Ashley Dela Cruz

My name is Ashley Dela Cruz, and I am currently a second-year psychology major. I come from a Filipino-American household of five, with my twin sister and I being the youngest, from Cupertino, CA. Outside of school, I try to give back to my community with volunteering, and sometimes you’ll catch me in the Rec Center dancing in the studios. My biggest goal in my everyday life is to make everyone happy and make at least one person smile. I am currently the vice president as well as a Pacific Culture Night (PCN) coordinator for the Filipino- American Association of Sonoma State University (FAASSU), and I assist with planning events and choreographing a few of the dances you see in PCN.

One of my biggest challenges has been finding my own balance and finding my place here at Sonoma. Between finding a good support system, trying to maintain a reasonable GPA, while also having fun and being able to do extra-curricular activities, I realized how much I was struggling. My mental health took a turn for the worse, and for a second, I lost sight of who I was and why I was here. I wanted to leave and quit so many times but I knew that’s not who I am and things can only get better. I’ve never experienced something so bad in my life before and it made a huge impact on me and only allowed me to grow.

My most positive experiences and favorite ones have been with my FAASSU fam. My FAASSU fam has become my second family, and anytime I am with them, I feel happy and have a sense of belonging. Whether we are performing or just having a social with one another, they have really made Sonoma State feel like home, and I couldn’t ask for more.