Born in Philadelphia, Drew Calandrella had been on a long journey before beginning his career as vice president for Student Affairs at Chico State in 2006. From his experiences growing up in the near poverty areas of New Jersey, diversity and equality quickly became an important aspect of his life and a particular priority within his work.

Calandrella moved to California to launch his career at Sonoma State University in 1985, where he stayed for 15 years before moving back to the East Coast to work at Rowan University. He later returned to California as “my heart has always been in California and with the mission of the California State University system,” he said.

There were three potential California State Universities that Calandrella kept an eye on. He defines CSU’s as “every person’s university.” He believes that “we [CSU’s] are charged with providing high quality education to folks who would not have access to education,” he said, speaking of low income or educationally disadvantaged students.

“My heart has always been in California and with the mission of the California State University system.”

This led Calandrella to apply for the position at Chico State, a residential campus which he said provides the best chance for student success. The surrounding community of Chico engulfs the beautiful university—“the only campus that is truly a college town,” he said.

Calandrella didn’t come to Chico inexperienced. His previous contributions to other universities include creating a women’s center, working at the computer center then becoming an associate vice president, financial aid director, and repositioning Rowan University in terms of enrollment.

Having only visited Chico once before accepting the job as vice president for Student Affairs, he toured campus the evening before his interview. After exploring the building that now houses the Cross-Cultural Leadership Center (CCLC), he was embarrassed to see what the campus was doing to support and serve diverse individuals. The building had sections assigned to each diversity-related group, however, there was no real purpose or faculty members to facilitate events.

Calandrella and his colleagues concluded that “we need to create a program where the students will have a reason to come together,” he said. The overarching idea became leadership development.

He describes the purpose of the building as “making sure everyone comes together, making sure they feel safe, making sure they feel appreciated and acknowledged,” he said, “but also that they have the opportunity to do things together and exert some leadership on behalf of diversity.”

In addition to helping create and develop the CCLC, which he recognized as one of the high points of his 11 years at Chico State, Calandrella also notes his contributions to enrollment. By establishing more pipeline programs, it has helped the university build connections with schools that are often overlooked by colleges, increasing our diverse student body.

In his work toward diversifying the student and staff population, Calandrella ultimately strives to be remembered as a positive change agent and is sure to be commemorated for walking the walk. He emphasized an importance throughout his career in “enabling and creating programs and services to help students succeed,” he said, being a first generation student himself.

Calandrella relates his motivations for prioritizing diversity to his background, which has had a great influence on the way he now lives his life. Growing up in the poverty-stricken areas of New Jersey, he had first-hand experience with discrimination and diverse communities. Having his stepfather deny a Black friend entrance to their home, Calandrella decided, “you’re not going to tell me who my friends are.” It was that moment when he realized people’s inherent bias and established an ideal of inclusion.

“Everybody has an experience in life and their own story,” he said, “everybody has something they’re dealing with and you just can’t assume.”

After retiring this spring, Calandrella plans to devote some time to his grandchildren and passion for renovating houses. He enjoys remodeling and construction projects around the house, simply because you can see what you begin with and see what you end with, knowing you’ve completed something.

“In higher education, we’re never done, we’re always developing people,” he said, “which I love, too.”

Calandrella will take the time to enjoy his retirement while maintaining his positive sentiment of diversity, acceptance and inclusion for all.

At first glance, the Chico State campus has three notable features: a wide range of lovely trees, newly built bridges, and a student population that is gradually increasing in diversity.

Below is information from the Chico State Office of Institutional Research. Ethnic enrollment for fall 2010 was the following:

Ethnic enrollment has drastically changed in the recent research for fall 2016:

Enrollment Fall 2016

Over the years, Chico State has taken steps to diversify the campus by welcoming and supporting students from different backgrounds. One area of focus for enrollment encompasses the nontraditional, modern student commonly known as the first generation student.

“We all bring different types of diversity to the table.”

“For me, this is something that I can connect with. We all bring different types of diversity to the table,” said Tasha Alexander, director of TRiO Student Support Services.

