Hello everyone,

It is thanksgiving and even though times are probably challenging for all of us (an understatement, I’m sure), I still find that there is so much I can give thanks for.

Today I am thankful for many things, and one of the biggest is my education, and Stan State’s role in anchoring these last few months for me. I am thankful for the people I have met with at Stan State, including my peers and professors.

In early 2020, I remember having the highest of hopes for the year that was ahead of me. This pandemic and what  has seemed like endless series of events,  did change some of those aspirations. While 2020 has not been the easiest, it has been very telling and for that I am grateful.

This year I am mostly thankful for all the opportunities I have been presented with during these challenging times. It seems like such a long time ago, but back in March I was offered opportunities that helped keep me feel put together and ready to take on this pandemic. My research assistant jobs began to offer more opportunities to take on hours, even while virtually, and that alone helped redirect my attention to the present and ways to feel grounded. It was at times very easy to put blame on the pandemic for my inability to get something done, but I knew that was not sustainable. Pandemic or not, I still had things to get done and I am grateful that my non-academic commitments at Stan State kept me busy. Surviving this pandemic both metaphorically and literally I know will help me during challenging times down the road.

Truthfully, I do struggle to piece together these last few months. I often have to scroll through my camera roll to separate the months from one another, as they all feel a little too similar; but one thing that does not change yet is unforgettable, is the sense of drive my involvement at Stan State has provided me which helped power me through these intense months. I think that is the power of higher education, it is more than just going to class, taking tests, turning in papers, etc. It is about the connections we make and the experiences we want to provide for ourselves.

I hope you all have a great thanksgiving, in whatever way that looks like this year. For me, it will be mostly virtual. The only non-virtual aspect of today will be running to the kitchen for tamales :3

Thank you so much! <3

Hellooo :]

My name is Manny and #IAmStanState

What does it mean to be Stan State? I believe #IAmStanState because: I am eager to learn. I want to evolve. I am cultivating new beginnings daily; and I am doing all of this with my present and future community in mind.

#IAmStanState because I am a first-generation graduate student, an openly queer Latino from the Central Valley, and a believer in ongoing transformation and development. Currently, I am a graduate research assistant with CSU Stan’s Center of Public Policy Studies; Student Engagement in Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity (SERSCA) Graduate Assistantship Recipient; Graduate Intern at the Basic Needs Program at Stan State; a Master of Social Work student; and a Blogger with the Stan State Admissions Office. #IAmStanState because I wear many hats, and each are helping me find my way towards gaining admission into a doctoral program (which is my goal).

#IAmStanState because I believe LGBTQ people have so much to gain in this world and I want to make it my purpose to further those advances through my education. #IAmStanState because I believe Latinos and other people of color deserve to take charge of their agency in revolutionary ways. #IAmStanState because the education I am receiving at Stan State is equipping me with confidence in my abilities to seek the changes I want for my communities.

#IAmStanState because I believe in the importance of collective power and health, which is why I also wear masks everywhere I go! And practice social distancing :)! Stay Safe and thank you for joining me <3

Hello everyone :]

It’s National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, a week long effort to raise awareness of hunger and homelessness in the U.S., especially as we approach the holidays; so in an effort to further the mission of National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, I wanted to highlight a really cool resource at our university that works to alleviate student hunger: the Warrior Food Pantry!

I stopped by on Tuesday (11/17) after my internship just to check it out myself–and for the first time! How it works is pretty simple, even with COVID safety guidelines. Students walk into the pantry located in Student Services Building #116. Students then provide their ID numbers to sign in, and are then handed a “menu” of items to select from. Students circle the items they want from a variety of categories, and student staff load up their items into bags. It almost feels like looking into a little grocery store and reading off a menu or list of available items and choosing the ones we want.

Look at all I got :)!

Students are limited to 10-13 items a week, but today was also a Food Box Distribution day, which is another service within the Basic Needs Program, so not everything in the photo above is from the pantry itself but a solid 13 items are. I got some really stuff from my first visit and will definitely be stopping by in the future. During these hard times, it feels great to know that services like this exist on campus (and that have actually been created in large part by Master of Social Work program *wink-wink*).

As students it can be so easy to go hungry. We can get so caught up with school, extracurriculars, including jobs, and various other reasons and thankfully the Warrior Food Pantry exists to help mediate some that hunger. If you’re a Stan State student be sure to check out the Warrior Food Pantry, and be sure to bring a friend :)!