Multicultural Student Services: a resource and center for all Cougs

The fourth floor of the Compton Union Building (CUB) is truly a gift to Washington State University that keeps on giving.

Home to the various Multicultural Student Services (MSS) centers, what few students know is that MSS has even more to offer than its already wide community, efficient study spaces, and mentors for incoming students. Under the avid tutoring and academic enrichment center, past the culturally varied environments, there are resources that few know.

Dianne Schlott, Finance and Budget Coordinator for MSS, spends a majority of her time managing the budget and finances of MSS. She also spends time helping students with their personal budgets and tax information, utilizing her time as a CPA.

Every Fall and Spring, Dianne also runs a money management workshop, available to all WSU students.

“I think everyone needs some basic knowledge on how to run their own lives, financially,” said Schlott. “We could definitely use more of that on campus.”

For many students, new and returning, WSU offers their first chance at individual freedom, with the opportunities to have their own apartments, jobs and bills. Schlott has also helped students with their tax returns, offering time close to tax refund season for students to come in and file their returns online.

Maria Dixon, Retention Counselor for the Chicana/o Latina/o Student Center (CLSC), also has experience with assisting students in financial need. Having worked for the University of Wisconsin’s financial aid department, Dixon often is able to help relieve students’ anxieties about financial aid.

“A lot of students are very intimidated, or unprepared, when they first go to Student Financial Services,” Dixon said. “I try to give them advice on what to prepare for, what to bring, and what to ask, and usually they find that SFS is not as scary when you know what to do.”

Another resource offered by the CLSC is help for undocumented students; with HB 1079 in effect, CLSC has resources for undocumented students, including next steps and what they need to do to be effective and efficient students.

Kimberly Dela Cruz, Retention Counselor for the Asian American Pacific Islander Center, does her best to assist students with transfer questions and information. Having recently helped relatives with transfer applications and formerly working for the Office of Admission at Hawaii Pacific, Dela Cruz is incredibly familiar with the ins and outs of the application processes.

For many, Dela Cruz included, MSS is a pillar of WSU, a necessity for any Coug’s full WSU experience.

“If you never try, you won’t know what’s available to you. MSS has so much to offer, in academics, social, and so much more, and it’d be an incomplete experience to preclude yourself from MSS.”