Office of Diversity and Inclusion – Student Assistant

Spring 2020

3 Minutes Read

Summer ended and I was off to South Korea for my study abroad program. I’ll end up writing about my time abroad something in the future. For now, just know that I decided to shorten my time abroad from one year to one semester. Which, was a great move by myself I might add because once we transitioned to 2020, covid hit the world very hard and I would have been forced to come back home by my study abroad program anyways. I landed back in California at the very end of December so I was back in Chico for like a week and a half before I got an email with a job offer (which was a lot sooner than I expected).

Tray Robinson was the Director of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at CSU, Chico. He would later move on to a new one at Butte College. Tray was involved on many many different roles and spaces around Chico State and he was someone very respected. I was very fortunate to have him as my professor for my Introduction course for Multicultural and Gender Studies back in Spring 2018. The things we talked about and read about in that course fascinated me and I would always go to his office hours and discuss more about it with him. Over time, Tray became one of my favorite teachers and a mentor that I am so so grateful for. He taught me many things that I continue to carry with me, whether that is finding a balance in my life between all the stuff that I do and get involved with, to just keeping a strong mindset to continue to work and grind for a better future.

So, a week and a half after I came back from South Korea, Tray reached out and offered me a job as a Student Assistant for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. It was great timing because a week later, I started getting some emails from different places on campus looking to hire and I was recommended by a few people. My role was to work the front desk (doing clerical stuff), assist the advisors in the office on their projects and work if needed, and interview API faculties on campus to add to the Monthly Newsletter the office would put out each month for each specific community (API, African-American, Native-American, and Latinx). The job was fairly easy and there wasn’t anything too difficult in particular. The job taught me a lot in terms of how an office works in operating office machinery (printers, the lamentation of documents, office phones, etc) customer service, an improvement in multitasking, web design/development, and surprisingly interviewing skills.

I enjoyed it, however, I would say it is my least favorite job I’ve had on campus. Mainly because I do not get to work with students anymore and I desperately miss those interactions. I love working with students and sitting at a desk for the majority of the time just doesn’t cut it for me. The work hours were around my school schedule so I didn’t worry about hours and pay. The advisors and my coworkers were all fun and kind towards me so I didn’t have any trouble interacting with any of them. The office does great work and I hope the office expands even more on Chico State. Overall, it was a nice buffer job experience for me while I re-gathered myself coming back into American society, balancing school and life, and the shit storm that Covid-19 came with 2020 (transitioning to online learning) and as I get ready to apply to a job that I always wanted on campus.

My name tag I wore everytime I clocked into the office.

Hello, I would appreciate it if you would give me feedback on what you enjoyed and what you didn’t. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to comment or email me too! Thank you.

July 10, 2023 0

Educational Opportunity Program Summer Bridge – English Writing Mentor

Summer 2019

5 Minutes Read

Description: Under the direct supervision of the Summer Bridge English faculty, English mentors will work with a group of 8-12 students to help them better understand the writing process and provide feedback to improve their writing. English mentors promote independent learning and act as academic mentors and role models. English mentors must be prepared to complete 4-5 hours of training prior to the start of the EOP Summer Bridge Program.

After my time as an SI leader ended at the end of my Sophomore year (I was going to study abroad in South Korea so I couldn’t come back to that position in my Junior year of college), I was invited to work as an English Writing Mentor as part of the English component in the Educational Opportunity Program’s Summer Bridge Program. A little about the Summer Bridge program, EOP freshmen students who got accepted are invited to a mandatory 12-day program at CSU, Chico where they get a taste of what college is potentially like. So they have a packed schedule from 7:00 AM – 5:00PM/6:00 PM. English is one of the components they have to go to during the duration of Summer Bridge. I had to go through it when I was a freshman as well. So, if you think about it, the students we are assigned are fresh out of high school, as they just recently graduated like 3-5 days ago when the first day of Summer Bridge started. I know that was true in some cases for some of the people I met in my freshmen year.

