- Pride Center Focuses on Support of LGBTQ+ CommunityWith Pride Month underway, the Pride Center at Cal State San Marcos is focused on the importance of remembering the lives lost in the Pulse nightclub shooting on June 12, 2016, and ensuring the campus community is aware of the support available to LGBTQ+ individuals. “Support for Pride Month is incredibly important at CSUSM,” said Robert Aiello-Hauser, director of the Pride Center. “By acknowledging and celebrating Pride Month, CSUSM sends a clear message that we value diversity and are committed to promoting equality for all members of our community. This can help to foster a sense of belonging and community, which can be especially important for LGBTQ+ students who may face discrimination or feel isolated on campus.” Aiello-Hauser noted that the anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting is significant for several reasons, including: It's a solemn occasion to honor and remember the lives lost in the tragic event. Reflecting on their stories and the impact of their loss helps keep their memories alive. The anniversary provides an opportunity to show support for the survivors and the families of the victims. It's a time to offer comfort, solidarity and resources for those who continue to grapple with the aftermath of the shooting. The anniversary often serves as a reminder of the strength and resilience of the community affected by the shooting. It's a time for unity, coming together to support one another, and demonstrating resilience in the face of adversity. It helps raise awareness about issues such as gun violence, LGBTQ+ rights, discrimination, and the importance of tolerance and acceptance. By remembering the Pulse nightclub shooting, people are reminded of the ongoing need for societal change to prevent similar tragedies in the future. The anniversary can serve as a call to action for policymakers, activists and communities to work toward creating safer environments for all individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity or any other characteristic. “The anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting is a time for reflection, remembrance, solidarity and a renewed commitment to creating a more inclusive and compassionate society,” Aiello-Hauser said. CSUSM provides various forms of support for LGBTQ+ students, creating an inclusive and welcoming campus environment. Some ways CSUSM supports LGBTQ+ students include: Pride Center: This is a space that serves all sexual orientations and gender identities. The center offers a safe space for students to gather, access resources, receive support, build community and engage in activism and advocacy efforts. SafeZone Program: This program is designed to educate faculty, staff and students about LGBTQ+ issues and create visible symbols of support throughout campus. SafeZone provides resources and training to create a network of allies/advocates who can offer support and understanding to LGBTQ+ individuals. Counseling and Psychological Services: CSUSM's counseling services provide support specifically tailored to the needs of Pride students, including counseling sessions with therapists who are knowledgeable about LGBTQ+ issues and experiences. They also provide therapy groups specifically for the community. Student Organizations: CSUSM has several student organizations specifically for Pride students and allies. These organizations provide opportunities for socializing, networking, activism and support within the campus community. Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives: These initiatives are aimed at creating a campus culture that celebrates and respects all identities, including those within the LGBTQ+ community. Housing Options: The university offers several inclusive housing options, gender-inclusive and LGBTQ+-affirming housing communities, to accommodate the diverse needs of Pride students. Policy Support: CSUSM has policies and procedures in place to protect LGBTQ+ students from discrimination and harassment based on their sexual orientation, gender identity or expression. These policies demonstrate the university's commitment to creating a safe and inclusive environment for all students. These include various transgender inclusion and protection policies and a preferred name policy and procedure. CSUSM will be marching for the 16th year in the San Diego Pride Parade on Saturday, July 20. Anyone interested in joining the CSUSM group can fill out the interest form online. “Representing the CSUSM campus by marching in the San Diego Pride parade is an opportunity to promote visibility, solidarity, advocacy and celebration of LGBTQ+ identities and rights, both within the college community and beyond,” Aiello-Hauser said. “It reinforces CSUSM’s commitment to diversity and inclusion while fostering connections with the broader LGBTQ+ community.” Media Contact Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314
- LAEP Helps Criminology Student Explore Passion for TheaterSometimes, one’s host of passions could not be further apart from the other. Criminology and justice studies student Ariadna Hernandez knows this well as she balances two vastly different interests: immigration law and theater. Hernandez discovered her passion for theater during the pandemic. Film became a form of escapism during a time of uncertainty, and when she had the opportunity to take acting classes at Mesa College, she excitedly enrolled. Hernandez enjoyed her brief experience with theater, but she had to put it on the backburner to focus on her classes for criminology. It wasn’t until she transferred to Cal State San Marcos and learned of the Learning Aligned Employment Program (LAEP), that Hernandez found herself faced with another opportunity to explore her love for theater while earning her bachelor’s degree. LAEP offers students the opportunity to earn money that goes toward their educational costs while gaining education-aligned employment. Hernandez was offered the role of production assistant for a theatrical production of “Pásale Pásale,” which is playing through June 30 in National City. While working on this play, Hernandez is responsible for handling paperwork, keeping track of schedules and ensuring that actors have everything needed for the performance. By handling important tasks for the show, Hernandez is gaining leadership skills and collaboration experience, while also working toward paying off her degree. “It’s been so amazing being part of this production,” Hernandez said. “Getting to know everyone in this play and just being part of the community has been such a great experience. Not to mention, being surrounded by the beautiful storyline and music is just so inspiring.” Hernandez felt drawn to the storyline’s themes centering around the importance of working together to overcome adversity in the Latinx community. She was inspired to pursue immigration law after seeing family members' poor experiences with lawyers during the naturalization process after moving to California from Tijuana. Such disheartening experiences with the system instilled in Hernandez strong values of family, community and social justice. “That process really made me realize that we need more lawyers who are able to help directly and get more involved,” said Hernandez. “There’s a lot of issues with lawyers who do not personally know the struggle that people go through, and I want to be the kind that acknowledges the hardships and regularly checks in with clients.” The play’s parallels to Hernandez’s real-life experiences make it the perfect medium to represent her two passions. As she continues learning more about the world of theater and the field of criminology separately, Hernandez is hoping to carry both forward with her after her time with LAEP and jointly incorporate them into her plans for the future. “Exploring your interests helps you know which ones are worth keeping in your life,” said Hernandez. “You may think, ‘Oh, this has nothing to do with my major, so what’s the point?’ But through this experience, I was able to start building an idea of the future that I want, which I now know involves law school and volunteering for theater on the side. I am very grateful that I got the chance to be part of LAEP, and I will always remember my time working on this production.” Media Contact Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314
