Pride Support and Resources

Our goal is to empower students by providing resources that specialize in the needs of our diverse LGBTQ+ community.

Where to Meet Your Peers

Rainbow Alliance

The Rainbow Alliance is a student club established to create community for LGBTQ+ students and straight allies. Club activities and events are centered around activism, support groups, social activities, and/or tolerance and education. The Pride Center and Rainbow Alliance are wonderful places for students to have a safe place to be their authentic selves and build a community on the Sierra College campus.

Student Clubs

Student clubs are great opportunities to develop interests and socialize. A few clubs at Rocklin and Nevada County campuses include:

Art Club
Political Science Club
And lots more!

Student Engagement Centers

The Student Engagement Centers (SECs) offer intersectional programs and services that include but are not limited to cross cultural, LGBTQ+, and gender identities with historically marginalized, underserved, and underrepresented student-scholars. The SECs, which serve as brave spaces across our campuses and surrounding communities, provide student employment, leadership opportunities, and co-curricular programming that advance equity and inclusion of all student-scholars.

A Place for Everyone

Graduates receive special Pride stole to wear at commencement — We’re proud of our Pride graduates and participants. We hold a year-end graduation celebration to honor our students’ accomplishments and give them a special stole to wear at commencement.

Two students in front of Sierra College Pride sign on Rocklin Campus — Students strike a pose at a Sierra College Pride Days event on Rocklin Campus.

Six students gather in Pride Center on Rocklin Campus — Pride Club offers students a place to have fun, meet new friends and receive support.

Various organizations that support the LGBTQ community were hand to answer questions at Pride Days 2022. — Our Pride Days draw hundreds of people to the amphitheater where numerous on- and off-campus resources are available to attendees.

Faculty teaching LGBT history and culture at Sierra College — Take classes on LGBTQ+ history and culture from faculty committed to your academic growth and well-being.

Get a Degree in LGBT Studies

Are you passionate about social justice? Learn about the history of sexual orientation and gender identities. Study politics, film, and literature. This AA degree can lead to careers in law, civil rights, public policy, therapy, and much more.

LGBT Studies Program

Creating a Safe Campus

Our campuses are full of staff and faculty who work hard to help you succeed and figure out how Sierra College can support you. Get to know them and see how we can help you today.

Meet Your Campus Advocates

Tamal Wright
English Faculty Member, Spectrum Chairperson & Rainbow Alliance Faculty Advisor

Tamal Wright (formerly Wonnell) is an English instructor and the faculty advisor for Rainbow Alliance. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community myself, the support that Rainbow Alliance offers students is deeply personal to me. Outside of my career at Sierra College, I enjoy running long distances and attempting to successfully raise three kids as a single parent.

Stephanie Coday
Human Sexuality and Psychology Professor

Stephanie has been teaching at Sierra College since 2003 and teaches Psychology and Human Sexuality. She is an alumni of Sierra College and then received her Bachelor’s degree from San Diego State University and Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Alliant International University. Stephanie is passionate about her work on campus to make sure that all students have a place of community, belonging, acceptance, and compassion. Outside of the classroom, Stephanie is often on a baseball or soccer field with her kids, eating out at a favorite local restaurant, or sweating in a good cardio-weight class.

Adriana Lopez
Language and Literature Counselor, Co-Coordinator for Puente, and Faculty Co-Advisor to the Puente Club

Adriana has an MS in Counseling from Oklahoma State University and a BA in Psychology, Minor in Business, and Ethnic Studies Certificate from the University of San Francisco. As part of LGBTQ+ community, Adriana is passionate about supporting LGBTQ+ students and the intersectionalities of their identities. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, traveling, and going to concerts.

Allie Aguilar
(NCC) Special Populations Counselor: CARE Team and Title IX Campus Advocate

Allie has been a Counselor and Instructor at the Nevada County Campus for the past 7 years. Allie holds a BS in Kinesiology from Sonoma State University and an MS in Career Counseling from Sac State. Allie is passionate about assisting students to reach their academic and career potential by offering support, advocacy and counseling. She enjoys spending time with her family (two busy toddlers), camping, eating yummy food, and volunteering in her community.

Nicki Riley
Support Specialist, Success Center

Nicki is a Student Support Specialist for Visual and Performing Arts in the Sierra College Success Center and a member our SPECTRUM committee. Nicki holds a degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences and has worked in Student Services at Sierra College for over 13 years providing support to our diverse student population. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, Nicki is passionate about helping our LGBTQ+ student thrive. Outside her career, her interests include: social justice, collecting art, plants, drinking lots of coffee, traveling, and any outdoor adventures.

