year.

One of ASO’s plans for next semester is to continue branding and letting students know that ASO is here and that they want to help students.

“ASO exists to be the student voice on campus we want to transform El Camino (and) not just have it be a commuter college,” Kahn, 19, psychology major, said. “I feel like El Camino could be more.”

Kahn has been a part of ASO for the last two years. He started as a senator for the -behavioral and social sciences division.

Like other students coming from high school, Kahn looked forward to getting involved with campus life. He joined the speech and debate and he was inspired by teammate and former ASO President Joy De Guzman.

“Joy De Guzman was the former president and she was a huge inspiration to me because we were on the debate team together and she got me interested in ASO,” Kahn said.

Always a fan of trying something new, Kahn is involved with different organizations on campus. Described as passionate and determined by members of ASO, Kahn wears many hats as he tries to get involved with campus life at EC.

“Rafeed, he’s my right hand,” Kimberly Garcia, ASO student trustee, said. “Because of the passion he has for the school, I feed off it to the point where I want to be that person, too.”

Kahn is not only ASO president but he is also involved in the Psychology Club, the Speech and Debate Team, Hands of Friendship Club and he is a student ambassador.

A fan of Florence and the Machine, Kahn’s other hobbies include playing Japanese card games, hiking and biking and working with the debate team.

Kahn is described as compassionate and determined by members of ASO.

“He understands that as much as we love ASO, we are also students and we have other responsibilities,” Kristina Nakao, ASO director of academic affairs, said.

Now with the fall semester ending, Kahn and the other members of ASO prepare to make next semester better than the last by getting the word out about ASO.

“El Camino is a place where people can be inspired and gain hope and we want to be an organization that facilitates that,” Kahn said.