- Pride Center Focuses on Support of LGBTQ+ CommunityWith Pride Month underway, the Pride Center at Cal State San Marcos is focused on the importance of remembering the lives lost in the Pulse nightclub shooting on June 12, 2016, and ensuring the campus community is aware of the support available to LGBTQ+ individuals. “Support for Pride Month is incredibly important at CSUSM,” said Robert Aiello-Hauser, director of the Pride Center. “By acknowledging and celebrating Pride Month, CSUSM sends a clear message that we value diversity and are committed to promoting equality for all members of our community. This can help to foster a sense of belonging and community, which can be especially important for LGBTQ+ students who may face discrimination or feel isolated on campus.” Aiello-Hauser noted that the anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting is significant for several reasons, including: It's a solemn occasion to honor and remember the lives lost in the tragic event. Reflecting on their stories and the impact of their loss helps keep their memories alive. The anniversary provides an opportunity to show support for the survivors and the families of the victims. It's a time to offer comfort, solidarity and resources for those who continue to grapple with the aftermath of the shooting. The anniversary often serves as a reminder of the strength and resilience of the community affected by the shooting. It's a time for unity, coming together to support one another, and demonstrating resilience in the face of adversity. It helps raise awareness about issues such as gun violence, LGBTQ+ rights, discrimination, and the importance of tolerance and acceptance. By remembering the Pulse nightclub shooting, people are reminded of the ongoing need for societal change to prevent similar tragedies in the future. The anniversary can serve as a call to action for policymakers, activists and communities to work toward creating safer environments for all individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity or any other characteristic. “The anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting is a time for reflection, remembrance, solidarity and a renewed commitment to creating a more inclusive and compassionate society,” Aiello-Hauser said. CSUSM provides various forms of support for LGBTQ+ students, creating an inclusive and welcoming campus environment. Some ways CSUSM supports LGBTQ+ students include: Pride Center: This is a space that serves all sexual orientations and gender identities. The center offers a safe space for students to gather, access resources, receive support, build community and engage in activism and advocacy efforts. SafeZone Program: This program is designed to educate faculty, staff and students about LGBTQ+ issues and create visible symbols of support throughout campus. SafeZone provides resources and training to create a network of allies/advocates who can offer support and understanding to LGBTQ+ individuals. Counseling and Psychological Services: CSUSM's counseling services provide support specifically tailored to the needs of Pride students, including counseling sessions with therapists who are knowledgeable about LGBTQ+ issues and experiences. They also provide therapy groups specifically for the community. Student Organizations: CSUSM has several student organizations specifically for Pride students and allies. These organizations provide opportunities for socializing, networking, activism and support within the campus community. Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives: These initiatives are aimed at creating a campus culture that celebrates and respects all identities, including those within the LGBTQ+ community. Housing Options: The university offers several inclusive housing options, gender-inclusive and LGBTQ+-affirming housing communities, to accommodate the diverse needs of Pride students. Policy Support: CSUSM has policies and procedures in place to protect LGBTQ+ students from discrimination and harassment based on their sexual orientation, gender identity or expression. These policies demonstrate the university's commitment to creating a safe and inclusive environment for all students. These include various transgender inclusion and protection policies and a preferred name policy and procedure. CSUSM will be marching for the 16th year in the San Diego Pride Parade on Saturday, July 20. Anyone interested in joining the CSUSM group can fill out the interest form online. “Representing the CSUSM campus by marching in the San Diego Pride parade is an opportunity to promote visibility, solidarity, advocacy and celebration of LGBTQ+ identities and rights, both within the college community and beyond,” Aiello-Hauser said. “It reinforces CSUSM’s commitment to diversity and inclusion while fostering connections with the broader LGBTQ+ community.” Media Contact Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314
- LAEP Helps Criminology Student Explore Passion for TheaterSometimes, one’s host of passions could not be further apart from the other. Criminology and justice studies student Ariadna Hernandez knows this well as she balances two vastly different interests: immigration law and theater. Hernandez discovered her passion for theater during the pandemic. Film became a form of escapism during a time of uncertainty, and when she had the opportunity to take acting classes at Mesa College, she excitedly enrolled. Hernandez enjoyed her brief experience with theater, but she had to put it on the backburner to focus on her classes for criminology. It wasn’t until she transferred to Cal State San Marcos and learned of the Learning Aligned Employment Program (LAEP), that Hernandez found herself faced with another opportunity to explore her love for theater while earning her bachelor’s degree. LAEP offers students the opportunity to earn money that goes toward their educational costs while gaining education-aligned employment. Hernandez was offered the role of production assistant for a theatrical production of “Pásale Pásale,” which is playing through June 30 in National City. While working on this play, Hernandez is responsible for handling paperwork, keeping track of schedules and ensuring that actors have everything needed for the performance. By handling important tasks for the show, Hernandez is gaining leadership skills and collaboration experience, while also working toward paying off her degree. “It’s been so amazing being part of this production,” Hernandez said. “Getting to know everyone in this play and just being part of the community has been such a great experience. Not to mention, being surrounded by the beautiful storyline and music is just so inspiring.” Hernandez felt drawn to the storyline’s themes centering around the importance of working together to overcome adversity in the Latinx community. She was inspired to pursue immigration law after seeing family members' poor experiences with lawyers during the naturalization process after moving to California from Tijuana. Such disheartening experiences with the system instilled in Hernandez strong values of family, community and social justice. “That process really made me realize that we need more lawyers who are able to help directly and get more involved,” said Hernandez. “There’s a lot of issues with lawyers who do not personally know the struggle that people go through, and I want to be the kind that acknowledges the hardships and regularly checks in with clients.” The play’s parallels to Hernandez’s real-life experiences make it the perfect medium to represent her two passions. As she continues learning more about the world of theater and the field of criminology separately, Hernandez is hoping to carry both forward with her after her time with LAEP and jointly incorporate them into her plans for the future. “Exploring your interests helps you know which ones are worth keeping in your life,” said Hernandez. “You may think, ‘Oh, this has nothing to do with my major, so what’s the point?’ But through this experience, I was able to start building an idea of the future that I want, which I now know involves law school and volunteering for theater on the side. I am very grateful that I got the chance to be part of LAEP, and I will always remember my time working on this production.” Media Contact Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314
- CSTEM Outstanding Graduate Follows in Mom’s FootstepsPatricia Tulloch considers herself to have two homes: her childhood home in Vista and Cal State San Marcos. Growing up, Tulloch spent most of her summers and free time at Cal State San Marcos, either tagging along with her mom at work, running through the halls or volunteering. Tulloch’s mom, Tricia Henlon, is an alumna of CSUSM’s class of 1995 and now works as the budget and operations manager for the Extended Learning Building. As such a longstanding member of the campus community, she got to see it grow exponentially while raising her daughter. “My mom was here back when signups for the school were in the Jerome’s parking lot,” Tulloch said. “It’s been cool to kind of compare and contrast her experience to mine. When the time came to choose where to go for my bachelor's, I already had such a strong connection to the campus, it was an easy decision to follow in my mom’s footsteps.” In 2019, 24 years after her mom graduated, Tulloch enrolled at Cal State San Marcos to study biology. Tulloch had gained interest in the sciences at an early age. The world of medicine and healing sounded fascinating to her, and she was eager to learn more about the field alongside those who shared her passion. Unfortunately, the first half of her college career was derailed due to the pandemic. Opportunities to connect with peers and join organizations were stilted, and Tulloch found herself feeling removed from a sense of community with everything moved to online. “I didn’t really know anyone who was interested in medicine or similar things,” said Tulloch. “I also didn’t know how to put myself out there or have anyone to guide me, so it felt hard for me to get involved.” As the pandemic progressed and Tulloch reached her sophomore year, she decided to take action and carve out her own path to meet other students on the medical track. She joined the Pre-Health Society as event coordinator, hosting beach clean-ups and setting up workshops to make baby blankets for sick children. With each event, Tulloch built connections with her peers and recognized how others felt similarly disconnected to the community after the pandemic. This inspired her to become