Jen Eaton
Curriculum Specialist, Office of Instruction

Jen serves as the Curriculum Specialist in the Office of Instruction and works closely with faculty across the district. As an alumni of Sierra College and former member of the Women’s Basketball team, Jen feels very connected to the campus. Jen received her Bachelor’s in Psychology from Whittier College and is passionate about advocacy not only for our students but in the community serving as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer with Child Advocates of Placer County. In her spare time, Jen enjoys spending time with her cats, traveling, being outdoors and cheering for the Sacramento Kings.

Find CommUnity at Sierra College

The CommUnity Center (LR-446) at Sierra College is dedicated to empowering and supporting disproportionately impacted students. It is a sanctuary where programs like Wonoti, The Village, Umoja, Unidos and Puente converge to nurture academic success, cultural affirmation, and leadership development. The Center provides counseling services, peer mentoring and a variety of resources. Come on by!

Make an Appointment with a CommUnity Counselor

To make an appointment, log on to Sierra Connect via mySierra and click on the CommUnity tile. The tile will highlight our CommUnity Counselors who are here to support you.

CommUnity Counseling Hours

The Village/Umoja (Room J-8): Wednesdays, 11am –12pm
Unidos (Room J-8): Tuesdays, 11:30am–12:30pm
Wonoti (Room J-8): Wednesdays, 12pm–2pm
Pride (Room J-2): 12:30pm–2pm

LGBTQ+ Glossary

The terms and definitions are always evolving and changing and often mean different things to different people. These are provided as a starting point for discussion and understanding. The LGBTQ+ Glossary has been collectively built and created by the staff members of the UC Davis LGBTQIA+ Resource Center since the early 2000s.

These are not universal definitions. This glossary is provided to help give others a more thorough but not entirely comprehensive understanding of the significance of these terms.

How to Change Your Name

Sierra College recognizes that many students use preferred names rather than legal names to identify themselves. You are able to update your preferred name by submitting the form to the Admissions and Records Office via email to: enrollmentservices@sierracollege.edu. If you have questions or need additional support, please contact an advocate.

What Do These Safe Space Stickers Mean?

Safe Space Stickers at Sierra College — Safe Space Stickers

Have you seen these Safe Space training stickers around campus or on email footers? These symbols indicate that the faculty or staff member has gone through the campus Safe Space training. Once a faculty or staff member successfully completes the Safe Space training, and demonstrates that they can provide a place that all students can be their authentic selves, they receive the coveted Safe Space sticker/email marker.

For many students, the presence of allies to whom they can turn for support—or even the simple knowledge that allies exist—can be a big factor in developing a positive sense of self, building community, coping with bias, and working to improve school climate. Look for those symbols around campus and see each one as a sign of support for YOU!

Gender Neutral Restrooms

Use the digital campus map to find gender-neutral restrooms on the Rocklin and Nevada County Campuses:

Rocklin Campus Map

Nevada County Campus Map

Here to Help You

Additional Campus Support

Past Events

View our image gallery of past events.

LGBTQ+ Observances

Feb 12 – National Freedom to Marry Day
Mar 31 – International Transgender Day of Visibility
Third Friday of April – Day of Silence
May 16 – National Honor Our LGBT Elders Day
May 22 – Harvey Milk Day
Sept 23 – Celebrate Bisexuality Day
Oct 19 – National LGBT Center Awareness Day
Third Thursday in October – Spirit Day
Nov 20 – Transgender Day of Remembrance

Community Resources

PFLAG Greater Placer County – Parents, Families, Friends, and Allies United with LGBTQ+ People
National PFLAG – Promotes the health and well-being of LGBT people, their families and friends through support, education, and advocacy
Sacramento LGBT Community Center – Supports health and wellness, advocates for equality and justice, and works to build a culturally rich LGBTQ+ community
PrismQ – Cultivates the Placer County area as safe space for the LGBTQ+ community and their families
The Trevor Project – Leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ+ young people under 25
Off-Campus Mental Health Resources
Local and National LGBTQ+ Resources

Get In Touch

Pride Center Office

(916) 660-7550

sec@sierracollege.edu

Rocklin

Building J, Room 2

Fall/Spring: M-Th, 9am – 5pm; F, 9am – 12pm;

Pride Counseling Hours: 12:30pm – 2pm

Please email us to reserve the space.