New Associated Students Inc. president aims to increase student services on campus

State Hornet Staff

Associated Students Inc. President-elect Lauren Lombardo’s main focus is not to change the university’s identity but to improve on its strength through student resources.

With 40 percent of Sacramento State’s student population transferring community college and 94 percent living off campus, Lombardo wants to help students who cannot have the traditional college experience become successful.

“We don’t have a traditional student body,” Lombardo said. “We have great resources on campus for students, but they are only 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. I want to make sure every student has those resources.”

Lombardo said helping the students helps the university as a whole to increase graduation rates, which allows them opportunities to get jobs in the community.

“I don’t see the point of college if you are not going to be successful afterwards,” Lombardo said.

While she campaigned unopposed in April for her position, Lombardo spoke about opportunities for students to be successful like joining organizations on campus and participating in career panels to give students the resources they need after they graduate.

She also plans to advocate for higher education at conferences and at the Capitol.

Sac State offers resources on campus like the Career Center, the Multicultural Center, Services to Students with Disabilities, financial opportunities and graduation preparation.

“When students have resources and have funding, they can get into the classes they need and graduate on time,” Lombardo said.

These past two semesters, ASI has focused on more of a sense of creating a campus community and trying to create “resimuters” by hosting Welcome Week and the Farmer’s Market, but current ASI President Nielsen Gabriel thinks her philosophy is an excellent path to travel.

According to Valerie Strauss of the Washington Post, resimuters live off campus but spend most of their time on campus, being involved in different activities.

Despite the slight difference in ideas, Gabriel gives praise to Lombardo’s hard work and dedication, especially for the career panels she helped put on.

This past election, although she ran unopposed she campaigned like she was running against an opponent.

“She was tackling (the election) as if she was going to have an opponent,” Gabriel said. “She is very determined.”