Community means everything to Amina Hussein.
A vibrant community of immigrants from around the world fostered a passion for service.
Supportive students, teachers, and mentors in the Everett community helped bring out her voice.
And now, the Cougar community is providing Hussein the experiences necessary to embark on a career of criminal justice advocacy.
In service to Washington State University and its students, Hussein is beginning a one-year term as the student regent on the university’s Board of Regents. In the role, she plans to advocate for policies that’ll give students that all-important feeling of belonging. A sense of community is essential to helping students find their place at WSU.
“I want students to know I am 110% in partnership with them,” Hussein said. “I’m not someone you will have to reach far for. I’m going to be at events, asking you questions, and being there to help raise your concerns to my fellow board members.”
Life before WSU
Hussein was born in Kenya and immigrated to the United States two decades ago. Her family settled in Everett, where they found a thriving community of immigrants that placed a heavy emphasis on helping those around them. Through her community, Hussein helped assemble bag lunches and dinners for the unhoused as well as working at a community garden.
Hussein credits her sixth-grade teacher Ms. Bissell for encouraging her to apply for leadership positions and teaching her the mechanics of public speaking. Before she even left middle school, Hussein took her teacher’s advice, successfully running to be president of her middle school. She went on to be elected the first Black female student body president at Everett High School as well as student representative on the Board of Education.
When she wasn’t assisting in community projects or being involved in student government, Hussein was a three sport athlete, competing in basketball, soccer, and track and field. The COVID-19 pandemic brought athletics competitions to a halt, however, and Hussein opted to focus more on her academics.
I want students to know I am 110% in partnership with them. I’m not someone you will have to reach far for.
Amina Hussein, student regent
Washington State University
In deciding where to go to college, Hussein looked beyond Washington. She applied to numerous historically Black colleges and universities across the country, aiming to study political science and Black studies. She did tour the WSU Pullman campus as part of a YMCA MyAchievers program, and credits the program’s coordinator Sergeio Barrera as an important mentor to her.
Hussein is now pursuing a career in law, a goal that first formed when she was 10 years old. The community center in Everett hosted a lawyer as a guest speaker, who spoke passionately about the racial disparities that existed within criminal justice systems. The desire to combat unfair treatment stayed with Hussein, who afterward sat her parents down and told them she wanted to be a lawyer.
“That claim turned into a vow to myself as well as a community that is not well represented and faces consistent injustice in system that’s supposed to give justice,” Hussein said.
Service to WSU
After spending a year at the University of Oregon, Hussein reconsidered college options in Washington and transferred to WSU.
From the onset, Hussein set out to get involved with cultural and student organizations across the campus. She’s served as president of the African Diaspora Association, the WSU Council of Multicultural Students, as well as doing community and public relations work for the Black Student Union and the Associated Students of Washington State University.
While working with ASWSU, Hussein learned about the student regent role and met former regent Kassandra Vogel. In her quest to advocate for students, Hussein traveled with a contingent of Cougs to Olympia to talk with legislative offices about the most pressing issues facing their peers.
When it came time for Hussein to speak, she brought up the issue of needing to foster a greater sense of community among students. That sense of belonging was damaged by the pandemic, as student groups were forced to curtail events and activities.
“In order to retain students, you need to give them a community,” Hussein said. “A first-year student isn’t going to want to leave when they’ve made friends and found communities here, so we need to make sure to instill a sense of belonging as early as possible.”
Following a competitive application and interview process, Hussein was selected to take over Vogel’s role for the 2025–26 academic year.
“We are honored to have Amina join the board as our new student regent,” Jen Ramos, chair of the WSU Board of Regents, said. “We look forward to her proactive participation and insights from thousands of students across our campuses. We appreciated all the impressive student leaders who expressed interest during the student regent selection process. Amina is a rising star at Washington State University.”
Hussein plans to pick up where Vogel left off in continuing to raise the profile of the student regent role. Whether its issues with tuition cost, housing, or budgets, Hussein wants her peers to reach out and help bring greater awareness to those making the most important decisions at WSU.
Hussein’s first meetings as student regent are scheduled to take place on the WSU Spokane campus Sept. 17–19. More information about the WSU Board of Regents is available on the group’s website.
