More than 4,400 students are expected to graduate from Cal State San Marcos this academic year, including six standouts from the Class of 2021 who are receiving special recognition for their achievements. Honorees were nominated by faculty or staff and endorsed by their college’s dean. Here is a closer look at each award recipient:   Kodie Gerritsen, visual and performing arts and physics President's Outstanding Graduate Dean’s Award, College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences Gerritsen is a double major who was lauded for their avid curiosity and adventurous scholarship. Nominating professor Lucy HG Solomon noted that Gerritsen is not only an outstanding student, but a talented artist and a curious scientist who is engaged with the community. Since 2017, Solomon has worked closely with Gerritsen on digital art projects that tie into the environment and social justice and on interdisciplinary endeavors that combine art and science. Among Gerritsen’s accomplishments are the work they did with Solomon on an interactive art piece called “Degenerative Cultures” that uses living organisms and artificial intelligence to comment on social networks. Gerritsen also worked on the Jaguar Umbrella Project, which included kits for schoolchildren to explain the importance of jaguars as umbrella species in the Amazon rainforest. Gerritsen was a STEAM ambassador who designed and delivered curriculum on art and science to K-12 students, bringing craft, sculpture, color theory and the science of rainbows together in an engaging hands-on activity. Learn more about Gerritsen’s achievements here.   Christine Briggs, literature and writing studies Dean’s Award, Office of Graduate Studies and Research Briggs stood out for her outstanding record of achievement in the literature and writing studies master’s program, which included presenting award-winning original research, serving as an exemplary teaching associate and addressing timely issues in the original research for her master’s thesis. Rebecca Lush, who served as research director of Briggs’ thesis and taught her in two advanced-level courses, noted that Briggs has shown the makings of a promising research career during her time in the master’s program, and the work she produced is suitable for consideration for peer-review publication. Briggs presented her original literary research at major national conferences and was awarded the “Best Essay” prize by the Margaret Atwood Society in 2018 for her research on the novel “Cat’s Eye,” a project that started her graduate-level work in feminist literary studies and paved the way for the methodological concerns and practices that she used in what eventually became her culminating thesis.   Sofia Davis, Master of Public Health Dean’s Award, College of Education, Health and Human Services Davis had a stellar academic career while also supporting friends, family and community members during the pandemic. After earning her bachelor’s in global health from UC San Diego, Davis maintained a 4.0 grade-point average while being consistently lauded by her instructors at CSUSM. Davis has worked as a volunteer contact tracer for the CSUSM COVID Management Team, which helps infected individuals understand the virus and care options. Her efforts help keep the campus community safe while minimizing the risk of virus transmission. Davis also works with different agencies to help provide services and coordinate care. She has been an intern at Palomar Medical Center for seven years, including nearly four years as part of the internship’s leadership team. She has also served as a medical scribe at a family medicine clinic in Escondido, ensuring that patient needs are documented accurately as they go through care and treatment. Davis plans to attend medical school to become a primary care pediatrician.   Zsuzsanna Dianovics, computer science and information systems Dean’s Award, College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Dianovics was honored for her exceptional academic record, undergraduate research experience, impressive leadership achievements and significant participation in community outreach. Dianovics excelled in two computer science courses taught by professor Nahid Majd, which led Majd to encourage Dianovics to apply to the 2020 Summer Scholars research program. Dianovics was accepted into the program and worked on a research project on blockchain technology, an emerging technology in cybersecurity. She presented her research at both the Summer Scholar showcase last August and the CSUSM undergraduate research showcase in December. Dianovics also prepared a scholarly manuscript based on the research she did in the summer program and submitted it to the 2021 Computer Science Conference for CSU Undergraduates hosted by CSU Monterey Bay. The paper was accepted, and she presented her research at the conference in March. Dianovics plans to pursue a Ph.D. in computer science.   Christian Galvis, global supply chain management Dean’s Award, College of Business Administration Galvis excelled both academically and through his numerous service accomplishments. A veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, Galvis credits his military experience for helping to hone his values of commitment, perseverance, self-worth and volunteering. Those values were at the forefront of his time at CSUSM. In his first semester, Galvis helped revive the Student Veterans Organization after a two-year absence. Galvis also served as president of the Global Supply Chain Management Society for the past year, keeping members engaged virtually throughout the pandemic. He also helped spearhead CoBA’s first virtual career fair and a second successful event this spring. Galvis collaborated with other student organizations to develop best practices on retaining members during the virtual environment, and he served as a resource for other student society presidents who are new to their positions. Galvis has accepted a position at global communications company Viasat as a procurements specialist upon graduation.   Gladys Guzman Guizar, sociology and criminology and justice studies Dean’s Award, Dean of Students Guzman Guizar excelled academically while also making lasting contributions to student life at CSUSM. Guzman Guizar has been dedicated to social justice initiatives, including the DREAMer Resource Office and the creation of the HUMAN Club. She is also an active member of University Without Borders, playing a key role in providing support to students from diverse backgrounds and ensuring that CSUSM provides a diverse, equitable and inclusive space where all students can be comfortable and successful. Her contributions to diversity and inclusiveness were recognized last fall as a 2020 recipient of the President’s Student Champion Award for Inclusive Excellence and Diversity. Guzman Guizar has worked to help students develop a sense of belonging on campus through her roles as a peer adviser for the Office of Academic Advising and a student assistant at the DREAMer Resource Office. Guzman Guizar plans to attend law school to pursue immigration law so she can help the undocumented community. Read more about Guzman Guizar here. Media Contact Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