A student is considered first generation when neither of their parents completed a four-year university degree. As of fall 2016, 51 percent of Chico State’s undergraduate students are first generation and 55 percent of new freshmen are first generation, as stated by Alexander. This is a huge accomplishment on behalf of not only the students, but Chico State as well.

“I feel very proud of myself for being a first generation student because I feel like I am making something for not only myself, but my family as well. I am getting opportunities that they didn’t,” said Salvador Fernandez, a first generation fourth-year student.

Most first generation students are typically Latinx or African American and first in their family to get an education. They may need to take remedial courses, sometimes taking them longer than four years to complete a degree. First generation students typically choose a college based on location, cost, and accessibility, as well as working 30 or more hours a week while enrolled, according to the Chico State Office of Institutional Research.

The challenge isn’t enrolling first generation students into a university, it’s keeping them in and on track to graduate in four years.

There are sometimes multiple obstacles first generation students can face when entering a four-year institution. From a survey done by the Chico State Office of Institutional Research, most students from underperforming high schools report they often feel as if they were both underprepared and overconfident their first year of college.

“When we talk about first gen attributes, I put courage right at the top. It's difficult to do new things in your family. They face pressures and struggles white students don’t. Here at Chico State we try to offer more support than bigger commuter campuses, student for student,” said informal faculty advisor for REACH, David Brown. REACH stands for “Raising Educational Achievement in Collaborative Hubs” and is a first-year mentoring program.

Even though these students face obstacles, they have many strengths and motivations to push them to work at the university level. Since higher education is a new part of to these students’ lives, they generally work a little harder, as they sometimes have a history rooted in resilience during challenging times.

“I enjoy working with first generation students. The reason I started is because they’re a refreshing experience. They bring tremendous potential, great work ethic and a strong passion to succeed,” said Brown.

Fortunately, Chico State offers multiple programs and resources serving our first generation and low-income students to help them overcome these obstacles:

● EOP – Educational Opportunity Program

● TRiO/SSS – Student Supportive Services

● CSSC – Chico State Success Center

● REACH – Raising Educational Achievement in Collaborative Hubs - through CSSC

● PATH Scholars – Foster youth program

● ARC – Accessibility Resource Center

● DREAM Team – Undocumented Students

● Financial Aid and Scholarship Office

● Student Learning Center

● Wildcat Food Pantry

● Cal Fresh

● MEP – MESA Engineering Program

● LSAMP – Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation

● Chico STEM Connections Collaborative – CSC2

● First Gen Faculty and Staff Association

These outstanding Chico State programs help first generation students in various ways from providing individualized support and advising sessions to connecting students with campus resources. They also teach noncognitive skills, such as time management, study techniques, goal setting, and academic self-confidence.

“There are 1,000 or more first gen students that are unaffiliated and those are the ones right now we are wrestling very hardly trying to figure out how to serve and connect with them. The goal is to serve them all,” said Brown.

Chico State has been working hard to make campus, and college life in general, a great experience for a wide spectrum of students. Their goal is to build a nonthreatening environment for our first generation students to keep them striving for success.

Science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) studies create workers ready to take on today’s most complex problems. Students of these subjects undergo universities’ most grueling, challenging courses to revolutionize the important aspects of our lives. It’s no wonder there are many job openings for STEM graduates.

Chico State has undertaken the task of not only increasing minority enrollment, but also paving a clear path to graduation and employment for underrepresented students. While one of Chico State’s goals is to ensure that all students achieve professional success, helping support minority success in STEM studies requires special attention and accommodation.

David Hassenzahl, the dean of the College of Natural Sciences, has seen firsthand that Chico State has welcomed greater diversity on campus in the past few years. He believes in the actions the University is taking to increase diversity within all campus programs, noting how in his two and a half years at Chico State, he “sees more diversity in the halls of campus and in the classrooms.” These actions have contributed to a 15 percent rise in non-white students at Chico State since 2008.

"By telling little girls they are pretty and not smart, and telling little boys they are strong and not smart, we are shooting ourselves in the foot."