Kim Jaxon and I first met when I came in as a freshman back in Summer Bridge 2017 and she was also my English professor I had in Spring 2018 as well. So, she’s familiar with me and the work I’ve put in since the start of my college career. Kim is a straight G (gangsta), super duper down to earth, empathetic but also takes no bullshit from students who are slacking. She has had a huge influence on me and my development in writing and falling in love with the pursuit of education. One funny thing that is always happening whenever Kim sees me is that she tries to convince me to switch majors from a History major to an English major. And as I am writing this in December of 2021, she has not stopped since 2017. Maybe she’ll stop once I graduate lol. She only slowed down on the frequency of asking me to switch when I finally picked up a Creative Writing minor back in the Fall of 2020. Thank you Kim for believing in me and pushing me to be better. Kim needed a few more students to fill in the position and she sent me an email and boom, I was on the team.

I have been blessed to have great students and this time it wasn’t any different. I remember my students were kinda shy on the first day but we had to share out the narrative paper they wrote before coming to Summer Bridge and seeing that they were a bit hesitant to share, I went ahead and shared my story first. There is this thing I learned from a mentor of mine about when it comes to sharing stories. “Share your scars but not your wounds. Your scars have healed and you are sharing it won’t reopen it. However, your wounds, are fresh and can be deepened even further, so it is not good to share your wounds. Wait until they are scars to share.” So, I shared my scars with my students and I believe that was when they were comfortable opening up to me and to each other. I feel like that set the tone and comfort level for my students and me. We became close and it felt really nice considering I was only with them for 1 hour and 30 minutes – 2 hours with them each day.

And for two years in a row with my summer jobs, I was pushed and coaxed into giving another spoken word performance to students. Kim asked me a few days before the last day we met up with the students if I wanted to give a spoken word performance on the last day. I initially said “No.” but after a few more encouragement from Kim and my coworkers, I ended up saying “Yes.” So, I gave my “Represent Represent” piece a few small revisions, and then on the last day with the students, I performed it for them. The reason why I decided to go with this piece was because I wanted the students to understand that coming to college and especially being in the EOP program, they will and are representing many things. They will represent their hometown, their ethnicity, their culture, their family, Chico State, and most importantly, they will represent EOP. So when they shine, the whole program shines. At the same time, I wanted to give them a real talk about how college is not for everyone as it will test them greatly in all capacities in life.

Overall, this experience was very fun and welcoming to have before I head into my Junior year studying abroad in Seoul, South Korea for Fall 2019. I improved even more with my interpersonal and intrapersonal skills with even better group management skills. Also, I was able to perform spoken word again in front of a huge audience (IMO) and that is always fun.

Hello, I would appreciate it if you would give me feedback on what you enjoyed and what you didn’t. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to comment or email me too! Thank you.

July 10, 2023 0

Student Learning Center (SLC) – Supplemental Instructions (SI) Leader

Fall 2018 – Spring 2019

6 Minutes Read

Description: Supplemental Instruction (SI) is an academic assistance program that utilizes peer-assisted study sessions to increase student success in historically difficult courses. SI sessions are held 3 to 4 times per week by an SI leader who has already mastered the course material in a specific course. SI sessions are held 3 to 4 times per week by an SI leader who has already mastered the course material in a specific course. The SI leader is faculty-recommended and extensively trained to facilitate group sessions where students can meet to compare notes, improve their understanding of course material, review and discuss difficult concepts, develop study strategies, and prepare for exams.

In my Sophomore year of college, I applied for my second official job where I got paid. This was also my second-ever job on campus. I thoroughly enjoyed my time working in this position because I know I learned so much and at the same time, I was able to positively impact a student’s life and experience in college. I was just so amazed at the growth I had at the end of my time working for the SI program at Chico State. I was able to work on developing lesson plans, presenting skills, public speaking, classroom management, and interpersonal and intrapersonal skills.

