Cheryl Santa Cruz

Meet Cheryl

Pronouns: She/Her

Information Technology Staff

Hometown: Lowell, MA

What is your favorite memory or experience working with students at SSU?

My absolute favorite memory is working Commencement each year.  We've had three since I've been here. To be swept up in their excitement and pride, seeing their smiles, knowing they each had their own mountains to climb and conquer, it is a privilege to share in their special day with them. My close second would be cooking Thanksgiving dinner for the Men's Basketball Team Thanksgiving 2021. I was honored to serve them a home-cooked holiday meal. I know what holidays mean to my family and to be there for them meant so much to me. Being with them was being with family, and remembering it will always make me smile.

What made you choose SSU?

Sonoma State University cares about inclusion, diversity, and equity. I care deeply about education. The students at SSU deserve people here who support their endeavors without judgment, without biases, and with a serving heart. It matters to me that this is a Hispanic Serving Institution; my husband is a Mexican first-generation CSU college graduate. It matters to me that the students here are pursuing knowledge and experience that will be life-changing for so many of them and their families. I came here because I wanted the work that I do each day to support something that was making a difference, and I found that here.

What has been the most challenging part of your experience and what did you learn from it?

The most challenging has to be the nooses found on campus. Sharing my life with my husband and children as an interracial family, I have seen my family hurt in many ways by intolerance, ignorance, and sometimes even hate. The CommUnity Walk: Hate Has No Place Here that took place on campus May 17, 2022 showed me that Sonoma State is a place of inclusion and has zero tolerance for this type of behavior. Yes, I walked for my family, but I especially walked for the students, who deserve a safe place to learn and grow as a Seawolf. They need our support, and that starts with me taking action to show them I support them.

Please share anything else about your experience at SSU?

The Seawolf community cares about its students and surrounding supporters. No matter what role you have on campus, you have a significant impact on the students here. It's imperative to put our students first, and create an environment that fosters their success.