Greater diversity means more perspective and expanding opportunities to reach additional populations.

Hassenzahl is working to making Chico State’s STEM studies more inclusive. Because of this, he supports making STEM studies available to everyone and is doing his part to make Chico State’s STEM studies more inclusive.

A large obstacle to diverse students joining STEM studies is the lack of diverse inspirational figures in STEM’s history, Hassenzahl said. He believes many minorities could have been inspired to reach new heights in STEM fields, but since there are fewer diverse role models due to lack of integration in the past, many are discouraged today.

By opening dialogue about increasing diversity within STEM, STEM leaders can gain better understanding about how to boost the appeal of such programs within underrepresented groups and implement changes to reverse current trends. If STEM leaders can understand how to boost the appeal of STEM and implement changes, it could tap into the potential of even more confident, capable minds than those currently in the field, he said.

According to the Campaign for College Opportunity, as of 2016, California’s Latino population forms the second greatest population in the state. Yet, out of the 10 states with the largest Latino population, California’s Latino population ranks last in bachelor’s degrees in engineering and computer science and second to last in bachelor’s degrees in health. Additionally, Hispanic students have historically fallen nine percent behind the four year graduation rate at Chico State. These statistics show how California’s higher public education fails to effectively serve the state’s Latinos and Hispanics.

“Usually students have a good social network that they can tap into for financial support,” Fox said, highlighting the difference between traditional students’ resources as compared to foster care students’.

The U.S. Department of Education and other groups nationwide are working to address these problems. The designation of Hispanic-Serving Institutions, which are colleges, universities, or districts where total Hispanic enrollment constitutes a minimum of 25 percent of the total enrollment, allow these institutes to qualify for federal grants to improve their infrastructure. California also continues to appropriate funds in the form of grants and scholarships for Latino students in public universities to choose certain disciplines like STEM while in college.

At Chico State, Interim Assistant Director of the HSI Initiatives Teresita Curiel works to integrate Hispanic students into Chico State’s community to help them graduate. She says the HSI Initiative accomplishes these tasks by creating a welcoming environment here in Chico, focused on establishing equitable status, high graduation rates, student retention and an optimal college experience. Chico State has been a certified Hispanic-Serving Institution since 2014, when one in four students identified as Hispanic, Latino, or Latina. By fall 2016, that percentage had grown to 30 percent.

HSI schools in California are leading the way in efforts to bring multicultural students into STEM career paths, Curiel said. For other Hispanic-Serving Institutions, data will show results from these efforts as time progresses and students continue to achieve.

One large program at Chico State that provides academic services to underrepresented STEM students is the Chico STEM Connections Collaborative, or CSC². This service, funded by a $4.2 million grant from the US Department of Education, supports students with academic help, peer mentoring, undergraduate research and community college transfer support.

Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA), a support program of CSC², focuses on helping historically underrepresented students study STEM subjects. Paul Villegas, director of the MESA Engineering Program at Chico State, explains how amenities like the open lab with tutors, computers and hangout rooms help approximately 300 students who are signed up for the program. Its main goal is to prepare and assist students for required courses like physics and calculus, and build students’ professionalism.

Villegas is pleased with the progress Chico State has made toward welcoming and supporting historically underrepresented students through this program. The approach that has helped, he says, is taking a “let’s teach how to swim,” instead of the traditional “sink or swim” approach in STEM. With help from grants, services and support from officials like the CSU chancellor, he believes California is ahead of the rest of the nation in effective student assistance, especially for STEM studies and for minority students.

MESA is not the only student assistance organization Villegas leads. He also works with Latino Tech Careers (LTC), which is similar to MESA in its mission to help historically underrepresented students develop their professional selves and pave the path to a career. LTC also prioritizes community outreach and giving back by requiring students to donate their time to those in need. Villegas’ work supports his belief that with a rising Hispanic population in the United States, it is a “business imperative” to accommodate these students with in-demand STEM studies.

These services are providing valuable help to young professionals on their path to success, Villegas said. Another unique program, headed by Professor Lori Holcombe, teaches students taking difficult calculus classes to focus on working with others for success. This program, a summer course of the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP), is what she calls a “summer calculus boot camp,” or “four weeks of math hell.”

