PRISM at Chaffey: building community, one brave space at a time
By Gerardo Lopez
For many students at Chaffey College, finding a sense of belonging can be hard. For undocumented and LGBTQIA+ students, it can feel almost impossible. That is where PRISM (Pride, Resilience, Immigration, Success and Motivation) steps in.
Located in AD-191, PRISM is more than just a lounge with bright walls and comfy chairs. It is a space built on empowerment, advocacy and community. It is where students come to study, connect and simply exist as themselves without fear or judgment.
“I always tell students that PRISM is for everyone,” said Priscilla Zamora Núñez, Chaffey’s Undocumented and LGBTQIA+ Student Liaison. “You don’t have to be undocumented or queer to come here. You can come to print something, heat up your lunch, or rest between classes. But you will also leave with more awareness and connection.”
Inside the center, students find a calm welcoming environment with resources that go far beyond academic help.
“My main job is to oversee PRISM, which is our Undocu/LGBTQIA+ center,” Zamora Núñez said. “I also meet with students if they have any troubles with their residency status or their California Dream Act. I oversee our Undocu-Student Success Fellowship, and I lead initiatives on campus like workshops and flyers.”
“It is one of the biggest resources because having a fellowship helps students build a résumé,” she said when speaking about The Undocu-Student Success Fellowship. “For undocumented students who don’t have a social security number, it is really important. It also allows them to focus on school.”
PRISM also offers support through free grocery gift cards via Instacart, legal aid, mental health resources and a Binder Resource Initiative, which provides safe, gender-affirming binders for transgender students.
“It does wonders for their self-esteem,” Zamora Núñez said. “That allows them to focus at school.”
The center’s sense of family is what many students say makes it special. Alexis Medina, a student senator who has been involved with PRISM, shared how the center has impacted him personally.
“PRISM has helped me a lot to improve as a person,” he said. “They give me more opportunities to attend events that help me grow as a student here.”
On a typical afternoon, PRISM quietly fills with students coming and going between classes. A student types an essay at one of the tables while another heats up food in the microwave. Conversations happen softly, sometimes about homework deadlines, other times about things students do not feel comfortable sharing elsewhere on campus. There is no pressure to participate in an event or conversation. Simply being present is enough.
For some students, PRISM is the first campus space they visit that does not ask them to choose which part of themselves to leave at the door. Zamora Núñez said many students arrive hesitant, unsure if they belong or if they are “allowed” to take up space. Over time, that hesitation fades. Students begin asking questions, requesting help or checking in regularly, not because they are required to, but because the space feels consistent and safe.
That sense of consistency matters, especially for students whose lives outside of campus are shaped by uncertainty. Immigration concerns, housing instability and family responsibilities often follow students into the classroom. PRISM does not remove those pressures, but it gives students a place to pause. Even short moments of stability, Zamora Núñez explained, can help students refocus and stay enrolled when stress begins to interfere with their education.
PRISM’s impact is also visible in smaller, less measurable ways. Students recommend the center to friends who seem overwhelmed. First-time visitors are often brought in by someone who says, “This place helped me.” These peer-to-peer connections allow PRISM to grow organically, reaching students who may never seek out official campus services on their own.
While much of PRISM’s work happens quietly, its influence spreads outward through the students who pass through it. The confidence students build inside the center shows up in classrooms, student government meetings and transfer applications. What begins as a place to sit and breathe often becomes a foundation for persistence, self-advocacy and growth.
Beyond daily support, PRISM celebrates its students through events like the Lavender Graduation, an annual ceremony that honors LGBTQIA+ graduates and allies.
“It is one of our biggest events,” Zamora Núñez said. “Having a college that celebrates their identities enough to have a small graduation is really important to them because that might be the only graduation where they feel really seen.”
The work is not without challenges. Changing policies affecting undocumented and trans students can create fear and uncertainty on campus.
“Challenging? The current administration,” Zamora Núñez admitted. “Both of our populations are being highly targeted right now… and it makes my job harder.”
Looking ahead, Zamora Núñez hopes PRISM keeps growing to meet the demand from students.
“We need a bigger space,” she said. “I want PRISM to have more staff, more counselors and even stronger wraparound support for our students.”
Even with those challenges, PRISM continues to make a real difference. Zamora Núñez recalled one student who began as a shy visitor to the center and later became a commencement speaker.
“He came in quiet and unsure,” she said. “Then he got involved with PRISM, joined our fellowship, transferred to UC Riverside and ended up being our commencement speaker. That is what this space can do.”
Location: AD-191
Hours: Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m.- 7 p.m.
Learn More: https://www.chaffey.edu/spops/lgbtqia.php