One thing that I come to learn about myself working in this position and specifically with this population is that I love working with students who have a background in being a first-generation, historically low-income, and minority background. I relate so much to what these students have endured and gone through and seeing their growth throughout the semester inspired me to continue with my education and future goals. There is something so rewarding about seeing how much my students have grown and how much they still thank me whenever they see me on campus. They continue to validate that my effort and caring nature have positively impacted their college experience for the better.

My work hours were great and it was worked around my school schedule so I rarely had any time conflicts between work and school. Plus, since it was an on-campus job, I could just go straight from class to work or work to class without a hassle. The pay was good too and I was able to make a bit of money that I both saved and used. I was finally able to start buying things that I needed and wanted besides using the money I received from financial aid. I did notice that in my Sophomore year, I started to gain a bit more weight because I was eating more due to bringing in a little income. It was probably stress eating as well.

The professors I provided SI for were Amy in the Fall and Tray in the Spring. Both professors were super easy and fun to work with. They made my job very easy because they would always provide me with good topics and subjects to cover each week and things I could focus on in my sessions to help the students. They always treated me with respect and worked with me in a manner that allowed my talent and passion to shine. I will share one thing from each class that I will always remember.

For Amy’s CMST 132 course, this semester was when the tragic Camp fire erupted and destroyed the town called Paradise a few hours above Chico. Many people in the area were affected and people escaping the fire needed help and assistance. For the last month of the semester, Amy decided that our class would adopt a few families that needed help and we were able to get donations from the community and create these Christmas bundles with supplies and goodies to help these families get back on their feet a little bit. Seeing the faces of Amy and my CMST students do good and work hard wrapping and transporting the supplies to the center to distribute to the families made me very warm and fuzzy inside especially seeing them make an impact early on in their college careers.

For Tray’s MCGS 155 course, Tray was my previous teacher so I was familiar with working with him and I knew his style of teaching. Tray keeps tabs on me from time to time and we still keep in touch because he is also a mentor of mine. He knew I had performed spoken word in various areas and that I went to APAHE back in my freshmen year (because I had to miss one of his classes to go). He wanted to incorporate my spoken word experience into his course as an assignment. So, he allowed me to develop that assignment and present it to him. It got APPROVED and it was later implemented later in the semester. I was super stoked to hear my students spit their game and story in class as each student was recorded and all the clips were combined into one long 10-minute highlight clip of all the students. I, unfortunately, will not be sharing it as those are stories that I will not expose y’alls to. Just know they all enjoyed the assignment and it was amazing and powerful hearing their story and upbringing. Thank you to all my students for being vulnerable and sharing. I also went and attached the assignment presentation below so y’all can see what I made for them.

I have also attached the student evaluations my students had to complete and give to me at the end of each semester as feedback for the SI leaders. I think if I were ever questioned if I am as genuine of a person as I say I am, I would just show this to those people. I care a lot about the things I do and I invest emotionally and physically into my work. My student’s heartfelt answers on the surveys attest to this. It also made me very proud and happy to see I was a good enough SI leader that some of my students from the Fall semester wanted to have me again in the Spring semester too! Safe to say, I was an amazing SI leader! Overall, this was a great experience that I was blessed with.

Fall 2018 – Manting Xiong – End of Semester Si Student Survey

Spring 2019 – Manting Xiong – End of Semester Si Student Survey

Copy of Hip Hop Identity Project

Hello, I would appreciate it if you would give me feedback on what you enjoyed and what you didn’t. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to comment or email me too! Thank you.

July 10, 2023 0

7th Annual CSU EOP Student Leadership Conference in Northern California – CSU, Chico EOP Paraprofessional Advisor Team

November 2018

3 Minutes Read

Summer went by pretty quickly too and I was happy heading into my Sophomore year of college. In November 2018, I was approached by Billy who was the First-Year Experience Coordinator for the Educational Opportunity Program at CSU, Chico offering me a spot on the team he was taking with him to the 7th Annual CSU EOP Student Leadership Conference in Northern California. One of their team members couldn’t go so I was offered the spot for this conference. I was lucky to be free at the time and I took up his offer, and man, I’m glad I said yes. There’s something so special and fun about being in a room filled with other passionate students who want to learn and help improve their ability to be more of a service and support to students in the EOP program. If I remember correctly I think the CSUs in attendance were Humboldt, Chico, Cal-Maritime, Sacramento, and Sonoma.