a student liaison to mentor other members and raise camaraderie within the organization. Thriving in her leadership roles, Tulloch felt ready to tackle her next challenge and became president of the Pre-Health Society for the 2022-23 school year. Handling communications and brainstorming ideas to expand the club’s reach, Tulloch put together the event she is most proud of, a panel of UC San Diego School of Medicine students who shared their experiences and advice with CSUSM students. “Growing the pre-medical space on campus has been so important to me these past years,” Tulloch said. “We’re a small but mighty community, and I think it’s so important to create a space for students where they can come in and nurture their passions in an environment that feels safe and supportive.” Tulloch helped students identify and guide their interests in other organizations, as well. Understanding the importance of mentorship and thinking about what she wished she knew early on in her education journey, Tulloch joined the leadership team for the Student Healthcare Readiness Program. This program works with high school students interested in studying medicine and offers them support to ensure they start college feeling confident and prepared. “It’s such an awesome feeling to know that you can have a positive effect on somebody,” Tulloch said. “Seeing potential in someone that they haven’t quite yet seen in themselves and pulling it out of them and watching their confidence grow is something I can’t even put into words. I love it.” As Tulloch expanded her community with each new mentee and peer, she also developed her research skills and real-world experience with medicine. She conducted research studies alongside biology professors Julie Jameson and Elinne Becket and has presented at national conferences. She also became treasurer of the Flying Samaritans, a club on campus that hosts a free clinic in Mexico and offers checkups to residents who face barriers accessing health care. “If you had asked me if I would be doing research or getting involved in such exciting things when I first started college, I would have laughed at you,” Tulloch said. “I think I’ve done more than I ever expected to, and that’s an amazing feeling to have.” This spring, Tulloch, who was named the CSTEM Dean's Outstanding Graduate for her academic and service accomplishments, graduated with a bachelor’s in biology and minor in public health. She is looking forward to pursuing medical school, and currently she is working as a medical assistant at Scripps Medical Center and practicing pediatrics and adult medicine. “As I watched Patty grow into a beautiful young lady who has always wanted to be a doctor, she has faced challenges with grace, embraced opportunities with courage and pursued her dreams with hard work, perseverance and dedication,” Henlon said. “I am so proud of her.” Tulloch considers her experiences at CSUSM and the support of her mom to be what have shaped her into the person that she is today. “Since I was little, my mom has told me I can be whatever I want to be, and I think her unwavering belief and confidence has always left me sure that I can do anything I set my mind to,” Tulloch said. “She is the blueprint for me. She is my best friend, my biggest supporter and the best person I know. “Being raised by her and growing up around the Extended Learning staff and the deans over there, has truly been some of the best mentorship for me.” Media Contact Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314
- Photo Highlights From Spring 2024 CommencementMore than 4,000 Cal State San Marcos students walked across the commencement stage during six ceremonies over two days at Mangrum Track and Field on campus. Relive some of the highlights from the two days in the commencement photo slideshow. College of Business Administration College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences 2 College of Education, Health and Human Services College of Education, Health and Human Services 2 College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
- CSUSM Partners with Congressman Scott Peters on D.C. Social Mobility PanelCal State San Marcos, in partnership with Congressman Scott Peters, hosted a distinguished panel of experts in Washington, D.C., focused on the critical issue of social mobility in higher education. Social mobility is vital because it reflects the impact colleges and universities provide for students from all socioeconomic backgrounds to change their trajectory and achieve upward mobility -- professionally, economically and personally. The social mobility panel, attended by Capitol Hill leaders, California State University (CSU) Board Chair Wenda Fong, academia and local San Diego partners, focused on student success and empowering the next generation of changemakers. CSU Chancellor Mildred García shared a message of hope and the incredible impact of the CSU in serving America’s new majority: first-generation students, students of color and low-income students. CSUSM President Ellen Neufeldt moderated the panel of esteemed thought-leaders and described a landscape of why social mobility discussions and actions matters and the direct connection to workforce development. The discussion emphasized the importance of collaborating with leaders on Capitol Hill and agencies in Washington to drive policy change and implement effective models for universities to increase accessibility and promote equitable outcomes in higher education. President Neufeldt acknowledged Peters’ invaluable support, stating, “We are so grateful for the collaboration of Congressman Peters to invest his efforts into facilitating a powerful conversation to unlock barriers faced by our students and propel them into lifelong success.” Peters praised CSUSM’s unwavering commitment to advancing social mobility, citing that the university ranks in the top 1% in the nation in CollegeNET's Social Mobility Index. Unlike traditional rankings that prioritize exclusivity, the Social Mobility Index's rankings show that CSUSM remains focused on student outcomes and prioritizes student success and community impact. This remains a high priority for CSU campuses among other nationally ranked universities that are committed to advancing social and economic equity. The panel brought together experts from national organizations to illuminate actionable strategies to advance social mobility for students from all backgrounds. It highlighted the importance of tangible outcomes that show the value of education and its contribution to our economy and society. Dr. Dietra Trent, Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) provided compelling statistics that illustrate how impactful HBCUs have been in advancing the social mobility of their students. Dr. Trent stressed the need to meet students where they are to provide genuine value for their investment in education and their future. From the American Association of State Colleges & Universities (AASCU), Vice President of Government Relations and Policy Analysis Luis Maldonado described how AASCU institutions overwhelmingly serve the “new majority” student population and deliver on America’s promise of opportunities for all. He agreed with Neufeldt on the importance of collaboration to advance educational equity, noting that social mobility initiatives require multifaceted efforts involving policy agendas and community advocacy. Frank Ballman, the Director of Federal Relations at the National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs, discussed the responsibility of universities to proactively advocate for financial aid. Ballman echoed sentiments to prioritize collaboration, especially between state and federal agencies to develop more effective strategies aimed at ensuring accessible and equitable education for students across all income levels. As CSUSM continues to champion social mobility and student success, events like the social mobility panel are intended to invite diverse perspectives into the conversation and create solutions for a more equitable and inclusive society. Through collaboration and innovation, CSUSM is paving the way for a brighter future for every student. Media Contact Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314
