An oral history with Jasmine Gonzalez, a member of the Chico State Orientation team and resident of Willows. This interview was conducted for the Preserving Chico State Voices for Change Oral History Project for California State University, Chico. The purpose of the interview was to gather information regarding her time spent as the student coordinator of the orientation team for around the last 2 years in her total of 3 years at Chico State University.
The interview begins with some personal stories that Jasmine shares with us that include her roots in Willows, along with some of the things that influenced her to go to Chico State. As the conversation progresses, Jasmine delves into her work as a member of the orientation team and more specifically the student coordinator. We get to hear about the importance of the program and hear how it has built community and an inclusive environment on campus. She also shares with us some of the stories and interactions that she found rewarding along the way along with the recounting of some moments when she was able to see new students go from feelings nervous and uncertain of the new environment they found themselves in to building connections with some of her peers.
The interview concludes with Jasmine’s reflections on the evolution of the Student Orientation and Transition program with a focus on inclusivity and the broadening of student resources. She speaks about how the program must be developed in order to adapt to the diverse needs of incoming students, and how we can foster an environment that is welcoming to the new students and connect them to other people that they are able to relate to. Her final thoughts are that everyone needs to be able to feel included and that the ability of all students to be felt as such is instrumental in ensuring that every student, regardless of their background, feels as comfortable as they can going into Chico State.
Gonzalez_Transcript.pdf