On Monday morning, government officials in New York spoke at a rally to decry the recent spate of hate crimes against people of Asian descent in the United States and call for harsher punishment.  “To those who perpetuate Asian hate, we now have people in the Justice Department dedicated to finding you, exposing you and prosecuting you,” Chuck Schumer, the Senate majority leader from New York, said at the rally.  But as if to illustrate the pervasiveness of the problem these days, only hours later, an Asian woman walking in Manhattan was struck in the head with a hammer by a stranger who demanded that the victim remove her mask.   That incident is part of a larger and disturbing trend nationwide. According to a study by researchers from Cal State San Bernardino, hate crimes, particularly against Asian-Americans, surged by 169% in 15 major cities from the first quarter of 2020 to the same time period this year. The shootings of eight Asian women at three separate spas across Atlanta in March was only the most egregious and shocking example.   In response, the Senate last month overwhelmingly approved legislation aimed at strengthening federal efforts to address hate crimes directed at Asian-Americans. The historic underpinnings of the prejudice and stereotyping that contribute to this wave of Asian hate has become the major scholarly thrust of Susie Lan Cassel, a longtime professor of literature and writing studies at Cal State San Marcos. Cassel participated last month in two virtual campus events focused on the topic: “Conversations That Matter: From Yellow Peril to COVID-19” and “The Hypersexualization of Asian Women in America: From Stereotype to Massacre.” (Additionally, the University Library has created a resource guide titled "Stop Asian Hate: Anti-Racism & Cultural Awareness.")   Question: How did you come to be interested in the field of Chinese American history and literature?  Susie Lan Cassel: In graduate school, I was going to focus on feminist studies until I learned about a new field that was emerging based on texts such as “The Joy Luck Club” and, more importantly, “The Woman Warrior.” This new kind of literature was being used to help us think through bicultural tensions at every level, including language, moral values, family expectations, race, gender, ethnicity, food, personal identity, etc. I relished the opportunity to contribute to understanding these issues at cognitive and emotional levels since many of these tensions had been such integral and unspoken parts of my life … and I wanted to share those discussions with students in the classroom.   After I arrived at CSUSM, a colleague at the San Diego Chinese Historical Museum introduced me to a local diary that was written by Ah Quin, a Chinese immigrant widely considered the first mayor of San Diego’s early Chinatown (in the Gaslamp Quarter). Helping us understand what life was like for Ah Quin and his wife, Ah Sue, during the era of the Chinese Exclusion Act has become my life’s work, and toward that goal, I’m editing his diary and writing an interpretive book about their lives. Though I knew the history of Chinese immigration before delving into this San Diego Chinese couple’s lives, I had to understand it in a personal way in order to grasp what it was like for them to live during those times. I am finding a lot of similarity between the anti-immigrant discourse of the present and what Chinese experienced in the late 19th century, such as the sense of economic threat, the fear of immigrating hordes, etc.     Q: What was the main message you tried to convey in “From Yellow Peril to COVID-19?”  SLC: In this panel, I wanted listeners to understand that “yellow peril” in America developed in response to the fear in the 19th century that “hordes from Asia” would invade America’s shores and take over this beautiful, newfound country. If we look at the big picture, we can understand how such a fear could develop. China was the biggest country in the world at the time, with something like 430 million people (compared to America’s 50 million or so). However, not all Chinese wanted to immigrate. This is a crucial fact. In the 19th century, only Chinese from the southern province of Guangdong came to America, and the vast majority of those came from just a few specific counties that were devastated by overpopulation combined with war, political and climate tragedies. By one estimate, only about 170,000 of the 12 million or so people who immigrated to America in the second half of the 19th century were Chinese. This bears repeating – millions came to America from Great Britain, Ireland, Scandinavia and elsewhere, but only a fraction came from China. The scope of immigration from China was nowhere near the level that was feared even before the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act was passed, but we were unable to accept this truth.  The circumstances were made worse by America’s perception of Chinese as extreme “others,” such that fears in three additional domains arose. First, Chinese were considered an economic threat because some believed they took jobs away from white working men. Second, Chinese were often scapegoated and blamed disproportionally for disease spread (like we see now with COVID-19). Third, they were seen as a threat to the morals of a Victorian Christian culture because of their “heathen” beliefs and “hypersexualized” women (more on the latter below). In short, initial fears about massive waves of Chinese immigration were augmented by domestic beliefs that Chinese were so unassimilable that they threatened America’s Victorian, Christian framework. These fears compounded into a racial metaphor that viewed Chinese – and later other Asians – as a “yellow peril,” an existential threat to civilization itself.   In the 20th and 21st centuries, the idea of “yellow peril” spread to Japanese and other Asians. The problem is that none of the fears mentioned above materialized. Again, in the 30 years that Chinese had open immigration to this country (before the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act was passed), only about 150,000 arrived – a small fraction of the tens of millions of European settlers. History has shown time and time again that the threats associated with Asians in America have been exaggerated or misplaced, but they still have caused great harm. During World War II, for instance, the Munson Report (a U.S. government investigation issued in 1941) found that Japanese in America were basically loyal and of no great threat, but just three months later, America decided to imprison 117,000 people of Japanese descent anyway, the majority of them American citizens. Again, we have a history of ignoring facts when they don’t align with our anxieties, but we can do better than that. We must challenge ourselves to be more rigorous.     Q: And what was your message in “The Hypersexualization of Asian Women in America”?  SLC: In my mind, the hypersexualization of Asian women stems from laws and policies passed in the 19th century specifically to keep Chinese from becoming long-term settlers in America. In short, Chinese male laborers in 19th-century America were paid significantly less than white workers. As a result, few men were able to bring their wives (by 1860, fewer than 2,000 Chinese women were here, compared with about 35,000 Chinese men). Chinese generally planned to stay for only 3-5 years, but their depressed wages gave capitalists an incentive to continue to hire them. Conversely, tens of thousands of Chinese were willing to forego family reunification in order to work in America and support their families back in China. As a result, tens of thousands of Chinese men lived in America for decades and even lifetimes, developing the California swamplands, new railroad lines, some Napa Valley vineyards, fisheries, etc.   