'There for each other'

D.C. alumni band together during pandemic

By California State University, Bakersfield

March 20^th, 2020

They call themselves “661 in D.C.,” a small group of Washington, D.C., residents from Kern County, many of them CSUB alumni, who meet up every month to socialize, network and get over their homesickness.

With the nation’s capital, like the rest of the country, largely shut down and its residents isolating to limit the spread of coronavirus, they obviously can’t get together as they usually do for drinks, sight-seeing or Christmastime tamale-making.

But they want to stay connected, now more than ever. So they’ve been video chatting, messaging on Google Hangout and even held a virtual happy hour Wednesday to talk politics, fret about coronavirus in Bakersfield and check in on one another.

“This was us getting together, mutually supporting each other, being there for each other while feeling down and feeling lonely and being so far from home,” said group member Jeremy Villanueva, a 2013 CSUB political science grad and assistant national legislative director for Disabled American Veterans.

For Jocelynn Moore, who earned political science and religious studies degrees from CSUB in 2009, the online happy hour was a welcome respite from a crazy time at work. She’s finding herself skipping lunches and working longer-than-usual hours without the structure of going to a workplace.

Moore, head of governmental affairs for a trade association that represents court reporters and captioners, has also been worried about her family in Bakersfield. It seemed to her that schools and restaurants weren’t going virtual or closing quickly enough, and it was concerning.

“I contemplated coming back home to be with my family, but then I thought that I’d put them even more at risk,” Moore said.

Group members celebrate `Runner pride in front of the U.S. Capitol (left to right): CSUB alumni Tayllor Prendez-Chase, Gessel Romo, Jocelynn Moore and Jeremy Villanueva; Araceli Gutierrez (Arvin High, San Francisco State and Harvard alum); and CSUB alum Josh Shin. — Group members celebrate `Runner pride in front of the U.S. Capitol (l to r): CSUB alumni Tayllor Prendez-Chase, Gessel Romo, Jocelynn Moore and Jeremy Villanueva; Araceli Gutierrez (Arvin High, San Francisco State and Harvard alum); & CSUB alum Josh Shin.

The D.C. group formed a year ago after meeting up at CSUB’s annual Washington alumni reception in the office of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, a double CSUB alum. They’ve done fun things like go on a Capitol Dome tour and bake Christmas tamales, but also just served as a support network for current and incoming D.C. residents from the 661.

They’ve passed on job leads, shared tips on adapting to the weather and culture, and most of all helped each other combat homesickness in what can be a very “cliquish” Washington, Villanueva said. They are planning to check out a Bakersfield-themed restaurant in Pittsburgh.

“For me it was a comfort thing,” CSUB alumna Tayllor Prendez-Chase said of joining the group, which has about a dozen members. “I was looking for people who I could talk to just about Bakersfield things like the random taco shops we have or our favorite classes at CSUB.

“But then it also turned into, ‘Well, this is such a benefit to me. I hope I can be a resource for anyone else who is looking to come to D.C.’ It’s a huge move.”

Prendez-Chase’s move came after graduating from CSUB with a bachelor’s degree in political science in 2018 and deciding to earn her master’s in political science at American University in D.C.

She’s doing that while also interning at Emily’s List, which supports pro-choice Democratic women running for office. She researches candidates, both those Emily’s List backs and those it opposes.

Moore joined “661 in D.C.” because of what she experienced moving to Washington in 2015 to attend The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law. She relied on a friend from CSUB living there to help her figure out where to live, what neighborhoods were safe and good places to eat.

Moore wants to be that person for others now.

“I want to be able to provide whatever advice I can because I know how it feels to have no one here,” Moore said.

In fact, Moore and Prendez-Chase have already welcomed into 661’s Facebook group a master’s in public administration student who hopes to move to Washington after graduating from CSUB this year.

The grad student has already been asking for job advice.

“All of us are doing our best to respond to her and answer questions,” Prendez-Chase said. “If she comes here, she will have a group of friends waiting.”