Transitions & Explorations with Rising Star Nehemias Gramajo

What does community mean to you ?

To me, a community is a place where you are together with a group of people where y’all share something in common and make up a part of society. If you are close to that community, that community will feel like a second home because that community will be a part of your everyday life and you will build connections that will be unforgettable. A community is a place where you are able to escape the harsh reality of life since you are distracted and enjoying your time with the people you have things in common with. 

How have you found my community during college ?

I found my community before college started because I was a part of summer bridge. Summer bridge allowed me to make friendships before starting college. So when I came to college I already had some friends and started building a community with them. 

I also found my community in Greek life. I saw that NAK, which is the fraternity I am pledge for, really aligns with my goals and values so I knew that if there is a community that aligns with my goals that I wanted to be a part of it. 

I found my community in the clubs that I am involved in because I really saw how I could bring my experiences to the clubs and benefit the club with my uniqueness and gain new knowledge at the same time. 

What are you involved in on campus and in your community?

I am vice president for the Criminology and Criminal Justice club at Sonoma State, I am a member of the German club at Sonoma State. I am also a police explorer for the Novato Police Department. I am also a member of the National Latino Police Officers Organization for Marin County . I am also a student for SRA.  I am also in the middle of pledge for the NAK fraternity. I am also a summer camp counselor for Camp Kuga which is run by the Marin County Sheriff and San Rafael Police Department.  I am also a student for the TRIO and PUERTA programs at Sonoma State

How did you find your groups and community?

I found my place in the CCJS club because I am interested in the CCJS club since I am very passionate in a career in law enforcement and my experience and knowledge in the field have helped me be a better place

I found my place in the German club because I am very interested in learning a new language and I am also interested in German studies

I found my place in NAK because their values really aligns with my goals and values 

I found my place as a Police Explorer because I had the opportunity to learn about the law enforcement field in my community and felt that through that I could start gaining experience and knowledge in the field 

I found my place at Camp Kuga because the camp is a place where I am able to help kids become better people and also how i could help the law enforcement officers with my voice

I found my place in TRIO and PUERTA because they are programs which really want to help me succeed in college and they also help me a lot because they really help people who are Latino obtain a college degree. PUERTA also helps people who are Latinos and have an interest in a teaching credential to be able to teach in a K-12 school. Which is something I am also very passionate about

Do you participate in virtual social gatherings?

I attend daily meetings with my pledge brothers from NAK. We usually meet on zoom or in person. When we meet (weather on zoom or in person) I am really getting to know them better and starting to build that brotherhood connection with them. Every meeting we laugh, which is a really good thing. 

I limit my time I am on social media. I honestly do not have time to be on instagram or tik toc or even youtube all day long. I set time limits on my phone where I do limit my social media apps just in case I see myself getting too distracted. I set 2 hours for instagram and snapchat a day. I also set 1 hour for facebook and snapchat.

Responses submitted by SRA Rising Star, Nehemias Gramajo