- Graduate Crafting Career on Helping ChildrenCraftsmanship runs in the Arceo family. While her father has been an exceptional woodcarver for decades, Tania Arceo focuses on painting. But not in the way one would expect. A child and adolescent development major at Cal State San Marcos, Arceo has spent the last year and a half working with Voices for Children, a nonprofit organization where volunteers are trained to become court-appointed special advocates (CASAs). Volunteers like Arceo represent juvenile dependency cases in San Diego County. “I'm basically their companion and their voice,” Arceo said. “I have the honor of getting to understand their stories and represent them in front of the judge during the various court cases and meetings that we have.” Arceo is making a strong impact on the foster youth that she represents. She focuses on displaying a unique visual element of the children, allowing the judges to understand them better. “They're typically this black-and-white file,” Arceo said. “The judge really wants to know who the child is at their core, what is in their best interest, so I paint their picture. And it's important to paint that part of the picture for everybody so that they can understand these children and their behaviors. Sometimes they act in a certain way, and we label that as negative or we label the child as struggling. But all that child really needs is somebody to invest in them a little bit of attention.” As someone who deals with imposter syndrome, Areceo had an eye-opening experience when she realized how much of an impact she makes on the children. “I try to highlight them in court. I talk to them about all their strengths, their differing abilities, and I give recommendations on what the best placement for them is,” Arceo said. “To my surprise, every single time that I've gone to court, my suggestions are the ones chosen.” Arceo had to go through a month of training to be part of Voices for Children. That period helped her understand the different situations she might face. She also was trained in court report writing. Areceo feels such a connection for these kids because of her past experiences. Born in Tijuana, Areceo and her family moved to San Diego when she was just 6 months old. Her father was offered a job at a factory, which prompted the family’s move. Arceo’s father was offered the job due his work as a woodcarver. He was orphaned by the time he was 14 and, being the oldest of six siblings, he took on the responsibility to care for the family. With this new burden, her father looked toward the art of woodcarving to make ends meet. “He would stop by these wood shops and he would hang out for a while before they would shoo him away,” Arceo said. “Eventually they told them, ‘If you're gonna hang out here, then might as well put you to use,’ and they started teaching him carpentry. He really fell in love with it and started engaging with the art of woodcarving.” Arceo’s father is attracted to woodcarving in large part because of the magic he finds in the wood and the story it tells. For Arceo’s upcoming graduation, her father used his skills to show admiration for his daughter being the first in the family to graduate from college. The wooden gift points out important characteristics of her journey at CSUSM. While his woodcarving talent brought the Arceo family to the United States, it continues to forge a connection between Arceo and her father. “I do woodworking as a kind of side hobby, more so to spend time with my dad,” Arceo said. “I want to spend time with him and listen to his stories.” Arceo’s father is interested in mythology and Mexican culture, and Arceo loves to listen to him share his knowledge on the subjects. Since he did not have access to education or amenities such as a library, Arceo believes she owes it to him to pursue higher education. “The fact that they were able to bring me here and allow me to open up these doors for myself, I know that it means so much to my parents," she said. "I could do something that they didn't have the opportunity to do.” Arceo will wrap up this chapter at commencement this weekend. But she’ll be back on campus in the fall as part of the Master of Social Work program as she looks toward a career with Child Protective Services. Her family will be cheering her on in the crowd while she gets her diploma, and they will continue to cheer her on no matter what she does next. Media Contact Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314
- Program Helps Students Find Career Path in Tobacco ResearchKarissa Tran is a San Marcos native who entered Cal State San Marcos intending to study clinical psychology. Nicolas Morales is a transfer from Northern Arizona University who came to CSUSM with a goal to become a physical therapist or physician’s assistant. Both learned through faculty mentors about the existence of a new program to train students in research that would help them lessen the harmful effects of tobacco and vape use in their communities. It didn’t quite dovetail with their academic interests at the time, but both thought it sounded like a good opportunity to develop their research skills in an area that long has been vital to public health in the United States. Now, almost two years later, Tran and Morales are not only graduating from CSUSM – Tran with a degree in psychology, Morales in kinesiology – but they are standouts in the first cohort of eight students to complete the Smoke and Vape Free Scholars Initiative Program for Reducing Tobacco Disease in Diverse Communities (SVFSIP). The initiative, which involves a partnership with UC San Diego, is the result of a four-year, $1.3 million grant from a state agency named the Tobacco Related Disease Research Program, or TRDRP. The training opportunity is tailored to students from racial/ethnic minoritized, low-income or LGBTQ+ groups, the same populations that studies show are disproportionately targeted by tobacco companies and affected by tobacco-related disease. Thanks in large part to their experience in SVFSIP over the last two years, Tran and Morales are headed to graduate school to continue their research in public health. This fall, Tran will begin pursuit of a Ph.D. in health psychology at UCLA, while Morales will start a Master of Public Health program at San Diego State, with a doctorate on the horizon for him as well. “It’s been absolutely wonderful,” Tran said. “I really credit the program and my mentors for getting me to where I am and pushing me to the point where I can accomplish my next steps. Without them, this wouldn’t be possible.” Said Morales: “Overall, I think the program was amazing. I got to meet remarkable people that hopefully are going to be colleagues in the future.” The faculty who shepherded the inaugural cohort through SVFSIP (seven other students just finished their first of two years) are Kim Pulvers, a psychology professor who has devoted her career to tobacco-related research, and Richard Armenta, a kinesiology professor who’s the associate director for the Center for Training, Research and Educational Excellence (CTREE). SVFSIP is one of many programs housed within CTREE, the mission of which is to enhance the educational and research experiences of students from underserved backgrounds. “Developing the resources to provide students a substantial training experience to grow as researchers and advocates reducing the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the United States has been very rewarding,” Pulvers said. “I am proud that the footprint for tobacco research at CSUSM has grown beyond the studies that I conduct and the students I personally mentor.” The eight students who are the initial SVFSIP graduates spent their first year working with a mentor on research project related to prevention or treatment. During the recently completed second year, they worked with a community-based tobacco control specialist on a local advocacy project. Throughout the program, they received an annual stipend and a discount of 50% on tuition. For her research year, Tran was paired with Pulvers on two studies. The first examined the relationship between the age that a person first uses cannabis and their current level of abuse, and whether anxiety or depression helps explain that relationship. The second explored behavioral economic demand for cannabis and tobacco among young adults. For her advocacy year that is wrapping up this month, Tran worked for the California Youth Advocacy Network (CYAN), investigating the legality of tobacco sales to several college campuses in the state. In between, she was selected for a competitive internship last summer with the National Cancer Institute in Maryland, a 10-week assignment that was extended into the entire academic year based on the quality of her research output. In his first year, Morales was mentored by Eric Leas, a public health professor at UCSD. His two research projects concerned the self-reporting of adverse effects from the use of delta-8 THC, a psychoactive substance found in cannabis, and searching for loopholes in the enforcement of the ban on flavored vape products in California. The latter study was published in the online journal Tobacco Control. After a summer internship in which he continued his research with Leas at UCSD, Morales for his advocacy year worked at the Institute for Public Health at SDSU. There, he collected data on the extent to which current and former tobacco users are up to date on non-lung-related cancer screenings, since tobacco use increases the likelihood of developing more than a dozen different types of cancer. Morales says his curiosity with this line of research stems from his own history as a smoker of both cigarettes and vapes. “I felt like it was affecting my physical and mental health as well as affecting the people around me,” he said. “I wanted to get out of that, and I pulled myself out of it. So when I found out about the TRDRP scholars program, it particularly sparked my interest just from my previous use.” Pulvers credited the training and mentorship provided by CTREE, led by Armenta and biology professor Denise Garcia, the co-direction of research internships by UCSD faculty member Dennis Trinidad, and the support of community partners like CYAN, Vista Community Clinic and SAY San Diego for the success of SVFSIP thus far. “The level of student training in tobacco prevention and treatment research and advocacy and student outcomes achieved would not be possible without the time and talent of our research and advocacy mentors,” Pulvers said. Media Contact Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306