During these four weeks, LSAMP pays for students’ housing and food while they undergo her boot camp. They receive assignments and must learn to understand difficult mathematical concepts without help from Holcombe or her teaching assistants. The purpose is to encourage students to create teams and learn concepts with each other.

This course forces students to overcome any stigmas, prejudices, or hesitations they have toward each other to accomplish real learning and success. Race, sexuality, background, and religion all fade away when the task at hand requires 100 percent from every mind available, she said. The only trait that matters about anyone in this course is how hard they are willing to work toward the goal. Her course has produced students able to critically approach problems and succeed.

Holcombe notices a disconnect between all students and choosing a path of STEM studies. “Nationally, no one wants to be a nerd,” she explains. This reflects an overall need to encourage students to pursue STEM studies and another cultural discouragement for underrepresented students according to Holcombe.

Many believe that America’s youth are raised to prioritize the wrong traits, and Holcombe explains that “by telling little girls they are pretty and not smart, and telling little boys they are strong and not smart, we are shooting ourselves in the foot.”

Chico State’s mission to bring minority students to the forefront of innovative STEM studies has made the University a major player and role model for inclusive universities according to these important Chico State staff and faculty members. In 2010, before Chico State was designated a Hispanic-Serving Institution, Forbes ranked Chico 15th nationally in a list of the best schools for minorities pursuing STEM degrees. Since then, the University has continued this effort through the strategies mentioned before. These actions show that Chico State and the California State University system are striving to raise the bar for integrating diversity nationally, and hopefully future results continue to show this inspiring trend of success.

The Meriam Library is a second home to numerous students at Chico State. It is a place where they spend long days and late nights together. A place where people can gather, collaborate, and often rest in between classes. It is a community space, and the library faculty and staff are working hard to make sure everyone feels welcome.

“We want everyone to know that the library is a welcoming environment to absolutely anyone,” said the Dean Patrick Newell.

As a partner with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, the Meriam Library is taking new approaches to offer a more inclusive space.

“Chico State students are diverse, and we need to provide materials that meet their needs,” Newell said. “The ‘one size fits all’ approach simply does not work anymore.”

Newell mentioned that this year the library worked with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion to make welcome signs that are located on every floor of the library. There are also single-person restrooms that are not gender specific, and there will be lactation and breastfeeding rooms available soon. Not only are there new changes being made to the building, but special programs offered to students as well.

“We have been reaching out to different academic programs to help demarginalize them,” Newell said. “On the fourth floor we have tutoring available out in the open, which makes it available and welcoming to students.”

Starting this year, the library will be hosting an annual event to celebrate the faculty’s hard work they put towards the library. In addition, on the fourth floor there is a new Chico State Authors Wall, educating others about what is produced at the University

“The world is continuing to be more diverse, and we have to be accommodating to our incredibly complex and diverse students”

“We have a lot of people writing books and articles, and we want to recognize them,” Newell said.

In addition to the changes made in the library so far, Newell admits that there are still a lot of projects he would like to accomplish.

“I would like to have a family room in the library for students who have children,” Newell said.

“What keeps people from graduating are other responsibilities, and if we partnered with someone on campus to provide daycare at certain times in the library I think it could relieve barriers for people.”

The library will be starting a program in the fall called “Question of the Week,” which will encourage an open dialogue between the students, faculty and staff.

“Textbooks are another barrier that people face, and in the ‘Question of the Week’ we want to ask students what their most expensive textbook is,” Newell said. “We received a grant from [the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching, a University program established to enhance student learning], and asked for a Student Learning Fee Grant to purchase the most expensive textbooks and put them on reserve for students to use.”

Newell commented that the Student Learning Fee Grant will help students utilize needed materials without making the choice between buying a textbook or buying groceries.

“We know what we are, but we want to know what students need,” Newell said. “Studies have shown that the library is a huge educational symbol and means something worthwhile to students, especially first-generation students, and we want to make sure we are here for them.”