Meanwhile, a very unfortunate sex disparity emerged within Chinatowns. Because Chinese men couldn’t support their wives on the low wages – and many thought they would head back to China sooner rather than later – very few Chinese women came to America. For the last half of the 19th century, on average, there was only one Chinese woman for 20 Chinese men in America. The few Chinese women who came as wives and servants were therefore often forced into prostitution. Furthermore, Chinese Tong gangsters began to kidnap, buy or trick women in China and smuggle them here for sexual service. About 10,000 Chinese women came to America in the 19th century, and it is possible that the majority of them were prostitutes – but not because Chinese women were inherently more licentious or immoral, as Americans often believed. Said differently, Americans had good reasons for believing that most Chinese women were working in the sex trade, but they didn’t understand that these women had been forced into prostitution, in part as a result of the economic discrimination against Chinese men. Because of these circumstances, Chinese women were soon stereotyped as “hypersexual,” and the Victorians began to pass laws to ban all Chinese women from coming to America in order to preserve American Christian morality (e.g., Page Law of 1875). The Victorians simply failed to grasp that the very economic discrimination they had perpetrated against Chinese men had fostered trafficking in Chinese women since Chinese men couldn’t afford to bring their wives and worked in America for decades at a time.   In the 20th century, America’s involvement in multiple wars in Asia gave way to several “war bride acts” that allowed soldiers to bring women they had met in Asian countries to America. These women reinforced the 19th-century view that Asian women were obedient, hypersexual and poor. In short, in this panel, I wanted listeners to understand that the continued hypersexualization of Asian women is an unintended consequence of America’s immigration laws and discriminatory policies. This stereotype didn’t come out of nowhere. Fundamentally, Asian women are no more sexual than any other women, but the idea that they are came from policies that shaped how Americans and Westerners view(ed) these once strangers.    Q: As someone with your research background, what was your reaction when you heard about the mass shooting in Atlanta?  SLC: Like many others, I was deeply saddened and pained, but in an environment where Asian women have been the targets of 68% of nearly 4,000 acts against Asians in the last year, I was not surprised. There is a long history of violence against Chinese in this country and especially in this state. By one estimate, at the height of the violence against Chinese, between 1885-1886, there were 168 mob attacks that sought to drive Chinese out of various Chinatowns, most of them in California. In addition, 34 Chinese were murdered in a raid in Hells Canyon in Oregon. Twenty-eight were shot in Rock Springs, Wyoming. Closer to home, many people don’t know that in 1871, 19 Chinese men and one 14-year-old Chinese boy were lynched by a white mob in Los Angeles. Violence against Chinese in this country has a long and mostly silent history that it is time to acknowledge more fully.   What has been striking to me now as I re-immerse myself in Chinese American history is the extent to which this violence suggests that America didn’t just want to stop additional Chinese from coming, but wanted to kick out all the Chinese who were here. It is common knowledge, I think/hope, that 15,000 Chinese men risked life and limb to help build the first transcontinental railroad; once it was done, the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act banned working-class Chinese men from entering America. But even after 1882, laws like the Scott Act of 1888 prevented Chinese from being able to visit China and return to America (something like 20,000 Chinese were stranded, some on ships in the middle of the Pacific Ocean); the Geary Act in 1892 humiliated resident Chinese by forcing them to carry registration papers; and general immigration acts in the early 1900s were applied discriminately against Chinese women in a continued effort to deport them. The combined message is pretty clear: America did not want Chinese to establish homes and settlements in the U.S., unlike European counterparts who were welcomed to plant roots and came by the millions.    Q: How does the bloodshed in Atlanta fit into a historical context of Asian stereotypes and violence against Asians?  SLC: I believe that many of the stereotypes about Asians grow out of the anti-immigration laws that were passed against Chinese. I mentioned above the way the laws stereotyped Chinese women as “hypersexualized” and prevented them from immigrating. In addition, miscegenation laws prohibited Chinese from marrying out, so Chinese family formation was delayed in America for 100 years. This is one origin for the stereotype of Asians as “forever foreigners.”   Also, because Chinese were discriminated against economically, the later generations of Asian immigrants understood that they would have to work extra hard in order to make a living in America, so they urged their kids into math and science fields to improve economic stability and taught them that the cards are stacked against them and they would have to sacrifice fun and work extra hard in order to succeed —thus the “model minority” stereotype and a focus in STEM fields. Yes, there were additional factors, like language issues, that helped to make some of these stereotypes persist, but I believe they began with conditions of systemic racism that can’t be ignored.    Q: What are your thoughts about the debate taking place as to whether to charge the murders as a hate crime?  SLC: We should understand well enough how racial stereotypes operate in our society such that words like “go back to China” need not be explicitly uttered in the moment of a violent act for it to qualify as a hate crime. Six of the eight people who were murdered in Atlanta on March 16 were Asian women. The shooter said he had a sex addiction and drove to three different spas in order to seek out those whom he considered “temptations.” As I discussed above, Asian women have been hypersexualized in America due to laws and policies embraced across the last two centuries. Furthermore, the women who were killed were working in an industry that is associated with sex work (which also has a historical legacy). In short, the Atlanta women were in double jeopardy. They were killed for no reason of their own making. Instead, they were triply disadvantaged, representatives at the nexus of misogyny, class and race. Again, I see this tragedy in terms of the legacy of structural racism, of policies that were passed decades ago that continue to render Asians and, in this case, Asian women vulnerable in Western society today. From a literary lens, this massacre can be seen as a cautionary tale about the unintended consequences of some immigration laws and policies.    Q: As an Asian American, have you experienced any prejudice due to your background?  SLC: Yes, I get it from three sides: from whites, Asians and Mexicans. My mother is ethnic Chinese born in Vietnam, and my father was a GI who met my mother in Vietnam. I am thus a product of America's 20th-century history with war brides. As a result, I've been asked whether my mother was a prostitute (no!); I've been called different versions of "half breed," stalked by a Sinophile for a few years, and treated like a monkey in a cage when I speak Cantonese. I grew up in Chula Vista, where I also have been regularly mistaken as Chicana and scolded by Mexican elders for not speaking Spanish better.    Q: Do you have any friends or family who have felt prejudice? How damaging has the last year been for them?  SLC: I live with my mother in a three-generation household, so out of caution for her, I honestly haven’t gone out much this year. We worry a lot about older people and women who are out walking or shopping alone.     Q: Do you think there will be long-term effects in the Chinese American community from the use of derogatory terms like “China virus” and “kung flu”?  