For this conference, each EOP team had to create a presentation about their EOP program and the services that they offered on their campus. Not being an EOP Paraprofessional Advisor at the time, I brought a unique perspective into the team as I was an SI leader at the time. But, since I worked directly with EOP students in my SI sessions, I was able to elaborate and talk about the benefits of the SI program for our EOP students. I think something cool during this was that I got to see the dynamic of how those EOP parapros worked together and the chemistry they had with each other. They were a good bunch to work with so I was grateful for that.

With CSU, Chico’s EOP program being one of the first pilot programs, we had a lot to offer and the success of our program was good. It was really cool learning about some of the resources and support services that the other EOP programs had that we didn’t. For example, EOP Sacramento had a transfer bridge for their transfer students who got accepted into the EOP program. Which, I thought was really freaking cool because I can only imagine how fun and nice it is to transfer to another campus and already be surrounded by people with similar experiences that you have. After learning about the other EOP programs, we were given a tour of CSU, Sacramento, and holy shit, their campus is pretty big. They have many more tall buildings compared to CSU, Chico. I do wish we could’ve gone inside the buildings.

This all took place in one day and after the conference, my team and I decided to go get some Chick-Fil-A (which, I never had before) and then we spent some time at a shopping mall. I rarely go to Sacramento or explore Sacramento by myself so once we got into the mall, I went on a solo adventure. I checked out all the stores but I only ended up buying some fancy clothes (button-ups, two vests, slacks, and a bow tie). I also greatly enjoyed the car ride from Sacramento to Chico as there were a lot of deep conversations (I’m a sap for deep conversations). Overall, it was a great day filled with fun and deep conversations about life, academics, and providing service to students.

The CSU, Chico EOP Representative Team. I actually looked ight in this photo 🙂

Hello, I would appreciate it if you would give me feedback on what you enjoyed and what you didn’t. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to comment or email me too! Thank you.

July 10, 2023 0

Educational Talent Search/Butte College Summer Connections Program – Student Leader

Summer 2018

6 Minutes Read

My Freshmen year of college went by a blur and in the Spring, I decided to apply for the Student Leader position happening in the summer. Now we get to my first-ever job where I get paid! This experience is about my role as a student leader for CSU, Chico’s Educational Talent Search in collaboration with Butte College in their Summer Connections Program. So, we had two student leader teams from Chico State and Butte College and we got paired up and each group was in charge of 20-25 students. My group was the green group and we were in charge of the oldest students. There were many components to this job besides being good student role models and supervising our students. We also had to take the Clifton Strengths test, attend a week of learning about Leadership at Butte College’s Leadership Academy, and make an All About Me presentation that we presented and shared with the whole program. (I’ve attached that on the side as well below.)

Through all of that, I felt confident in my training and role heading into the program before I met my students. My students were all great (might be a bit biased), there was a good balance of active students and some students who were more shy which was perfectly fine. I think about them and this experience from time to time and wonder where they are now. They are more than likely done with high school now and hopefully, they decided to pursue college. I realized how close my students and I are when they started to tease and roast me during the last week and a half. I think that made them feel more comfortable talking and working with me and at times, I saw that they began to emulate my behavior.