The library faculty plans to make the space more inclusive by starting a library advisory group to make sure the students have a voice in what happens there. Newell believes that this will help the library better plan for what students need and will introduce them to a new kind of diversity.

“The world is continuing to be more diverse, and we have to be accommodating to our incredibly complex and diverse students,” he said.

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion has encouraged the library to make these changes to create a sociocultural environment that supports people in getting their education. Newell admitted that in order to accommodate to such an environment, the library faculty and staff need to continue to work together and make it known that the library is here to help students succeed.

“Chico State is a very welcoming, warm community and I am constantly impressed by how cohesive the faculty, staff and students are,” Newell said. “I admire how aware and active diversity is on this campus and I attribute that to the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. They are doing a wonderful job.”

Everyone has their own interpretations of activism. It can yield strong reactions out of people, both positive and negative. Activism and engagement goes beyond prevailing politics, it begins with communities and educational facilities.

Chico State takes great measures to create initiatives and opportunities to equip faculty on how to begin the conversation on controversial topics, as well as make the campus a more inclusive place for all.

The action of activism can be anything from attending public meetings, protests or rallies to door-to-door canvassing and face-to-face conversation. People who engage in activism or consider themselves activists are often trying to achieve a social goal or challenge policies and practices they feel are unfair -- they’re not trying to obtain power. In some ways, activism and diversity go hand-in-hand.

“The world of diversity is complicated. It’s messy and it’s not simple. It’s life consuming but it feels like it’s very meaningful and that it matters,” said Katie Peterson, Program Coordinator of the Cross Cultural Leadership Center.

There are a lot of behind the scene efforts that go into advocacy for social justice and community engagement and activism plays a big part. Campus and classroom groups provide a great opportunity to become an activist. One, simple way is by becoming an ally.

“Being able to recognize my own privilege so that I can be a better advocate and ally -- that’s the journey for most white allies. Learning how to push through and build bridges and relationships with the students and really listen. I am honored and privileged that the students have really let me into their lives and walk alongside them to help advocate where I can,” Peterson said.

It all begins with a safe place for a simple discussion. It is important that students and faculty feel not only important in their place of work or study but to be heard and included.

“Activism can take a number of shapes and forms, and it’s most effective when done with understanding and with the goals of bringing people together”

“Chico State continues to take a pro-active approach to educate its students about activism, from voter education and civic engagement to the recent Voter Friendly Campus designation,” said Sean Murphy, public affairs coordinator. “Activism can take a number of shapes and forms, and it’s most effective when it’s done with understanding and with the goal of bringing people together, instead of trying to create more division.”

Chico State offers many workshops, activities and events that promote diversity and engagement that gathers students and staff of different backgrounds.

“I think it is incredibly important that students feel they can be their authentic selves. If students are feeling like they can’t be themselves on an individual level but also culturally, then that impacts their ability to focus and invest and have the motivation to do what they came to Chico State to accomplish,” Peterson said.

There are many ways for students and staff to be actively involved and participate in campus-community engagement and social justice events. Here are some tips on how to get started:

1. Be Curious: The best way to start on your journey into activism is to simply dive into your curiosity. If you’re curious about a certain issue or struggle, try to learn more about it and talk to people who have personal experiences with it.

2. Educate Yourself: Before you start becoming involved, it is important to educate yourself thoroughly on an issue to understand both sides of an argument and to understand how YOU can make a difference.

3. Volunteer and get out there: Once you’ve found an issue or movement you’re passionate about and have researched, find an organization or group on campus, or in the community you can bring new ideas or a helping hand or fresh new ideas to.

4. Activism and Education mash-up: By combining your activism and education, you can challenge your biases and have some objective stance in your writing and school work.

5. Have fun with it: Being an activist doesn’t have to be boring or forced. You can make an impact by sharing your information and talents by participating in different events offered on campus or in the community. Showcase your skills from art, music, cooking or simply offering extra help.

6. Don’t stop: Keep up with available information and never stop learning or trying to help out. Don’t pass opportunities to inform the public, community or friends about what you know.

