Roberto Eliseo Campos, president of M.E.Ch.A De Sonoma and student chair of Alianza For Equity, answered questions in a follow-up interview with the Sonoma State STAR regarding the CSU’s approval of the tuition increase, experiences as president, and the challenges they went through as a student who faced housing insecurity.
It has been over two weeks since the CSU Board of Trustees approved the increase in tuition, a vote that Campos and many others students from across the CSU system vocally opposed during a Board of Trustees meeting in September. “I’m disappointed with the tuition increase but very content with the Board of Trustees because I don’t think they realize that students’ voices are becoming so much louder,” Campos said.
“I’m grateful that last semester MEChA was able to host a trustee on the Board to talk about issues not only at our institution but across the CSU system.” said Campos.
Hispanic/Latine Heritage month everyday,” said Campos. Campos joined the organization in 2019, but with the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors, had to focus on working four jobs to afford attending a higher education institution.
“Although I was homeless I still remained positive,” said Campos. “I was alive, I had my family and I was able to take showers at my brother’s apartment. I never talked about my homelessness but it is a part of me.”
Campos said, “I remember texting Dr. Gerald Jones at the time and by the end of the day I had a meeting with the CARE team and a lot of my struggles were taken care of.” Campos said he had to worry about the possibility of sleeping in their car or getting a hotel, while also managing a job at Starbucks. From there, he took a non-traditional route and opened up a business which led to being able to provide for himself.
Eventually, Campos came back to Sonoma State University, living in the dorms, where housing insecurity became less of an issue for them.
“I do wanna highlight that one out of six CSU students struggle with housing insecurity,” Campos said. “This homelessness for me turned out to be the best lesson life has given me because now I know this is an area I wanna combat. A student should just be a student. Not someone having to worry about housing or struggling in silence.”
When asked what kind of institutional changes would have made their life easier at Sonoma State, Campos said, “A lot of the issues I have noticed and addressed to President Lee and the various committees I sit in and have been addressed, so I know this new leadership is very open to student input.”
“I realize our university is coming out of an era where we have just healed and now we need to start doing the work to thrive. I would love to see students show up more. Show up to have a voice, campus events, or advocate for themselves,” he said.
“Maybe our university doesn’t have something for them, but that was me and I turned MEChA into something I would have loved to see. Join a club, join Greek Life, Join an Honor Society, Sit on a University Committee. Whatever you do, just do something to make SSU feel like home,” Campos said.
The STAR asked Campos how it felt to be leaving soon and if he remembered his first day at Sonoma State.
“I do. I remember my late mentor Calee Spinney and the way she pushed me in a direction which I never seemed imaginable,” said Campos. “I now know my purpose in life and I’m confident in the next generation of leaders and student advocates that Sonoma State has when I leave to pursue my Masters.”
