Autumn Alaniz-Wiggins, a fourth-year double major in multicultural gender studies and sociology, is running for president in the Associated Students general election.

Alaniz-Wiggins’ motivation for her candidacy stems from her desire to implement her values of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion to the entire California State University system.  She is currently active in the AS government as the director of social justice and equity, and pledges to represent the voices of marginalized and underserved communities at Chico State.

Alaniz-Wiggins chose Chico State for its overall low cost, and access to nature, but after experiencing mental health concerns as well as a “lack of cultural competency,” in her previous major, Alaniz-Wiggins planned an educational leave in the spring of 2019. 

Upon taking leave, she took to traveling the US and working a number of jobs in different states.  Alaniz-Wiggins shares her experience in realizing the difficulty of achieving her goals as a woman of color without a college education, and decided to return to Chico State in the spring of 2020.   

Alaniz-Wiggins is actively involved in various initiatives, such as the Student Philanthropy Council, the new Black Leadership and Mentoring Program as a peer mentor, and an active attendee and advocate of AS contract programs such as Gender & Sexuality Equity Coalition, Cross-Cultural Leadership Center, and the Star Center.

Alaniz-Wiggins has also interned with Palo Alto Networks as an inclusive recruiting programs intern, creating legally approved inclusive recruiting best practice guides for Native Americans. She also volunteers with the Boy’s and Girl’s Club of San Francisco at the yearly summer camp Camp Mendocino as a garden specialist most summers, where she teaches nutritional knowledge and food justice to Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) youth and military dependents.

Her campaign platform is “Empower, Advocate, Collaborate,” highlighting her dedication to encouraging and uplifting the voices of all students, “especially our underserved and minoritized communities,” says Alaniz-Wiggins.  

She also plans to prioritize funding for holistic support for students’ – especially already underserved communities – well-being, acknowledging the importance of improving retention during this enrollment crisis. As an established research assistant, Alaniz-Wiggins recognizes the importance of data-informed leadership when advocating for funding and resources, and creating legislation.

If elected, Alaniz-Wiggins pledges to use her experience and knowledge to demonstrate to Chico State and the rest of the CSU system that EDI is not optional; it is an essential component of creating the next generation of inclusive, equitable, and just leaders across all fields around the world.

Autumn Alaniz-Wiggins is actively promoting her campaign on Instagram.

Autumn Alaniz-Wiggins will be running against JJ Arciga and Oscar Cisneros-Magana.

Voting will begin on April 4 at 8 a.m., and will end at 8 a.m. on April 5.

For more information on the AS general elections, go here.  

Natalie Rosefield can be reached at [email protected].