7. Practice what you preach: Think of yourself as the leading example; you can make a powerful impact in the way you choose to live your life. The best way to promote change is by living in accordance to the ideals you believe in.

“I think what Chico State campus does well is providing opportunity for voice. It’s not up to the institution to always push that agenda but it really has to come organically from the people and I think the campus does a great job for allowing that natural opportunity to take place,” Peterson said.

These are some simple steps you can take to become involved on campus or community. One of the easiest ways to get started doesn’t always have to be through direct action, you can start by listening to active communities and groups. Hear what they have to say and begin building a foundation for future relationships.

“No matter what your talents or abilities are, not everyone is going to hold the microphone leading the march; you can use art poetry writing. No matter who you are there’s something that you can bring to the table,” Peterson said.

Robert Duncan, a business entrepreneurship student and shooting guard for the Chico State men’s basketball team, recently finished his last game of the season after playing on the team for four years.

Duncan is from Granite Bay, California, where he lived with his grandparents. He always knew he wanted to play basketball in college and chose a school that would allow him to do just that.

“I chose Chico State because Coach Clink heavily recruited me out of high school,” Duncan said. “It felt nice to have someone who was showing deep interest in me to come play basketball for him.”

Freshman year was difficult for Duncan, but he quickly learned to manage his time better. Staying on top of school and playing basketball has been his biggest challenge while at Chico State.

“Coach Clink is a guy who wants you to have a grasp on your future. He definitely made me want to become more responsible and prepare more while getting my degree,” Duncan said. “Just being around good guys in general and a coach that cares so much made me want to transform into a better person.”

Coach Clink has worked closely with Duncan during the past five years and had the chance to form a close relationship with him.

“Robert is one of the best basketball players and best persons I have ever been around. He is an extremely driven person and has such a bright future,” Clink said. “I am proud to have coached him and even prouder to know him.”

While at Chico State, Duncan has had the opportunity to form life-long friendships and had many unique experiences. The relationships he formed as a student-athlete helped him realize what he wanted to do after graduation and how he will get himself there.

“Being at Chico State has really taught me the importance of coming into everything with an objective or goal.”

While at Chico State, Duncan has had the opportunity to form life-long friendships and had many unique experiences. The relationships he formed as a student-athlete helped him realize what he wanted to do after graduation and how he will get himself there.

“I am definitely excited to graduate, but being at Chico has really taught me the importance of coming into everything with an objective or goal,” Duncan said. “It is important for me to be organized from the beginning and work hard so I won’t have to play catch up later.”

Duncan hopes to have the opportunity to continue his basketball career as a pro, playing basketball overseas in Europe after graduation. When he is done with basketball he eventually plans to move home and look for a job in business.

“I have enjoyed my time here at Chico State and I am thankful for the people I have met,” Duncan said. “My experience is something I will take with me after I graduate, while I search for new opportunities.”

Since coming to Chico State in 2012, soon-to-be graduate Mai Xiong knew she wanted to get involved and help people. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in multicultural and gender studies, with options in general and women’s studies, she plans to continue her education at graduate school. There, she’ll participate in a master’s program for higher education and student affairs.

Xiong will have also completed three minors, including the general education pathway in global development studies, social diversity, and Asian American studies. She has been actively involved from the very beginning, working in the Bell Memorial Union marketplace, interning at the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, working in the Student Learning Center (SLC) and eventually obtaining a position at the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) office.

“I think my initial reason for why I wanted to go to the SLC is because it made me feel my self worth,” she said, noting that she wanted to work in a space where she not only was able to gain experience and skill for herself but have an impact on others.

Xiong has met many advisors while at Chico State, including Tray Robinson, director of diversity and inclusion programs, and Caroline Prieto, previous supplementary instruction coordinator. Among her mentors, Dawn Frank, the first-year experience coordinator, recommended her to the position at the EOP office.

“I have a lot of advisors or mentors that I’ve met along the way that I kind of nitpick their traits to make me form my own,” Xiong said. “Dawn is so funny and goofy yet knows when to be serious. She always knows the right thing to say.”