SLC: As long as the U.S. has a taut relationship with China, and Asians in America are seen as “others,” moments like this simply reinforce an already extant history of “yellow peril.” Every time America has issues with China, Chinese restaurants will suffer. Until we can see each other as individuals and bond via our shared humanity, this kind of tribalism and violence will unfortunately persist.     Q: What do you think can be done to combat Asian hate and Asian stereotyping?  SLC: For me, the best antidote to both stereotypes and fear is good information. If we understand where stereotypes come from historically, they can lose some of their power today. So let’s start by opening our minds and trying to understand how we got here. Let’s agree that America is a great country for many reasons, among them the promise embedded in the Statue of Liberty and her creed to “give me your tired and poor.” But just as we are not perfect as individuals, America has not perfectly executed its promise. This land was not ours to take; our great fields and railroads were, in part, built on the backs of slave and immigrant laborers who suffered and were too often vanquished; America has played favorites, extending settlement rights to some immigrants while banning others. Let’s look honestly at our history so that we know our full selves. Ethnic studies classes can give helpful perspectives. In addition, let’s commit to trying to put our fears to rest by seeking good information and corroborating it. Let’s be rigorous in our thinking and vigilant in examining our sources (every faculty member on campus will be happy to help with this!). Let’s talk to one another and try to understand one another’s viewpoints and subject positions. Let’s be of good faith and remember that we are all in this together, trying to forge the best life and community possible … together.   Media Contact Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

As Cal State San Marcos faculty and staff continue to go above and beyond on behalf of students and the campus community during the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re pleased to highlight some of the campus heroes as nominated by students and colleagues.   Elena Gonzales, lecturer, chemistry and biochemistry Gonzales was nominated both for her ability to get organic chemistry labs into a teachable format and her work helping students overcome challenges during the pandemic. “Dr. Gonzales has been so supportive, encouraging, and she genuinely cares about teaching my peers and me,” the student nominator wrote. “Dr. Gonzales goes above and beyond for her students, especially throughout this past year. She is a great chemistry professor, she allows the students to open up to her and gain experience, and she is willing to connect with her students in a special way. … “Dr. Gonzales has made a difference in my college journey, and I know I'm not the only one.”   Scott Gross, associate vice president for industry partnerships, Planning and Academic Resources Gross was lauded for his ongoing service to support the campus in myriad ways during the pandemic, including his critical roles in Graduates on Parade last year and serving as the liaison to San Diego County health officials. “Due to Scott’s planning and investment in community partnership, CSUSM was able to serve the campus and community through a testing location, vaccine site and alternative space for the arts,” the nominator wrote. “Scott is a behind-the-scenes leader dedicated to the success of our students, faculty and staff. Through his attention to detail and fostering of community partnerships, CSUSM has been an active partner with San Diego County.”   Ericka Wells, case management specialist, Cougar Care Network Wells, who has worked with the Dean of Students Office for two years, was highlighted for her work supporting students who were COVID-positive or had a family member who was ill or died as a result of COVID. “Ericka was perfect for this role due to her past experience with palliative care and working with HIV-positive clients,” the nominator wrote. “Ericka has been instrumental in providing care to our students. She has assisted students with academic, financial and mental health during this difficult time. She networks students with resources, provides a listening ear and helps them get back on track to be successful.” Media Contact Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Elizabeth Castillo’s battle with COVID-19 began gradually. San Diego County was enduring gusting Santa Ana winds in early December, and Castillo thought she might be having a reaction to weather conditions. A few days later, she knew it wasn’t the weather. “It just hit me like a ton of bricks,” Castillo said. Confirmation came on Dec. 8 when Castillo and her husband, Andrew Hathaway, both tested positive for COVID. The test result began a harrowing two-month stretch in which Castillo was admitted to the hospital, intubated, underwent a tracheostomy and was left speculating about whether she would leave the hospital alive. “I would have dreams all the time about dying and what would happen,” she said. “Just that fear of what's going to happen. You don't know what's happening and you literally can't do anything about it. You're just kind of surrendered to the whole thing.” While many think of the elderly or immunocompromised when it comes to COVID hospitalizations and deaths, Castillo was healthy and just 26 years old, only three years removed from receiving her bachelor’s in business administration with an emphasis in operations and global supply chain management from Cal State San Marcos. Less than a week after receiving her test result, Castillo was admitted to Palomar Medical Center Escondido on Dec. 14. She had been struggling with shortness of breath, but it wasn’t until she checked her oxygen saturation that she knew it was time to go to the hospital. At her physician’s recommendation, Castillo had purchased a pulse oximeter to keep tabs on her oxygen saturation after her COVID diagnosis. A normal reading is in the 95-100% range, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends beginning oxygen therapy on any COVID patient with an oxygen saturation level below 90%. Castillo was at 85%. “I couldn't even walk from our apartment to the car,” she said. “I had to stop and take breaks.” Castillo recorded a 106-degree fever at the emergency room, and hospital staff said there was no question she needed to be admitted. After two weeks in regular care, Castillo’s symptoms worsened. Her heart rate was up and she was struggling to catch her breath. She was given medicine in an effort to control her heart rate and was put on high-flow oxygen and then a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine to assist with her breathing. “Nothing was helping,” Castillo said. “They took me to ICU with the CPAP machine and, literally by the time they took me from one room to another, I heard the nurse say, ‘This isn't working. We need to intubate her.’ ” Castillo remembers a nurse telling her that an anesthesiologist would be there shortly to perform the intubation, which involves inserting a tube in a patient’s throat to help them breathe. She doesn’t remember anything else about the intubation until she unexpectedly woke up shortly after the procedure, startling the person who was monitoring her. Doctors tried putting her in a medically induced coma, but Castillo continued to wake up and suffered hallucinations throughout her time in the ICU. And it was a long stretch in the ICU – 24 days before she was deemed healthy enough to return to a regular room. She had no idea the calendar changed from 2020 to 2021, that there had been an attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 or even that Joe Biden had been inaugurated as the 46^th president. Doctors anticipated moving Castillo to a long-term care facility about a week after she returned to a regular hospital room. But she was able to show that she could move well enough with the help of a walker that doctors agreed to let her return home on Jan. 29 – 46 days after she was first admitted. Palomar Health officials posted an emotional video on Instagram showing hospital staff applauding as Castillo was reunited with her mom. The hospital discharge came just in time for Castillo to celebrate her 27^th birthday at home with her husband and mother. “We Zoomed with family because my mom was like, ‘Nobody is coming near you,’ ” Castillo said. Castillo no longer needs the walker that was essential in the early days of her return home, but the effects of COVID are still readily apparent. She continues to require an oxygen tank and she said it could be months before doctors know if she has suffered long-term damage to any organs. The near-death experience has made Castillo appreciate the little things more – “I realize that $5 cup of coffee that you're trying to skip to save your money, sometimes it's worth it,” she says – and she and Hathaway are planning to stop debating about traveling and do it once it’s deemed safe. “There's a big shift in what we want to do with our lives and how to move forward from here,” said Castillo, who works as a project manager at a logistics company in Carlsbad. Castillo is grateful for the health care professionals who got her through the ordeal. She knows how important it was for her to be able to FaceTime with family while she was in the hospital, and she and Hathaway are planning to donate iPads to Palomar Health so other patients have the same opportunity. “In the beginning of the pandemic, everybody talked about the work of the health care people,” Castillo said. “But we still have to realize what they've done and what they’re continuing to do to make sure everybody is OK. All these people have worked very hard so people like me can come out on the good end.” Media Contact Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Last fall, Cal State San Marcos honored civil rights icon Dolores Huerta by naming in her honor the office in the Extended Learning building for the College Assistance Migrant Program, better known as CAMP.  Now, staunch supporters of CSUSM since its very beginning are honoring Huerta and boosting CAMP in a different way.   Ann Hunter-Welborn, a member of the University Council before CSUSM was even founded, and her husband, David Welborn, have donated $26,000 to the university to establish the Dolores Huerta endowed scholarship. Each year, starting this fall, one student in CAMP, which helps students from migrant and seasonal farmworker backgrounds succeed in the transition to college, will receive a $1,000 scholarship to assist them in their education.   “I think it’s an important recognition of the contribution that migrants make to our whole society and our responsibility to do some small thing to make their lives easier,” Hunter-Welborn said.  Of the total gift, $1,000 will fund the first scholarship in fall 2021 while the remaining $25,000 will launch the endowed scholarship. The donation is being timed in connection with the second annual One CSUSM day on May 4. One CSUSM is a day of giving that started last year to deliver badly needed aid to students at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, the focus of the campaign is scholarships.  The gift by Hunter-Welborn and her husband is the outgrowth of a meeting she had this spring with CSUSM President Ellen Neufeldt in which they connected over the idea of access to higher education, especially among underrepresented groups.  “Access has always been a big issue, and I think, in many ways, it’s become a bigger issue in the last year because of the stress that everybody is living under and graduating seniors not getting much of a senior year,” Hunter-Welborn said. “It just seemed like a good time to do it and a good counterpart to the César Chávez recognition on campus.”  The news that CAMP is the target of this endowed scholarship came as music to the ears of Minerva Gonzalez, the CAMP principal investigator who directed the program at CSUSM for 16 years before handing over the reins to Maria Venegas Escobedo in 2018. Gonzalez said the gift will allow CAMP to serve the needs of future students who aren’t covered either by the program or financial aid.   “CAMP students are all first generation, low income, and face so many personal, academic and financial challenges,” Gonzalez said. “Yet they are the most resilient and determined students. This endowment will be a much-needed resource that will support their educational path toward graduation.  “It is with our deepest appreciation that Ann Hunter-Welborn and her husband have blessed us with their generosity.”  Hunter-Welborn and David Welborn previously have given to many different areas on campus, including the All-Steinway campaign, the music department, the University Library and Center ARTES.   “I am grateful that CSUSM has been such a successful university and has grown to be such an important part of the North County community and beyond,” Hunter-Welborn said.   Media Contact Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

As a political science major, Cal State San Marcos sophomore Julia Glorioso is used to writing papers and participating in discussions about public policy and law. So when she decided to write and produce a film for her final project assignment for a world cinema course, she accessed the creative side of her brain, the part that produced many a drawing and painting while growing up in nearby Oceanside. The result was the film “The Routine,” which looked at the struggles associated with the pandemic in general, but specifically the struggles associated with being a college student during this time. Her creativity and technical abilities earned her a 2020-21 CSUSM University Library Award for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity. Glorioso was one of 12 students to win the award, which came with a $600 prize. “I just really wanted to convey the struggles that college students are going through right now with a pandemic and being virtual and just being stuck at home and that type of environment,” said Glorioso, who is the College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences representative to Associated Students, Inc. “I wanted to do a film that touched on the COVID-19 pandemic, and kind of this social commentary type of film that's really relevant with what we're all experiencing right now; and touching on how it is being a college student and doing things virtually. So that was my inspiration on my film and making it using the neorealist conventions to get my story across.” Glorioso’s film inspirations were Italian filmmakers Roberto Rossellini and brothers Vittorio and Paolo Taviani, some of the neorealist directors she was introduced to in her world cinema course. Not a veteran of foreign films by any means, she was able to view many of their films through the library database. She filmed most of it with a DSLR camera inside her house because of the pandemic. At the end, she wound up at the beach “because that's something I would have been daydreaming about.” Her theme of escapism came across to show how it was unclear whether the end was a dream in the middle of the pandemic or the hopeful reality ending of being at the beach when the pandemic's over. In a little less than two years, Glorioso has made the most of her opportunities on campus, including working at the library last year before the pandemic. In addition to being the CHABSS representative to ASI, she is an ambassador to The Alliance to Accelerate Excellence in Education. “I really want to get the most out of my time here,” she said. “In my first year, my main goal was just to get involved on campus as much as I could and take advantage of as many opportunities as I could. While I'm here, whatever opportunity comes across to try to apply for something I definitely want to take that opportunity.” As for her post undergraduate plans, she’s interested in a career in either law or the public policy side of government. Whether it means writing public policy, being an advocate or being a practicing attorney, she knows she wants to make a positive impact on her community. And perhaps one day pursue a career as a filmmaker? “Maybe,” said Glorioso, with a laugh. Visit the library website for a complete list of winners. Media Contact Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