- CSUSM Receives $250,000 Grant From Conrad Prebys FoundationIn a landmark moment for youth mental health, Cal State San Marcos has received a grant of $250,000 from the Prebys Foundation to advance mental health services for its diverse student population. The grant is a part of the Prebys Foundation’s recent announcement of a $6 million investment in grants to 23 local organizations during Mental Health Awareness Month. At a time when mental health challenges among young people are pervasive and most CSUSM students come from systematically disadvantaged communities where accessing mental and behavioral health services is stigmatized, the Prebys Foundation’s support for bolstering inclusivity and accessibility in mental health intervention is paramount. The grant not only enhances crisis response, mental health training and peer support initiatives on campus, but also it serves as a collective commitment toward fostering a supportive environment where all students can thrive academically and personally. Additionally, this funding will broaden resources like the Health Assistance Fund and BetterYou app, and it will provide stipends to Master of Social Work interns, promoting social mobility by empowering students to pursue their education without sacrificing employment opportunities. Student voices are echoing the significance of such investments in mental health support. “I will always be so grateful for Student Health & Counseling Services because it allowed me to receive the mental well-being help I needed,” said CSUSM student Amber Arenas, who's pursuing a double major in psychology and criminology and justice studies. “Everyone has financial burdens, and this fund helps a lot of us not have the stress of money so we can fully spend our time being a college student and becoming academically successful.” Social mobility cannot exist without breaking down these systemic barriers to provide students with access to testing, training and treatment that honors their lived experiences. CSUSM’s Community of Care initiative aims to enhance these wraparound services and address the mental health needs of students. The impact of the Prebys Foundation grant will be amplified further thanks to a recent philanthropic pledge. In March, CSUSM Foundation Board Director Dan Epstein and his wife, Phyllis, made a transformational $10 million matching gift to CSUSM, effectively doubling the foundation grant into a total of $500,000. CSUSM’s receipt of the Prebys Foundation grant, coupled with the Epstein matching gift, symbolizes the power of community partnerships in effecting transformative change. Grant Oliphant, CEO of the Prebys Foundation, emphasized the importance of empowering young individuals and building meaningful community ties. “San Diego can become a national model by consistently supporting the well-being of youth and young adults," Oliphant said. "The health and vitality of student leaders are crucial for a vibrant future.” As CSUSM continues its mission to strengthen mental health services, the university remains dedicated to ensuring that students thrive academically and personally, irrespective of background or circumstance. To get involved in mental health and wellness efforts on campus, follow the Cougar Care Network (@csusmccn) and SHCS's HOPE & Wellness Center (@csusmhope) on social media. Visit the Health Assistance Fund and Student Health & Counseling Services websites to learn about upcoming Mental Health First Aid trainings. Media Contact Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314
- Social Sciences Student Connects With American Indian HeritageCheyenne Smith never felt like she fully belonged. As a biracial woman, she was trapped within an agonizing dilemma of feeling too white-passing to be entitled to her American Indian heritage. This paradox made navigating life as a college student, especially during a global pandemic, challenging. As a transfer student from MiraCosta College, Smith’s arrival at Cal State San Marcos was a frightening one. She worried that she again would feel isolated in a new environment. But Smith not only found a place where she felt fully accepted, she found a new place to call home. "Cheyenne exemplifies the spirit of community engagement and scholarly excellence that we hold dear at the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center (CICSC)," said Joely Proudfit, one of Smith's mentors and the director of the CICSC. "Throughout her time at CSUSM, she has profoundly impacted her peers, the campus and the broader community through her unwavering kindness, empathy and dedication to service.” While much of Smith’s family identifies as white, her father is American Indian, having been adopted into a white family. It was with her father’s help that Smith learned to embrace her Lakota heritage and its traditions. But she always craved more. After her parents divorced, Smith lived with her mother in Oceanside, losing some of the closeness she had with her father. Neither of her parents had earned a college degree – her father was in the military and her mother became pregnant with Smith while enrolled in college. However, this fueled Smith’s desire to become the first in her family to graduate from college and follow her passions. “I think I just want to be an inspiration to them,” Smith said. Smith spent most of her first two years of college quarantined due to the COVID-19 pandemic, giving her few opportunities to connect with her peers or other students like herself. “I was trapped inside, there was nothing happening,” she said. “I felt like I was not progressing.” That began to change after she transferred to CSUSM in 2022. During her first year, Smith joined the American Indian Student Alliance (AISA), which turned into a life-changing experience as she discovered a sense of community, pride in her heritage and mentors like Proudfit, American Indian studies professor Eric Tippeconnic and CICSC program specialist Monica Zavala. For the first time, Smith felt like she belonged and was encouraged to embrace her identity. “Through AISA, I saw not only people who presented strongly as Indigenous, but also people who looked similar to me and didn’t see themselves as less Indigenous,” Smith said. Even with this new community, college life still proved to be challenging. Struggling with severe anxiety and depression during her second semester at CSUSM, Smith began to seclude herself and stopped attending classes. She spent most of that time tucked away in her bed, ignoring worried messages from professors, friends and mentors. She dreaded facing pressure from school and her personal life. “I feel like I did have a lot of support during that time that I just wasn't willing to take,” she said. “I do regret not taking advantage of the support my friends and professors offered me. They were doing the best they could. They knew something was wrong with me because it was not like me to just disappear like that.” Smith failed most of her classes that semester, but it was also a turning point that changed the course of her academic journey. Once more, Smith turned toward AISA and her support system. Smith started attending classes again, elevated her academic standing and searched for opportunities to advance in her career path. During her search, a friend from AISA encouraged Smith to apply for a position in psychology professor Kim Pulvers’ research lab for a Tobacco, E-Cigarette and Cannabis Waste Randomized Control Trial (TECW RCT). Smith is grateful to Pulvers for looking past her grades from the previous semester and recognizing her potential. The TECW RCT became a great opportunity for Smith to garner more experience working as a counselor and preparing to become a social worker. Smith also became involved in the CICSC, through which she has helped spread awareness of the benefits of American Indian student centers on college campuses. Even though there were some bumps in the road, Smith came back more determined than ever, inspired to help people like her in the same way that CSUSM, AISA and CICSC had helped her. “I'm probably the most at peace I've ever been,” Smith said. Smith is motivated by the words of Tippeconnic, one of her mentors, who told her, “A win for you is a win for the community.” For the next year, she will further her research at CSUSM, this time as a faculty member, before attending graduate school. She has her sights on eventually becoming a social worker for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women organization, helping American Indian women feel supported in their efforts to combat violence against Native people. “As she transitions from our halls to the broader stages of professional life and graduate studies, we are filled with pride and anticipation,” Proudfit said. “Cheyenne's commitment to serving both the American Indian community and society at large promises to forge paths of positive change and enduring impact. We are excited to see the remarkable contributions she will undoubtedly make in her future endeavors.” At commencement, Smith will walk across the stage to accept her bachelor’s degree in social sciences, proudly representing her Indigenous heritage by donning a hand-beaded hummingbird on her cap. “Hummingbirds represent healing and transformation,” she said. “I feel like I really resonate with that.” At CSUSM, Smith has gained much more than just a degree. She found a home that helped her heal and transform into a proud biracial woman who’s ready to spread her wings. Media Contact Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314
