As a fourth year undergraduate student, Tori Millendez remains determined to reach her goals within her education, as well as in her social life, throughout her college career. No matter what university Millendez ended up attending, her main goal was to leave a lasting impression on everyone that she came across.

Planning to graduate from Sonoma State University in Spring 2021, the 21-year-old senior is majoring in Communications, as well as serving as the Vice President of the Native American Progessive Student Club (NAPS). This is the first year that NAPS was affiliated with SSU as a club, with Millendez helping to charter it. “It has been a work in progress, as well as a challenge to build community and connect with people virtually. But, the fact that we even chartered a club and created a presence of general knowledge that NAPS exists has been very exciting and gratifying,” Millendez stated.

Millendez was hired by SSU through a grant called Graduation Initiative 2025. It is a part of a CSU-wide initiative, seeking to close achievement gaps for Native and indigenous students at the university. There is also work being done on campus for men and women of color, first generation students, and low-income students through the Center of Academic Access in Student Enrichment (CAASE). Millendez was able to receive this grant due to being an intern at the HUB.

As Vice President of NAPS, Millendez is in charge of the communication aspect. She acts as the point of contact for the club, creating most of the marketing, and collaborating with the President and board to keep the club organized as a whole. Millendez is also the one in charge of social media and she runs the Instagram page, @ssunaps.

“Tori is passionate and works above and beyond what anyone expects. She is so gentle, but fierce in the way she connects with students, gets events together, and educates others while learning. I read Tori’s editorial on the HUB newsletter, and every single time I learn something new about myself. I probably wouldn’t be so motivated to learn about Native and indeginous culture if it wasn’t for her. Tori is a leader and helps others find this part of themselves,” NAPS Secretary Erika Diaz Ramirez said when asked about Millendez.

Millendez’s inspiration for starting the club stems from her dedication to serving her community and others around her. All of the work that Millendez is doing with NAPS is important for those of marginalized communities to be able to tell their own stories. “I really think storytelling is a key part of motivation and inspiration. I think there is a lot of power in the telling of stories, especially for Native and indigenous people. Those stories may have been silenced, written out of history, or totally misconstrued. So, it has been important to uplift and amplify indiginous voices on campus,” Millendez said.

With Social Justice week taking place last week, Millendez was recognized and was awarded the Seawolf Commitment award. This award demonstrated Millendez’s commitment to making our school, community, and world, more equitable for all individuals. Millendez has demonstrated that she is committed to enriching the lives of the SSU community and is someone who embodies the Seawolf Commitment and Social Justice Week values.

“I don’t do what I do for the recognition, but it is such an honor to be recognized. There is so much unseen labor behind the scenes. It feels so nice to be appreciated and seen for the hard work I do. Receiving this award was way more than I anticipated or asked for. So, I am just really thankful and it is super reenergizing after a year of virtual community building and putting together events,” Millendez said.

After graduation, Millendez is excited to take part in the new opportunities that may come her way. She does not have any specific plans for her career, but hopes to obtain a job related to her Communications major. At the moment, Millendez currently works at BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse aside from being affiliated with SSU NAPS.

Aside from school, work, and her affiliation with NAPS, Millendez likes to read, write, garden, and hang out with her friends and family. Throughout the rest of her college experience, Millendez will continue to serve as Vice President for NAPS. She is looking forward to furthering her passion with Native and indiginous students and work with high hopes to take what she has learned outside of SSU.