When Cal State San Marcos visual arts senior Sarah Bricke went to Balboa Park in February 2020 to pick up single graft branches as part of a project with CoLab series visiting artist Margaretha Haughwout, the branches, in Bricke’s most accurate description, looked like dead sticks. Bringing what appeared to be dead sticks to CSUSM a month before the pandemic changed the dynamic energy of the campus community was certainly not the intention of the project. But the fact those small branches had no leaves or blooms was, visually at least, a sign of things to come. As part of her week-long stay at CSUSM, Haughwout grafted the fruit-bearing branches on to some ornamental trees on campus. And then the project – and life, in many ways – took a long pause. Last month, art, media and design lecturer Tony Allard visited campus and found that these grafts have taken and are flowering. The hope is that they will bear pears in a few years. “I always had faith in the project and the process, but there was something very powerful about the images of the grafts thriving on a campus that has been for the most part deserted ever since the workshop took place,” said Bricke, who is now a Master of Fine Arts candidate at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. “There is something very powerful about that.” The flower that grows through adversity can inspire generations. “I was so happy when Tony Allard sent me the first photos of the trees,” said Haughwout, who is an assistant professor of art and art history at Colgate University. “It seemed especially portent because of the year we've been through – a sign of life, spring, hybridity and connection. The trees were waking up and coming out of dormancy, and so were we.” Haughwout is part of a group called Guerrilla Grafters, which is an internationally known collective of environmental artists. They look at non-fruit bearing ornamental fruit trees, and then graft fruit-bearing branches on to those so that over time they produce nutritious fruit that’s made available to urban residents. Art, media and design professor Kristine Diekman brought Haughwout to CSUSM as part of a grant intended to focus the AMD department on interdisciplinary teaching. The collaborative arts initiative looks at art through many different lenses, including physical and social sciences, global studies, public health, anthropology and American Indian studies. Haughwout engaged with close to 300 students in different general education and art courses. She also worked closely with environmental studies students, Inspiration Studios and the student-led art club Staircase Exhibition. “One of the things that she talked a lot about was how things coexist,” Diekman said. “So you might find what we consider a weed that's growing next to a cultivated plant and that, instead of removing the weed, these things coexist for a reason together. I love that idea that life grows out of the discarded things, out of the things that we want to remove. There are things that sometimes we need to keep there to coexist along with this other complicated thing.” Haughwout’s visit wasn’t just about the grafting. The project also included presentations and hands-on workshops as she worked with students in printmaking, photography classes, digital drawing classes and a special mini project with Allard’s digital drawing course. They made multispecies seed packets where students were assigned a tree in the CSUSM landscape. They not only had to draw the tree itself but also the textures and species around it. The artwork was then printed and turned into seed packets for companion species for the trees. One of the students Haughwout connected with was Addy Lyon, a fourth-year AMD major with a minor in psychology. Lyon is involved in many eco-art projects on campus, including running the community garden. “Working with Margaretha was a wonderful experience, learning more about the technical process of grafting and the community activism aspect of her work,” Lyon said. “Especially learning about how non-fruit bearing trees hold the ability to grow fruit through the grafting process was very eyeopening to the possibilities in which nature holds. Seeing the grafts blooming on campus is so beautiful and knowing that it was successful is an extraordinary feeling.” Said Bricke: “I found her ability to connect with students and faculty inspiring. I think that for many students who participated, it was an opportunity to discover new places on campus and see in greater detail the places and plants that surround us.” Haughwout said one of the highlights of her visit was getting a tour of the campus with Diekman from George Martinez, the assistant director of facility services. He provided a history of the campus landscape as well as plans for the future. Martinez’s PDF about the landscaping on the CSUSM website helped her enormously as she made plans for her visit. One of the stops was at the statue of César Chávez. The blooming trees in question are on the sides of the steps leading to the statue, just to the east of the USU. “As an artist, I am always looking for moments and spaces in everyday life in which I can intervene,” Haughwout said. “I work with technologies and ecologies to do these interventions – to reveal possible worlds, worlds of presence, relationship and abundance. In so doing, I want to antagonize capitalist and colonial organizations of place (property), work and nature. “I loved that they stood beneath the statue of César Chávez, the incredible leader of farm workers’ rights and such an important figure in agricultural history. I like to imagine he is expressing solidarity with this project we were doing.” It’s not a stretch to say these trees can give future CSUSM students the gift of life. A junior who hopefully steps back onto campus in the fall may enjoy some fresh pears before he or she graduates. The entire project was meant to give students not only nutrition but, as Diekman puts it, “a multimodal experience of a better understanding of their environment on this college campus.” When Allard returned to campus recently for his vaccine, the “dead sticks” had blossomed. “It just felt like some kind of hopeful renewal because everything stopped so quickly right after the visit,” Diekman said. “I love the fact that these grafts just kind of on their own decided to continue the life of the project they took, and they worked and they're growing now because you don't know if they're going to work or not. I just find these grafts inspiring and renewing and makes me feel hopeful about a return to campus. And these will always be there. The life to the project continues on. “Flowers grow through weeds sometimes. For as tough as we've had it the past year, and the campus certainly was not immune to any of the tough situations, now we're moving back, and here's the symbol of what that can be.” Media Contact Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Last fall, The Alliance to Accelerate