- Criminology Student Helps Children Needing Dental CareAmanda Escobar is a fourth-year, first-generation criminology and justice studies major at Cal State San Marcos with an aspiration to be a dentist. She is finishing her major requirements this week while also taking classes to meet the requirements to get into dental school. Although this seems simple, her story is not. Neither is her naturally altruistic outlook on life. Escobar devotes most of her free time to a nonprofit mobile dental clinic hosted by USC. The clinic mainly serves children but also migrant workers, unhoused people and the underprivileged in need of dental care. Escobar said many people served by the clinic have never received dental care. “I was talking to these two mothers who came to the clinic, and they said they had just come from Guatemala two months ago,” Escobar said. “They explained to me that their two children have never received dental work. I’m glad we were able to help these kids with something that is so important yet taken for granted by some.” Escobar was shocked that the family had just moved to America, and she already was able to help them. A career in criminology and justice studies is quite different from being a dentist. But Escobar has found that the major helps her better understand situations at the clinic. Recently, two boys ages 16 and 17 were brought to the clinic from juvenile detention. One of them was hesitant to receive dental work because of his past. Because she is familiar with this topic from her coursework, Escobar incorporated prior knowledge to assess the situation in a different light than most people. She approached the boy's care with a greater understanding of his needs. “I totally understand,” she said. “I took a class on juvenile delinquency, and I thought, it’s not them, it's the system that breaks their trust. We had to reassure him that the clinic is trying to help him, not hurt him.” Escobar had to overcome a lot to be where she is today. For starters, she had to learn how to get through college without her parents understanding her struggles. While her parents had to focus on working and making a home in a strange country, she had to navigate her academic journey largely by herself. “My college journey has been hard being a first-generation student and my parents coming from El Salvador,” Escobar said. She entered CSUSM on a good note, passing all of her classes in her first year. When COVID-19 hit in 2020, however, Escobar’s mental health took a turn for the worse. Receiving below a 2.0 GPA in her second year of college, she knew something had to be wrong beyond just the struggles of the pandemic. She had no motivation. She fell into a dark place, feeling like her parents didn’t understand the hard work required to receiving an education. She felt isolated. Battling feelings of depression and suicidal thoughts, Escobar realized she needed help. She reached out to a doctor on campus to express her concerns. The medical team drove her to a local hospital for critical support. She was diagnosed with depression and ADHD, which she said made her feel understood. “Society has such high expectations of women that women feel they have to mask their true identity from the people around them,” Escobar said. Escobar felt like she had to disguise herself for the purpose of fitting into society, which caused her depression to skyrocket. The diagnosis of ADHD and depression was a huge relief. It reminded her that she's capable of success and that it wasn’t her fault she was being held back from it. Escobar began working at the mobile dental clinic, started to gain a support system and became inspired. “The people I worked with at the clinic were the ones checking up on me because my parents don’t know anything about the application cycle with dental school,” she said. “The faculty at the clinic would ask me about certain classes I was taking or provide recommendations to different study materials or applications." This support motivated Escobar to work toward a goal of becoming a dentist. She made the dean’s list last fall and will graduate this week. She plans to use the next year to study for the Dental Admission Test (DAT) as part of the application process. USC is her dream dental school. Perhaps the only thing clearer than her goal is her motivation – to have a positive effect on her community. “Every single time I go to the USC mobile clinic and I come back, I feel that confirmation that this is what I want to do, and I need to get certain things done so I can get to that point,” she said. Media Contact Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314
- 'I Just Want to Make Him Proud and My Life to Count'This spring, at 76 years old, Kathryn Cook will be walking across the graduation stage as the oldest graduate of Cal State San Marcos' class of 2024. Her path to this upcoming accomplishment was not one of a traditional four-year-and-done experience. In fact, it was 50 years in the making, with monumental life transitions and rocky hardships in between. Her education journey kickstarted in 1965 at Grossmont College where she was part of the dental assisting program. It was here that she discovered the two loves of her life: her devotion to helping others in the healthcare industry and Ed. Cook had met Ed at a group Bible study session. “It was love at first sight,” Cook said. “I looked across the room and saw his beautiful blue eyes and a smile that lit up everything around him. I told my parents that I had met the man I was going to marry, and they were like, ‘Who is he? Where does he live?’ I said, ‘I don’t know a thing about him.’ We were married 13 months later at 21 and 23.” For the next 20 years, Cook continued her career in the dental field with Ed by her side. It wasn’t until they found themselves welcoming their daughter and son into the family after years of struggling with infertility that Cook decided to leave the industry. As she pivoted her focus to raising her children, she found little jobs for additional income. Ed was working for Navy housing as a carpenter at the time, and together, they would team up to work on projects with Ed building houses and Cook painting them. As her children got older, Cook explored teaching opportunities and took on work as a special education and health aide. She was eventually introduced to Sharp HealthCare where she worked her way up to educator trainer, spending night shifts in the emergency room and training new hires for four hospitals. Enjoying her time helping people learn, Cook decided she was ready to take the next step in her education journey and enrolled at MiraCosta College. “I love teaching,” Cook said. “I’ve done it all, and it’s just so exciting to share your knowledge with another person. In 2008, I had finished up my classes for my associate degree, and Ed was so proud of me. I remember him saying, ‘You have to walk,’ and I said, ‘No, I can't, I'll be the oldest person there.’ And he just said, ‘Well, that’s OK.’ So, I walked, and I felt like a little kid. It was very special. He gave me such confidence in myself.” Unfortunately, it was around this time that Ed started facing serious health issues. He underwent heart surgery and suffered a stroke, in addition to his diabetes that left him blind in one eye. Cook remained by his side, taking care of him each day, and supporting him through his falls that left him with fractures and the loss of appetite that caused him to lose his stature. “It was a hard time,” Cook said. “It was just one thing after another. But what a joy to be able to care for the one that you love, you know, your best friend in the whole entire world.” In November 2019, Ed passed away peacefully in his sleep. “He had been in the hospital for the last week of his life,” Cook said. “He was not fully conscious, but he knew I was there. The last thing he said to me was how much he loved me, our life and our children. But he said, ‘I’m tired. I don’t want to do this anymore.’ I just grabbed his hand and said, ‘That’s OK.’ The next day he was gone.” After Ed’s passing, Cook was left to upend her idea of the future that she had envisioned for the past 51 years and begin anew. Feeling the need to give back to her community and mend her heart in the process, Cook threw herself into volunteer work at the San Diego Rescue Mission, winning an award for reaching 100 hours of service work. As she started piecing together what the next chapter of her life was going to look like, she thought about her volunteer work and the stories the people at the homeless shelter shared with her. Wanting to learn more about social structures and matters of social justice, Cook looked into sociology programs at four-year universities. She had lost two-thirds of her income due to Ed’s retirement stopping after his death, so Cook was unsure of how to navigate the financial aspect. Her good friend encouraged her to fill out the FAFSA form to see if there were any grants available, and luckily, Cook was able to get most of her schooling covered. In 2023, Cook enrolled in fully online courses at Cal State San Marcos as a sociology major. “This education has given me such a better understanding of why things happen,” Cook said. “It makes you aware and encourages you to go out and do something that will make a difference. "And being mature or older, whichever phrase you want, can be good or bad. Just the thought of doing this made me so scared and excited at the same time. You know, people can make fun of you or think you’re too old to learn. They may even think, ‘Why are you bothering?' But for the most part, people in my life have just been so supportive and helpful. It’s really encouraging.” As she is walking across the graduation stage and reminiscing about the trials and tribulations that she experienced along her education journey, she will be thinking of Ed. “I just want to make him proud and my life to count,” Cook said. “I know when I walk, he’ll be watching over me and saying, ‘Honey, I’m so proud of you.’ He rarely called me by my name, it was really just 'Honey.' So, you know, I’ve done this for me and what I hope to do down the road, but also part of me did it for Ed, my greatest supporter.” Media Contact Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314
