Business Information Technology major César originally chose Framingham State to stay close to home while attending college when his father fell ill. The culture and community on campus is what keeps him here. 

“You’re going to notice that there’s a lot of people smiling at you,” he tells prospective students. “It’s not just students. It’s every single person on campus. You’re going to be beloved in a community where you’re not surrounded by 800,000 people,” he says. 

César finds a sense of community in several activities, including the Student Government Association, orientation leadership, the Outing Club, and an internship with the city of Framingham, where he worked in the Planning and Economic Development division of city hall. On top of all of that, he also works at the Christa McAuliffe Center for Integrated Science Learning on campus. 

“I’m the Creative Director for the virtual reality room we have there,” he says. “I create virtual spaces for students of all ages to experience. Recently I’ve been working on a project where I get to create a 2D schematic and develop it into a 3D game engine.” 

César found many opportunities to gain leadership skills on campus. He feels like his experiences at Framingham State act as a trial run before he goes out into the real world. Along the way, he believes the university has done a lot for him and his friends. 

“I feel like the university has a focus on the people who would be disenfranchised everywhere else,” he says. “It’s dedicated to students of color and trans students. You're not going to be disenfranchised here. You’re going to be part of a community. You’re going to be taken in and we’re going to value you in every single capacity. No matter your background, you’re going to find your group.” 

César says that in addition to that feeling of support, he feels privileged that he doesn’t have to worry about covering his tuition bill at Framingham State because it’s covered by FAFSA.  

“I hear about experiences that my cousins have at some fancy, private universities, and the amount of stress they had because the tuition bill was too high,” he says. “Their focus became paying off the bill, rather than actually being able to enjoy the university experience.” 

César’s experience at Framingham State is a perfect example of how the university lives to the truth. 

“I really do believe that every single person on campus is living to their truth,” he says. “Everyone here is going to accept your truth.”