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