Excellence in Education, a Cal State San Marcos program that provides guaranteed admission to qualified students in certain local school districts, went virtual with its outreach because of COVID-19. For the CSUSM students involved in this effort, it meant that instead of traveling to high schools and middle schools throughout the region, the so-called “road shows” took place via Zoom presentation. And that was a very fortuitous development for one student in particular. While his CSUSM peers logged in from various places around North County, Matt Million signed on from half a world away. Million is a lifelong race car driver whose exploits last fall took him to Germany, where he lived for 10 weeks – racing, taking classes online, and doing his part to advance the mission of The Alliance. “I got to do a few road shows from Germany, and it always made for a funny conversation. That’s a good way to motivate some students,” said Million, a junior who’s majoring in global business. “I ran into some issues where the Zoom rooms the schools put up would block anything that came out of the United States, but usually I found a way around it and it went as normal. The only difference was that it was dark outside and I was getting ready for bed.” Million’s fascinating background – he has been racing some form of vehicle since he was 5 and hopes to turn it into a career – makes him a good fit as an Alliance ambassador. These ambassadors are Alliance students (meaning they attended one of the partner schools) who receive working scholarships to serve as peer mentors helping inspire K-12 students to take advantage of the doors that college can open. Million is a member of the fourth cohort of ambassadors. The new crop of 12 first-year students comprises the most diverse group of ambassadors in program history, according to Theresa Meyerott, executive director of The Alliance. The work of the ambassadors during the pandemic – they have connected with almost 2,000 students via virtual formats – is just the latest success story of The Alliance, which was founded in 2013 thanks to funding from Price Philanthropies. With the help of a recent three-year grant from Price Philanthropies, The Alliance will continue to expand its program in the region. “The ambassador program is meant to help K-12 students realize that college is an opportunity if they want it and what they need to do to get there,” Meyerott said. “And they’re often hearing it from a local student who went to that school. Ambassadors learn to be leaders during their four years in the program, and they slowly take on more and more responsibility as they approach graduation.” Million knows all about responsibility, as an only child from San Marcos who has navigated the complex world of youth auto racing with his parents, but little else in the way of a support system. His discovery of the sport was a happy accident. His father was a competitor in a different type of racing – road cycling – and took his young son to a bike store. Little Matt wandered off and ended up in the shop next door, which happened to sell go-karts. So it was that the family went home that day not with a bicycle but with a high-powered speed machine. While many of his neighborhood buddies were playing Little League baseball or AYSO soccer, Matt was being ferried by his parents to tracks across Southern California to try his hand at youth go-kart racing. It didn’t take long for the family to realize that this was more than just a lark. It was the perfect marriage of sport, skill and temperament. “I think I adapted to it well because I’ve always been a pretty independent person. I do a lot of thinking and I like analyzing things,” Million said. “People always associate racing with danger, but I never thought about it like that. It was more, you put the helmet on and you’re by yourself in the car and it’s up to you to make the most of that situation.” Million raced in the regional go-kart circuit for seven years until, at age 12, he decided he was ready to take the next step. Through a fellow racer who was five years older, he learned of a new series called the Teen Mazda Challenge in which teenage competitors drive souped-up Mazda Miatas while also receiving personal development toward a possible career in the sport, including practice in skills like interviews and marketing. Million spent his first year in the organization helping his dad get the car race ready and preparing to obtain the license he would need to operate a more turbocharged caliber of vehicle. Then, over the next four years, he progressed from being happy to finish a race to placing in the top group to notching his first victory to coming within a couple of points of winning the season championship. By 2018, Million had moved up to yet another level of competition, a semi-professional series featuring a team structure and races across the nation. He was also ready to pick a college, which for him turned out to be an easy choice. Besides the fact that his father had been part of CSUSM’s second graduating class back in the mid-1990s, Million valued the strength of the College of Business Administration and the affordability of the university, allowing his family to devote more of their resources to his expensive passion. He applied for and received an Alliance ambassador scholarship in fall 2019, the beginning of his sophomore year. “It’s really given me a better purpose at Cal State San Marcos,” he said. “I love being a student, but the ambassador program has made my whole college experience more fulfilling. I think back to when I was in middle school, and I would have loved to hear from me at this time. I feel like I’m able to give back, and that has made it a two-way street for my education.”  Early in 2020, when Million still was settling in as an ambassador, he discovered a new entry-level racing championship in Germany. Germany always had represented something of a white whale for Million; his favorite type of racing is the endurance variety, and one of the most prestigious in the genre is the 24 Hours Nürburgring event in the southwest region of the country.   He reached out to a racing team that was receptive to an American joining, and in mid-February, he flew to Germany for an important testing session. He left California on a Thursday and returned on a Sunday. It was his first time ever being outside the United States.   “It was the most bizarre, coolest experience of my life,” he said.   Million planned to go back and forth every couple of months for races, with the first one scheduled for the end of March. Of course, that coincided with the world shutting down as a result of the pandemic. When the championship resumed last summer, it was impossible for Million to make it to Germany because of travel restrictions.   That changed in September, when Germany’s COVID situation was largely under control and Million was able to be classified as an essential worker as a member of his new racing team. Because CSUSM had switched to remote instruction, he realized he wouldn’t need to make the long trek for each race. He could simply live in Germany for the fall.   “It was pretty surreal,” Million said. “I would walk down the streets and it would be all Germans because there were almost no tourists. And how do you categorize yourself? Technically, I was there working, but I’m also a student. I was studying abroad, but not officially. Just a unique experience, and it worked out well.”  Now back in his home city, Million hopes to return to Germany for about a month sometime this year to secure a permit that would represent a first step toward his ultimate goal – racing in the 24 Hours Nürburgring. As an Alliance ambassador, he’s in charge of the road shows this semester, which surely means compelling content for aspiring college students.  “Racing already has led to places that I never could have imagined,” he said. “I want to get my degree, I want to find work with a global business background, and if I’m able to pair that with racing, that would be incredible.”  Media Contact Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

