Amidst the stress of grad school, here is a little reflection and a note to self to keep going through it all.

Dear Manny,

After a full year of grad school at CSU Stanislaus, you can truly say that your future objectives, goals, and prospects have been made in the CSU <3

What do I mean by made in the CSU? A former Disney channel artist has a song about building her relationships with others strongly through her place of origin or location. Although she’s referring to relationships and social interactions, I believe you definitely resonate with the idea of being influenced by your environment and the places you choose to become involved with.

You’re grateful for your undergrad experience, especially because it has given you the foundation for your goals, but it has truly been the CSU system, and Stan State in particular, that has sharpened and defined those objectives It has also been the Stan State that has allowed you to recognize that yes, you can reach higher!

Who you are now and who you want to become,  you credit to what you have learned during your time at the CSU located in the heart of the northern Central Valley; everything from your interactions with your professors; your experiences applying to pre-doctoral programs; your time in the MSW program; have all guided you and provided you with a perspective and belief in your abilities that you did not have during undergrad.

Best of luck Manny and all students navigating college during this pandemic. None of this easy, none of this is what we asked for, but it is the world we are currently living in and if you made it this far, you can continue.

To students considering applying to the CSU, especially Stan State, know that if you choose to become a part of the Warrior community, you will enter a university driven by student support initiatives and increasing student success the ultimate and constant objective! 🙂

It’s that time of year: college application season!

To this day, I still remember being 17 years old and applying to universities across California. Although my path would end up taking me to college, it wasn’t until my senior of high school that I began to truly recognize attending college as a viable option for me.

As a first generation student, I struggled conceptualizing that yes, I can and could gain admission into a four year university. Growing up my parents never spoke to me about college because they were so pre-occupied with managing our day to day lives. That’s one of the many struggles of students from low-income backgrounds; we come from families that don’t necessarily have the privilege to think about life beyond the realms of what we presently know and understand.

Once I made up my mind of what my future path would hold, I began to research universities and in particular, university admission requirements. I knew I probably was not going to make it to Harvard just yet, so I looked into four year public universities across California. I have always loved the golden state, so this was a blessing in disguise—I did not want to leave the west coast if I didn’t need to.

During my senior year of high school, I applied to the CSU system and including CSU Stanislaus. I knew I needed to apply to schools that could afford me a great education and Stan State and other CSUs were definitely a part of my considerations.

I was grateful to know that the CSU system recognized the diversity of students and their learning experiences which was reflective in their admission requirements. I applied to the CSU knowing that no matter what my final verdict would be, I would end up with amazing college options.

Aside from having to do all the paper work which I did not want to do (now online), what I really enjoyed about my time applying to the CSU had to be learning of how diverse each university is. All a part of the CSU system at large, each campus is so unique and offers students various opportunities. It is difficult having to decide which campus to choose from, so below are some things to consider when applying to the CSU:

• Academic majors and program
  • Does the campus offer what I want to study? Or think I want to study?
• Location
  • Where do I see myself? Or where would I like to place myself in these next few years?
• Cost of Attendance
  • How expensive is it to attend that campus, or to live in the surrounding area? Will I be able to afford it?
• Student Demographics and Organizations
  • Who attends this university, and what cultural and social programs do they offer the study body? Can I see myself in via the campus demographic information and if not, am I willing to help change that? How involved can I become with my university?

Best of luck everyone applying! I know it is not always easy, but it is worth it! J

According to Snapchat memories, this time a year ago I was spending the daytime walking with friends through campus, admiring the scenery and weather which was perfect with just the right amount of sunlight and warmth. In the evenings, I was hanging out with other friends, socializing, and practicing one of my favorite hobbies: storytelling and story sharing.

I personally believe there is reverence and validation in owning who you are and sharing that with others. I enjoy talking to people and getting to know them. This social trait of mine has followed me throughout my undergraduate career, especially during my time as an international student. When I was studying abroad in Mexico City, I could not help but want to learn about the capital city of Mexico as much as I could. I was experiencing Mexico City for myself, but I wanted to understand it through the lens and lived-experiences of folks from the area. As a U.S. citizen, I was completely living a different life in Mexico City. It was great, really, but I knew it was only so authentic because I had the support of my undergrad institution. I wanted my time in Mexico to be so much more meaningful. I wanted to develop a deeper relationship with Mexico City, a place I yearned to be as a child and then young adult, and knew I could materialize this by getting to know people through storytelling and story sharing. During my time abroad, I went so far as to try to host a sustainability club to help create the space for this to happen. This was supposed to take form as a gardening and composting club, and as a space where fellow U.S. students and either local community members or students would regularly tend to different plants and compost. I had the idea that this space would also allow us to practice both our English and Spanish in a natural way. Sadly, that did not fully happen but I did end up finding a community space in other artistic and lively areas of Mexico City where I was able to engage in storytelling and story sharing.

I share all of this because as distance learning continues, I want to find ways to create more storytelling and story sharing spaces while we navigate life during a pandemic. Being able to leave your personal living space, whether that be a university housing unit, off-campus apartment, or your family’s home, grants us opportunities to meet so many people and not necessarily by choice. We simply just have to interact with so many others as students. Now that we’re at home for most if not all of the day, we can’t really engage with so many other people. This may not be such a critical time for university students (assuming most are at least or near 18 and older), but for younger children, these are very important development years.

Does anyone have any ideas of what I could possibly try to do? I know zoom fatigue is a thing so I am open to any and all considerations. This is also not any rushed effort. I just want to try to engage with others, especially students, in a way that is both creative, soothing, and encouraging. 🙂

Hello everyone :]

I hope September treated everyone well. I personally can’t  believe it’s already over. Is it just me, or does it (at times) feel almost impossible to differentiate the weeks from one another given all the events that have transpired these last few months?

September really feels like it flew by. I go through my camera roll to remind myself of things that took place because it really has been all over the place. Some things I have done this month alone include:

• Starting my social work internship with the Basic Needs Program
• Taking on a Graduate Assistantship with the Student Engagement in Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity (SERSCA) Program
• Applying and interviewing for new graduate research assistant positions
• Continuing with my current research assistant and Blogger position
• Investing time researching post-MSW fellowships and programs (I have my eyes set on a few already and share updates about them through the semester)

It feels as though I’ve taken on a lot this semester, and I have, but with everything being from home, it all feels much more manageable and realistic. For instance, I no longer have to think so much about getting to class. I live near Turlock and would commute around 20-25 minutes each way (school and back). The drive was always a great time to collect myself and kind of therapeutic. Since that is no longer a part of my routine, I’ve been able to take my mornings/days a bit more slowly and calmly.

This month has felt [all over the place] but at the same time, I have also felt very in control. I do have to credit Stan State, though. The university has been a huge anchor in my life especially this last month. Pre-Fall 2020, I was just taking each day one at a time. I now have a routine that’s centered on my academic responsibilities and future prospects. September has been a ride, but not one fully out of my grasp.

It is finally October and Libra season! This month I will be starting my fitness journey so I’m excited to add that to my list of accomplishments. I also want to read more books on my Kindle so if anyone has any recommendations, feel free to comment them below.

Well, here’s to a great new month and new prospects! I can’t wait to update everyone on the progress of my commitments in the next few weeks 🙂