Being a college student could be overwhelming, especially if you identify with a community that has historically been underrepresented in higher education. Identity-based organizations are important aspects of college campuses. They provide students with a sense of belonging, empowerment and support. These communities, which are centered around identities such as race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality or nationality deliver numerous benefits to their members.
To support the positive impact brought by identity-based organizations, leaders within the Skyline community shared how they’ve benefited and developed from their participation in these groups.
Student Ambassador of the International Students Program and third-year student at Skyline, Lasheana Dilian Husni, found that being a part of an identity-based organization provided her with a strong support system.
In 2020, she moved from Indonesia to the U.S. At first, she thought it would be difficult to make friends due to the language barrier. With the help of the International Students Program, she was able to make connections with her peers at events like the International Food Festival and the Global Extravaganza.
“It’s important to be active because they provide you with important resources, especially when you come to a new country by yourself,” Dilian Husni said.
The International Student Program provided Dilian Husni with resources to integrate into American society such as English lessons, opportunities to meet new people and help with driver’s license applications. Additionally, she said that the program helped her evolve both personally and professionally.
“I was able to share my stories to my supervisors and they have mentored me and taught me a lot,” Dilian Husni said. “I used to be a really shy person but this job [Student Ambassador] really helped me grow.”
She added that the feedback from her supervisors allowed her to be more open-minded when it came to learning new things and to never be afraid to ask questions. Her position as Student Ambassador allowed her to network with professionals and build relationships with Skyline staff.
Second-year student and the president of the Latin American Student Organization (LASO), Sandro Bautista, felt that being a part of an identity-based organization was significant in his development as a leader and a student.
“You get networking out of it,” Bautista said. “You get to find a sense of community, and it’s always good to find a safe space where you can be yourself and talk to people.”
Last year, Bautista was introduced to LASO through the Puente Learning Community. At the time, LASO was a tutor-based club that helped students with scholarship applications and essays.
Bautista’s English professor encouraged him to take on a leadership role in the organization.
“Since I took the role of leadership, it has really helped me expand my horizons of what I can do,” Bautista said. “It gave me a sense of what it is to be a leader and organize something yourself.”
As president, he found that he developed skills like drafting effective emails, communicating and keeping people informed. He said that being a leader helped improve his social skills which will help him after he transfers.
Bautista mentioned that initially, he aimed to be the marketing manager of LASO. But because he recognized that the club was not going where members wanted, he wanted a more influential role. He said that the board intends to transition LASO from a tutor-based club into a space built for networking and professionalism while still maintaining its goal of making everyone feel at home. To signify LASO’s rebrand, the new name of the organization will be La Comunidad.
While students are the reason identity-based organizations exist and thrive on college campuses, these spaces would not be possible without the support and guidance of staff members.
Since 2002, professor Liza Erpelo has worked at Skyline, encouraging the increase of students from marginalized communities in higher education. She has stepped into roles such as the coordinator of the Kababayan Learning Community (KLC), advisor for the Filipinx Student Union and faculty director for the Access, Relevance, Community (ARC) Project.
“When students ask me why I do what I do, I mean, I’m going on year 20 here [as the coordinator of the KLC], a lot of it has to do with my own experiences in college and how I didn’t feel like I got connected,” Erpelo said.
Erpelo mentioned that in her first year of college at San Diego State University, she and her friends had attempted to join an organization that was identity-based and Filipinx. When describing the first meeting that she attended, she emphasized that she was new to the school and the organization, but no one welcomed them.
“I was so angry and so upset that for two years I did nothing remotely Filipino in college,” Erpelo said. “When I came here and they asked me to start an identity-based organization, I decided I was not going to set it up that way.”
Erpelo’s experience at SDSU made her feel disconnected from her Filipino roots. But it provided her insight into how to cultivate the Kababayan Learning Community into an inclusive and safe space for her students. In her role as coordinator of the KLC, she aimed to bridge the gap between the students who were told they were not good enough for college and higher education. As a result of that work, she ultimately reclaimed the identity she lost, succeeding in bridging the gap between her and the identity she once disconnected from.
“When you have identity-based groups, it gives students a sense of belonging, gives them something to be proud of,” Erpelo said. “A lot of it is belonging and feeling like college is for you.”
When asked about the most valuable part of organizations such as the KLC and the Filipino Student Union, Dr. Erpelo replied with the connections she built over the years. To this day, she still hears from her first group of students who were a part of the KLC 20 years ago. Additionally, many of her students have gone on to further share their identity. Dr. Erpelo said one of her students is a cultural ambassador of dance to the Philippines. Another student is one of the founders of The Sarap Shop, a local Bay Area business that serves Filipino American comfort food and now has a stand within Chase Center.
Joining an identity-based organization on campus is all about making connections whether that means networking, relating to peers on a cultural level, building friendships that will last for years to come or simply learning to celebrate your own identity.
For many students, joining an identity-based organization was the first time they had the opportunity to be in a space with peers who shared their experiences and perspectives. It may have been the first time they truly felt heard, allowing them to express themselves without the fear of judgment.
Although identity-based organizations are not for everyone, these spaces have the potential to provide pivotal experiences that ultimately shape individuals in their journey to self-discovery.
“A lot of students will view community college as ‘just a stepping stone. I’m just going to go here and then I’m going to transfer,’ and they don’t feel like they are even attached,” Erpelo said. “I think when you have affiliations like Kababayan, Puente, LASO, Umoja-ASTEP, BSU, it gives them something to be proud of, something to hang on to, and something to celebrate.”