As a member of the inaugural women’s soccer team at Cal State San Marcos in 2006, Marika Patterson learned firsthand the importance of time management, working hard at one’s craft and showing up every day ready to give your best. As a law enforcement officer in Orange County, she takes those same lessons learned on the pitch and on campus to forge a career in serving her community. “A lot of what college imparts on to you is perseverance,” said Patterson, who graduated from CSUSM with a bachelor’s in communication in 2010. “Juggling academics, athletics, work and a social life, that grit helps shape how you handle life’s adult challenges.” Now residing in the Long Beach area, Patterson works as a Sheriff Special Officer with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. She is also currently enrolled at Arizona State University in the emergency management master’s program. Patterson has known since a young age that she wanted to serve the public as a first responder. She credits that passion in part to what she describes as a burning desire to be the person others seek out in an emergency. Patterson has adjusted many things in her professional life over the past year due to COVID-19. But one thing it hasn’t altered is her positive outlook. “The pandemic has affected all of us in our personal lives and at work,” Patterson said. “There have been many challenges that we have faced in law enforcement during the pandemic. There were a lot of schedule changes, mandatory overtime and policy changes that had to reflect the pandemic guidelines. “I have been humbled and personally impacted by the citizens of Orange County and their continued support of law enforcement. The ‘thank yous’ go a long way when faced with such challenging times.” The arrival of the pandemic – as well as how we’ve worked to bounce back – has reminded Patterson of the events of 9/11 and its aftermath. A high school senior during 9/11, she remembers feeling inspired by how the country came together during a time of great need. “Many of my classmates went to war that year and the years that followed, and of course it goes without saying that several did not come home,” Patterson said. “In the early weeks of COVID we were all experiencing this despair together as Americans. That is how 9/11 felt, that we were all in the same pain together.” That sense of community is nothing new to Patterson. Her time on the soccer team at CSUSM taught her how sacrificing one’s own accolades for the betterment of the team meant success could be valued higher than any individual accomplishment.  “I competed in the first season, which I am immensely proud of,” Patterson said. “I have kept up with the program since and have been enormously proud of the women that continued our tradition of hard work and competition. We were pioneers of the program in 2006. Today the program has really shined.” In addition to her time spent on the Cougars soccer team, Patterson said professor of communication Katherine Brown and lecturer Catherine Armas-Matsumoto were her greatest influences on campus because of their attentiveness and approachability. Brown is now the communication department chair and Armas-Matsumoto is the communication department internship coordinator. Her time at CSUSM clearly shaped Patterson into the person she is today. “College is a great place to challenge yourself and collect life skills that will help your future self,” she said. Media Contact Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Melissa Reyes has always had a keen interest in the environment. It stems from her upbringing in the Imperial Valley, which relies heavily on the agricultural industry. Reyes has multiple family members who worked in Imperial Valley’s agricultural fields, including a grandfather who developed cancer from exposure to pesticides. But it wasn’t until Reyes enrolled at Cal State San Marcos in 2017 that she really began focusing on environmental justice. “I didn't realize that there were so many environmental injustices happening in the Imperial Valley until I learned about it when I got to Cal State San Marcos,” said Reyes, who will graduate next month with a bachelor’s in environmental studies. “I feel like that really promoted my passion for environmental justice, because it hit home personally.” Reyes has been working hard throughout the pandemic to pursue this passion, both as an environmental justice intern through a partnership between the Office of Inclusive Excellence and the Sustainability Department and her role as co-president of the Environmental Stewards Association. As part of her internship, Reyes was a presenter for the This Way to Sustainability (TWTS) Conference, which was hosted by Chico State in March. Reyes’ presentation was titled “Social Justice Through Sustainability: Acknowledging students of environmentally discriminated areas through sustainable efforts on campus.” The project analyzed how some CSUSM students come from places impacted by environmental injustices such as poor air or water quality and how the university can uplift the voices of those students. “The environmental justice internship, which is only 2 years old now, has spurred lots of really cool research projects,” said Juliana Goodlaw-Morris, CSUSM’s sustainability manager, who coordinates the program with Ariel Stevenson, assistant director of programs and initiatives for the Office of Inclusive Excellence. “But the project that Melissa worked on, connecting environmental injustices and COVID-19 data with our students, is a very timely and important project. As we seek to better serve our students and ensure they are successful toward graduation, it is opportunities such as this that continue to motivate us to further develop the environmental justice internship program and the inclusive sustainability efforts at CSUSM.” Reyes also played a vital role in an Earth Month event held on April 6 called “BIPOC and Green: Centering CS‘U’SM in the Environmental Justice Movement,” which focused on intersectionality in the environmental justice movement. Helping to create meaningful events through the internship has been one of the highlights of Reyes’ time at CSUSM. “I'm able to bring awareness to an issue that I strongly believe in, and I'm doing it with the help of these two amazing women,” said Reyes, referring to Goodlaw-Morris and Stevenson. Reyes also credits professor Gabriel Valle and lecturer Christina Simokat from the environmental studies department for their support in her education. Simokat encouraged Reyes to join student organizations, which eventually led to the creation of the Environmental Stewards Association. With multiple environmental studies student organizations on campus, it was difficult for students who are interested in the environment to attend numerous meetings and events related to each group. That led Reyes and a group of friends to create one umbrella organization that is open to all students. “Melissa is a driven student,” Stevenson said. “As an active member of the Environmental Stewards Association and an environmental justice intern, she continually connects her studies, her passion and her lived experiences to this work. “In the last year, I watched her navigate the pandemic, lead presentations and present at a conference – all virtually. She is an example of the very best things we love about our students – resiliency, growth and dedication.” Media Contact Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314