"Of course being part of the MCGS major, you already know that diversity, inclusion and things like that are really big for us - it's like a foundation of my life."

Xiong’s mission for inclusion wasn’t established until she first came to Chico. Her eldest brother and sister had graduated from Chico State, so it seemed to be an easy choice even though she was discouraged by her parents, because higher education has been culturally uncommon for women in the Hmong culture. She constantly would get calls from her parents telling her to come back home.

“That was a struggle to keep myself motivated to stay here,” Xiong said. She lacked having a strong support system that encouraged her to get an education, and she had experienced women being treated differently in her Hmong community.

Xiong realized these double standards she had been living with when she took her first multicultural gender studies class, “Introduction to Multicultural and Gender Studies.” In her experience, women were less encouraged to continue onto high education, creating a divide in the expectations of men and women. Through learning about the history and concepts, she understood that certain aspects of the lecture could relate back to her personal life, igniting her strive for change.

“You go through the steps of being angry and wanting to do something about it, to coming to peace with it and trying to get involved,” Xiong said.

Hmong communities, both on and off campus, that she had been a part of weren’t always inclusive and had contradicting values. Being a feminist and activist for diversity, she’s been able to find her home in other spaces on campus.

Having firsthand experience with the hardships that many students face, Xiong has now been able to transfer her frustration into motivation to make a difference for other students coming into higher education as she moves onto graduate school.

“Of course being part of the MCGS major, you already know that diversity, inclusion and things like that are really big for us—it’s like a foundation of my life,” she said.

There is more to Veronica Velazquez than being a graduate social work student at Chico State. She is a wife and mother of five, getting ready to receive her master’s degree through the expedited program.

Velazquez received her bachelor’s degree in social work last spring and with the support of her family, she decided to come back to earn her master’s degree.

“As a first-generation student, it’s nice that my kids and husband are so supportive,” Velazquez said. “My kids get excited and do homework with me, and my husband has really stepped up and does more while I go to school.”

Velazquez grew up in a labor camp in Gridley, California where she struggled to make ends meet. After high school, she did not care to go to college, got married and started a family.

Then, she and her husband, Jose E. Velazquez, faced their son and daughter’s separate autism diagnoses. She worked closely with her son’s behavioral intervention support services and through her struggle to get support for her kids, she realised she wanted to come back to school for social work.

“While working for a federal assistance program for healthcare and nutrition of low-income pregnant women and infants, I saw firsthand the problems the Hispanic community faces when they aren’t familiar with the English language and have children with special needs,” Velazquez said. “I never thought I would get my master’s, but I just wanted to become a social worker and help the Hispanic community.”

Velazquez is passionate about her family and wanted to start a career in something she is enthusiastic about that hits close to home.

"I came to Chico State wanting to be a social worker and help people with special needs, and I found a job that is exactly what I wanted."

“My family grounds me and keeps me humble,” Velazquez said with a smile. “My weekends with them are really important, and no matter how busy I get, I want them to remember our time together and that I am doing all of this for them.”

While at Chico State, Velazquez interned for the Promotores program for the Northern Valley Catholic Social Services, where she landed a job for after graduation. She will be caring for children and adults with special needs in the Hispanic community.

Velazquez admits that she had to sacrifice parts of her life to achieve her goals but she is thankful for having such a strong support system.

“In life or as a student, having a supportive school or professional programs helps make everything easier and sets the stage for success,” Velazquez said. “Tasha Dev and Megan Kurtz from TRiO [a federal student services program that provides services for individuals with disadvantaged backgrounds], have been huge support systems and were there for anything I needed while I balanced out my life and pursued my dreams.”

As a Chico State student, Velazquez had to learn how to utilize her resources to get the maximum benefit in return. She noted that the Chico State faculty and staff have helped her every step of the way while she pursued her degree and got her dream job. Velazquez is now one step closer to a better future for herself, and for her family.

“This job is seriously a dream come true,” Velazquez said. “I came to Chico State wanting to be a social worker and help people with special needs, and I found a job that is exactly what I wanted.”