This was very evident in what I scored on the Clifton Strengths test. It was my first time ever taking it and seeing my top five strengths, I knew immediately that those were correct and very present during that time of my life. The context wasn’t a given but after reading more about it, it just fits perfectly with my reasoning to become a History major that it made total sense. As Learner, I always loved the process of things in life rather than the result. I believe that the journey and experiences from that overcomes the final destination. Even if that journey was filled with some of the most painful and mournful moments of my life, I can not deny that there were many lessons I learned through it all. With Restorative and Responsibility, I know what I have to do and if I put my time and effort into it, most of the time, I complete it and resolve it. With Consistency, it is very difficult to do, to be at peak performance and continue to put my words into action and do what I said/set out to do. Being consistent in how I interact with everyone, my mannerisms, behaviors, and mindset. Something that has helped me in this strength is hearing someone say “Never judge someone by where they are, because you do not know how far they have come.”

This is a part of this job that I want to talk about, and that is when I was voluntold to perform a spoken word in front of the students by one of my supervisors. IT WAS NOT PLANNED! I REPEAT, IT WAS NOT PLANNED! But little did I know, it was the push I needed to accept that I loved the spoken word. I was so freaking nervous but once I got up on stage and spit my game, everything just flowed out of me and I just ran with it. I also attached a picture below of one of my coworkers who texted me about the spoken word I did. I think something special about Diana believing in me is that sometimes in life, all we need is that extra push by someone and we can shine and fulfill that potential that they see in us. Thank you, Diana and Aurora for pushing me to be even better!

Overall, I don’t think I could’ve gotten a better first-ever paid job, one filled with great teammates, kind supervisors, and a great working environment. I truly felt blessed by this experience and the lessons that I learned from this, I learned so much that it is difficult to unpack it all. I remember it was difficult for me to come to terms that the duration of the program was ending because I knew I would miss the interactions I had with everyone at my workplace. I think if someone is able to experience a job that they truly love and enjoy when it is time to leave, a sense of happiness and sorrow will appear as they reflect and reminisce about that experience. I did my best and seeing the kind words my supervisor said about my performance really showed me that I kindness, hard work, passion, and compassion can take a person far in life and enhance the experiences we encounter.

These are some of the thoughts my supervisor had about my performance as a student leader for the job.

All About Me Presentation – Summer Connection – Manting Xiong

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July 10, 2023 0

Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders in Higher Education Conference – Rise Up

April 2018

3 Minutes Read

After graduating from Chico High School, I got accepted into CSU, Chico. I didn’t realize how quickly my next leadership opportunity would come in my second semester of college. In the Spring semester of my Freshmen year in college, I was fortunate to have been selected by the Asian and Pacific Islander Council at CSU, Chico to attend the Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders in Higher Education Conference in Oakland, California. To be selected, we had to complete an interview process and submit a form to answer the questionnaires. I was one of the lucky six API (Asian and/or Pacific Islander) students selected to attend. Thank you to the APIC Council for this opportunity.

I was one of the only two male API students from Chico State so we were roommates and I just want to give a huge shoutout to Xeej. He was about to graduate in May that year and I am just so so grateful to had the time and opportunity to pick his brain and talk to him about life. I knew him for a short time but he made such a big impact on my life. Thank you to Shrutti as well, I will forever remember that night in which you, Xeej, and I talked late into the night.

This conference gave me so much confidence and a sense of direction with where I wanted to go and accomplish in my college career. Learning about burning out, how to use kindness and compassion in a leadership role, and most importantly, hearing the best-ever keynote speakers (IMO) in person… there is just too much I learned there to recap everything. This is where I began to embrace my API identity and start to think about how I can positively impact the lives of the people I encounter.
Overall, I think the most important things I will remember from this experience are the conversations I had with the attendees there. Talking about what it means to be an Asian-American living in the U.S. and specifically, what it means as a Hmong-American. Talking about what are the best ways we can positively serve our community and impact the younger generation to pursue higher education. And most importantly, how do we advocate not only for ourselves but also for other communities as well?

Group photo of all the Hmong attendees. Hmong Represent!

My original “Represent Represent” piece.

Hello, I would appreciate it if you would give me feedback on what you enjoyed and what you didn’t. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to comment or email me too! Thank you.

