Luis Patiño III ’18 is the third in his family to be baptized with the name, and he is proud of the heritage that it represents. The Yale College Council Vice Presidential candidate said he hopes to use his family’s history as motivation to serve his fellow Yale students.

Patiño’s grandfather — the original Luis Patiño — began shining shoes at the age of seven and was later drafted into World War II; Patiño’s father was raised in an impoverished neighborhood in El Paso, Texas. On his campaign website, Patiño notes that the “III” numeral in his name reminds him of the work and struggle of the generations that preceded him, and empowers him to raise his voice on behalf of the entire Yale community.

Patiño told the News that because the vice president’s term is limited, his priority is to put in place formal mechanisms for the YCC to listen to student voices. This would allow the YCC to be truly representative of the student body in the long run, he said.

“The two main things that I think the YCC should do is to empower the student voice and enhance the Yale experience,” Patiño said. “I hope to set up institutionalized ways for the student body to bring their concerns to the YCC and develop a resolution process so that we can be more responsive to campus issues in real time.”

He pointed to his proposal for a “One Yale” project — in which the YCC would help set up self-governing structures for the cultural centers and Greek life organizations, as well as establish clear mechanisms for voicing concerns in both communities — as an example of how to institutionalize the reporting and resolution processes.

This way, Patiño said, the YCC would be able to collect real-time student feedback more efficiently and design long-term projects based on student concerns.

“What sets me apart [from other candidates] is that for me, the idea of a low-income, minority student isn’t a nebulous concept. I am on 95 percent financial aid, I come from an immigrant family and I am able to empathize,” Patiño said. “I really believe that empathy is an important quality in a representative of the student body and also the first step to solving these problems.”

Supporters interviewed expressed their firm belief in Patiño’s candidacy.

Fish Stark ’17, a friend of Patiño who has worked with him in various campaigns and other capacities, said Patiño brings “passion and commitment to whatever he does.” He is someone who will volunteer to do the hard work, Stark added.

“He’s a workhorse, not a showhorse, and that’s something we can use a lot more on the YCC,” Stark said.