July 10, 2023 0

Chico High School – Sac Street Boys and Student Government

August 2015 – May 2016

3 Minutes Read

I knew I wanted leadership things to be a part of my life so I continued to seek it out whenever I had the time. So, in my junior year of high school, I had the privilege and opportunity to be part of both my high school’s student government course and also be in Sac Street Boys (SSB) which is a four-men quartet group in my Acapella course. I, unfortunately, do not have any photos of me being in student government. To be in Sac Street Boys, male Acapella students must first be part of the Acapella class and audition then at the beginning of the year, male Acapella students can audition to be in SSB. However, there are only four spots available and those are permanent for the duration of the academic year. I’m just blessed to have been part of a hard-working and fun team that was very cohesive in teamwork and vibes.

Overall, These guys always brighten up my day even after a long stressful day or week and it was always a fun time with them. Most of the small groups had only one lunch rehearsal per week but we had two lunch days instead because we wanted to grind and be the best. It meant I couldn’t hang out with my other friends but that didn’t matter too much to me because I knew I was working for something bigger than myself. That was a sacrifice I was comfortable giving up. And the results validated my work ethic and the effort I put into the group. This (my Junior year) and my Sophomore year are both tied for my favorite years in the Acapella choir.

One other thing I learned during this experience was balancing my time because I was involved in so much and doing so much. Acapella choir, Sac Street Boys, Student Government, Classes, an Officer in my Club, and Volleyball, I learned how to manage my time. I prioritized what things were important to me and I began to out the distractions that took away time and activities that didn’t justify my time.

Overall, being in student government didn’t teach me as much as I had hoped but it did provide an opportunity for me to hone my interpersonal and intrapersonal skills. Whether it was interacting with other CHS staff members or delegating tasks and problem-solving, this class didn’t teach me, but it allow me to improve on the skills I already had. And I think that is very important in my development.

Performance at Olive Garden. I remember being so nervous about this because we were singing to a wealthy group of people having their party.

Hello, I would appreciate it if you would give me feedback on what you enjoyed and what you didn’t. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to comment or email me too! Thank you.

July 10, 2023 0

Chico Jr. High School – Leadership

August 2012 – May 2013

2 Minutes Read

The first leadership experience and opportunity that I recognized and personally sought out was in my 8th-grade year at Chico Jr. High School. Many of the accomplishments I’ve completed and the ones I achieved in my 8th-grade year will not have been possible without the guidance of my Leadership teacher, Andy Wahl.

I remember feeling so unprepared and not smart enough for your Leadership class and yet you still encouraged me to join. That was the first time I ever felt imposter syndrome and throughout that academic year, the more I grew and learned, I began to have more confidence in myself and my actions. You took a chance on me… You took a chance on me, a Hmong-American student that just wanted to prove that he too, can make a difference in his community in his small own ways, and for that, I will be forever grateful to you. You do not know how much that meant to me back then, and even now in my present. It was such a privilege to have you as a teacher who pushed me to do better and to challenge myself whenever I didn’t feel ready for a task.

When I was called up for Chico Rotary Club’s Outstanding Citizenship Award, I was so shocked. I couldn’t believe my name was being called. I had no idea I was even considered for this award. The only other person that received this award was a female classmate in my Leadership class. This was the validation I needed at the end of the year for me to truly know that my actions and efforts in my community were seen, heard, and appreciated.

Teamwork, professionalism, work ethic, communication, and so many other skills I was able to develop and use came from my experience in Mr. Wahl’s class. This class served as the foundation for the skills I have developed to this day. I couldn’t have asked for a better Leadership teacher. I personally felt like Mr. Wahl was genuinely someone in my 8th-grade year that believed in me, my work ethic, and my potential in life. I hope that these awards I was able to obtain on 8th-grade awards night made you proud. Thank you, Mr. Wahl, for believing in me and I hope you rest well up there.

Chico Rotary Club Medal. I still have this medal tucked away in my closet.

Hello, I would appreciate it if you would give me feedback on what you enjoyed and what you didn’t. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to comment or email me too! Thank you.

July 10, 2023 0