- Sociology Student Lands Library Award for ResearchAs a first-generation college student, Natalie Salas has experienced difficulties navigating higher education on her own. Salas felt like she didn’t have people around her to ask for help, and she wanted to dive deeper to see if others had similar struggles by conducting research on fellow first-generation students. “I found that a student's college experience plays a significant role in determining their success in higher education,” said Salas, who will receive a bachelor’s degree in sociology this month. “For Latinx first-generation college students, factors such as family, FGCS status and representation all play a key role in determining their success and resilience in higher education.” Salas has been recognized for her findings as one of seven winners of the 2023-24 CSUSM Library Award for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity, which comes with a $500 cash prize for each winning submission. Salas’s paper is titled “'I Don't Belong Here': A Qualitative Study on the Experiences of Latinx First-Generation College Students.” Despite an increase in Latinx students enrolled in undergraduate programs, she found that graduation rates have remained stagnant, raising a concern. Salas discovered that Latinx students are systematically disadvantaged in higher education, causing them to question their sense of belonging and hurting their chances of success. But even in the face of these challenges, Latinx first-generation college students remain resilient. After graduation, Salas plans to take a gap year, then continue her research in a Ph.D. program. “I will most likely do a combined program or just go straight for my Ph.D.,” she said. “I plan to focus on Latino/a sociology and the sociology of education.” Other winners Creative works category Submission: “MET” Student: Mary Elizabeth Handler Program: Art, media and design Summary: Handler’s project is inspired by the book “The Metropolitan Museum of Art” by Howard Hibbard. This piece is a testament to the creative process of the exhibit. Submission: “Exploring Mental Health Stigmatization Within AAPI Communities” Student: Kayla Lankford Program: Psychological science Summary: Lankford’s work is a creative capstone of poems about mental health stigmatization in Asian American communities. Through her research, she created three poems, titled “Dad,” “War Cry” and “Recycling Day.” Empirical works category Submission: “Community Cultural Wealth: The Care and Resilience of Mothers in Poverty” Student: Colleen Janey Program: Social sciences Summary: Janey’s project explores the lived experiences of women who have timed out of welfare. Her research reveals the resilience of mothers facing poverty and inequitable systems. Submission: “Best Practices for Sharing Photovoice Research Outcomes” Student: Shyane Masters and Brandon Warren-Fox Program: Environmental studies Summary: Masters and Warren-Fox discuss the best practices for sharing images online for sustained community engagement. Their findings emphasize social media's role and participatory approaches, aiding in digital dissemination and bridging researcher-participant gaps in conservation efforts. Interpretive analysis Submission: “From Mexicas to Ancient Aztecs, Classical Nahuas, and Modern Indios/as: Early Modern Criollo/a Constructions and Understandings of Indigenous New Spain” Student: Hugo Daniel Peralta-Ramírez Program: History Summary: Peralta-Ramírez’s project analyzes early national narratives of Mexico that were constructed by Criollo intellectuals with Indigenous pasts. Submission: “Howard the Duck vs. the Modernity of Man: A Critical Analysis on the Attitudes and Metaphors in Howard the Duck” Student: Emilio Serrano Program: Communication Summary: Serrano’s work analyzes “Howard the Duck,” a comic created and published by Steve Gerber. The comic used satire to offer a social commentary of the times through the lens of an alien. Through genre and metaphoric rhetorical perspectives, Serrano argues that Gerber was a visionary who was frustrated with the medium and sought to point it out on the pages of “Howard the Duck.” Media Contact Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314
- Brain Tumor Leads Student to Pursue Nursing CareerJuliana Abraham has a variety of head coverings that she wears when she’s outside. One day might be a head scarf, another day a Cal State San Marcos baseball cap. But Abraham isn’t trying to make a fashion statement. After undergoing radiation therapy as a teenager, she has a 75% higher risk of skin cancer. And when she removes the head covering that she’s chosen for a particular day, she can adjust her hair to show the C-shaped scar where doctors cut open the top of her head to perform brain surgery when she was 12 years old. It has been nearly a decade since the surgery, and, not surprisingly, the experience has completely altered the course of Abraham’s life. Before the surgery, she was a Level 9 competitive gymnast, meaning she was on a path to try out for the Elite program from which U.S. Olympic gymnasts are selected. While that dream ended because of her health issues, the experience opened Abraham’s eyes to her future career. “I've known that I've wanted to be a nurse since I got sick,” said Abraham, a first-generation college student who is graduating from CSUSM this month with a bachelor’s in kinesiology. “After the second time I got sick, I knew that was probably my calling. Before that, I was in the gym eight hours a day training five days a week, sometimes six, and that was my career. And then everything just kind of came to a halt once I got diagnosed with a brain tumor. “I had the light-bulb moment during proton radiation therapy in 2016 after the second surgery. My nurses in both years when I was sick always made an impact on me. It always felt like home being in the hospital for some reason. It was such a connection that I had with those nurses. I cried when I was done with therapy and I rang that bell that they have you ring. I was so happy but also upset because I wasn't going to see them anymore. It was like I was losing a part of my family in a way.” Abraham has been laser-focused on a nursing career ever since. Abraham was still a tween when she began suffering a variety of ailments – including headaches, double vision, and back and stomach pain. She figured it must be related to her intense gymnastics training or puberty. A visit to an eye doctor changed everything. Abraham was diagnosed with papilledema, a swelling of the optic discs in the eyes. The doctor said Abraham needed to go to the emergency room immediately because of related pressure on the brain. An MRI revealed the brain tumor. Doctors initially thought they were dealing with a common benign tumor, but a surgery that was expected to last five hours took more than eight as they discovered it was a central neurocytoma tumor, which is rare in children. It’s so rare that Abraham’s doctors published a case report about it in BMJ, an international peer-reviewed journal. A groggy Abraham actually woke up toward the end of the procedure as the doctor was putting stitches in her head. Abraham, whose head and upper body were mobilized to ensure that she didn’t move during the procedure, asked her doctor if he could scratch her nose, which was bothering her. The doctor politely declined, noting that he was a tad busy. So, Abraham, ever the gymnast, lifted her knee to her nose, scratched it and put her leg back down. “He stopped what he was doing, looked me dead in the eye and said, ‘Did you really just do that?’ I’m drunk on anesthesia, groggy and don't know what's going on and said, 'I think so.' And then I was out. That was the first thing he told my parents when he came out to speak to them.” When Abraham was fully awake following the surgery, she was paralyzed on the left side of her body. Rigorous physical therapy helped her regain use of her left side and she even returned to gymnastics. But during one of her follow-up appointments, doctors discovered a regrowth. Abraham underwent a second surgery a year after her first. This time, doctors were unable to remove it completely due to its proximity to the hypothalamus, which controls things like heart rate and hormonal release. Abraham underwent proton radiation therapy to eradicate the remaining tumor and tried again to return to gymnastics. But one of the lingering effects of Abraham’s paralysis after her first surgery is drop foot syndrome, which means she can’t always lift the front part of the foot. As she increasingly had accidents while performing routines, she realized she had to retire from the sport she loved. Nurses were a consistently positive presence throughout Abraham’s medical journey, and with Olympic dreams no longer a possibility, she turned her attention to a new goal. Figuring out how to finance that goal was a challenge for someone from a low-income background, but Abraham’s medical team stepped in to help. Abraham was referred by her neuro oncologist to Make-A-Wish San Diego, which empowers children battling critical illnesses by granting them a wish. Make-A-Wish granted Abraham’s request for a scholarship to help pay for college, providing a $10,000 grant that covered costs for Abraham’s first year at CSUSM. With many nursing programs in the state impacted, Abraham decided to major in kinesiology. She’s working her way through nursing prerequisites with an eye on starting a program in spring 2025. That would put her on track for two milestones in 2026 – a nursing degree and being officially clear medically. Doctors wanted Abraham checked annually for 10 years following the second surgery because of the regrowth, but the hope is that she will be declared clear in December 2026 and can fully focus on the next chapter of her life – helping others the way so many nurses helped her. “What better profession for me to go into than nursing?” she said. “I know what kids are going to be going through and I know how to prepare them for it. I know how to be there for them and hopefully make them feel better and more comfortable. I can let them know, ‘Hey, I've been through this, too.’ ” Media Contact Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314
- Balancing Act: Master's Grad Perseveres Through ChallengesEven the tarantulas that reside in Dennis Kolosov’s lab are fascinated by the work of master’s student Jocelyne Dates. Whenever Jocelyne enters the lab, they scurry to the side of their cage, hoping to grasp a glimpse of what she's working on. While not fond of them, Jocelyne musters up the courage to walk past the tarantulas to her lab station where she works with her own animals – caterpillars. Although Jocelyne spends multiple days in the lab working with these insects, she has not always felt confident around them. In fact, she was scared of them. Facing her fears, Jocelyne has learned how to thrive, overcoming challenges while striving for a career that will support her family. Jocelyne has stood out to her instructors at Cal State San Marcos. A master’s of biological sciences student, Jocelyne was selected this month as the recipient of the President's Outstanding Graduate Award, the highest honor a graduating student can receive. She also received the Dean’s Award for Graduate Studies, which recognizes the accomplishments of one master’s student. To qualify for the President's Outstanding Graduate Award, a student must show outstanding achievement in multiple areas such as academics, professional and service activities. Jocelyne has gone above and beyond when it comes to these requirements, and her journey, while not easy, has paid off. Originally from Ottawa, Canada, Jocelyne started her postsecondary education in Illinois at Parkland College where she received an associate degree. Jocelyne moved with her children and then-husband to California, where she started attending CSUSM to pursue her undergraduate in biology. Right before starting at CSUSM, Jocelyne and her husband divorced. As a single mother of three kids, balancing being a student and a parenthood has its fair share of challenges. “Undergrad is a set schedule,” Jocelyne said. “It doesn’t anticipate parent-teacher conferences or a kid being sick. I don’t have a lot of the freedoms other students have. A teenager has no less energy than a 2 year old but they're still navigating high school and choosing a college and how to buy a car and get a loan. A lot of emphasis is put on having little kids and thinking that once they reach school age you can navigate anything, but it's really not the case.” Not only did Jocelyne have to learn to anticipate the unexpected, she often went without some things many people in their academic journey had access to. “Childcare was $30 an hour and I made $14 at the time,” Jocelyne said. “So a lot of times we got free food on campus. There were times where we had to take advantage of something or go without. I didn’t have any resources, so I did most of it solo.” Jocelyne said the most challenging part is balancing. “You've got multiple roles as mom and dad, and there's not a whole lot of positive storylines about single parents,” she said. “Usually the first line of everything is ‘single parent, broken home’ or the story is ‘They've done well, despite growing up in a single-parent household.’ “Our house is not broken. We have a ton of fun, but it's a balancing act.” Not only does Jocelyne have a great relationship with her kids – she has sons who are 22 and 19 and a daughter who is 14 – but she has gained skills that have transferred over to her journey in grad school and the science community. “All the skills I have as a single parent transferred directly into grad school,” Jocelyne said. “Things like multitasking, organizing a schedule, planning ahead and anticipating the inevitable. So, unlike a lot of people, grad school has been a breeze. I love it. I think it's just ideal for an adult who's already had to adult a little bit.” Jocelyne credits much of her success to the mentors she met at CSUSM. Not only did professor emerita Linda Pershing play a critical role during Jocelyne’s undergraduate journey, but so does her current adviser, biology professor Dennis Kolosov. “He’s just been great,” Jocelyne said. “It’s very much a family in his lab.” Jocelyne’s work in Kolosov’s lab has focused on caterpillars. She studies their kidneys, which function much differently than in a human. “And caterpillars, I always say, are a lot like my teenagers – they literally eat everything, nothing's toxic,” she said. Jocelyne also brings her knowledge from the lab into the community around her to inspire young scientists. Her neighbor has a 5 year old who loves science, so Jocelyne and other neighborhood kids go to the park for “Science at the Park” sessions. Next up for Jocelyne is continuing with her education. Jocelyne was accepted to 12 Ph.D. programs, and involved her kids in the process for every step of the way. “I made the decision with them because it was going to involve a move, and they're going to be along for the ride so they have a say,” she said. “We were all in the kitchen together when we clicked the ‘I accept’ button, and we did it together.” They clicked accept on Vanderbilt’s offer, and she will begin classes in the fall. While there, Jocelyne will begin working with multiple species of animals such as mosquitos, beetles and treefrogs. “We struggled for a really long time,” she said. “So it's nice to have something outside of just being a mom that I can do. There's no yearly review for being a mom. You don't get a raise, there's no report card. So sometimes it's nice to have something outside that's tangible. It's been difficult, but I wouldn't have it any other way. They've been phenomenal." Media Contact Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314
- University Honors Outstanding 2024 GraduatesMore than 4,000 students are expected to graduate from Cal State San Marcos this academic year, including six standouts from the Class of 2024 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: Jocelyne Dates, master’s biological sciences President’s Outstanding Graduate Dean’s Award, Graduate Studies Dates' work ethic in the laboratory has inspired her peers and instructors, and her research will leave a lasting impact. Dates has mastered and established techniques that require the manual dexterity of a neurosurgeon while participating in the lab. She has impressively designed the lab logo and built custom-made research equipment, which increased data acquisition rate for an intricate bioassay from 50% to 100%. Dates has taken the role of a mentor to multiple undergraduate and graduate students and creates a nurturing learning environment. In her role as a Summer Scholars mentor, she provided guidance to 13 undergraduate students and one graduate student, which resulted in a total of 25 conference presentations and several publications prepared. Dates’ outstanding scholarship and research contributions are the pinnacle of excellence. Her hard work has led her to be accepted into 12 Ph.D. programs (she’ll attend Vanderbilt this fall) and she has secured over $1 million in external fellowship funding to date. Dates will graduate with four manuscripts and one invited book chapter while having delivered 10 conference presentations and co-authored another 15 conference contributions as a mentor. Megan Hosfield, sociology Dean’s Award, College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences Hosfield has sought out all the opportunities available to her on campus. After she successfully completed Jonathan Trinidad’s statistics course, she volunteered to audit his class. Trinidad quickly saw her deep understanding of the course, and he recruited her as a paid teaching assistant. In this role, Hosfield actively engages with students and provides them with clear explanation and personalized assistance during class and office hours. She has become a role model to students in lower and higher division statistics courses by leading by example and being responsible and reliable. In addition to her remarkable work as student teaching assistant, Hosfield leaves an impact on her peers. While in Marisa Salina’s large lecture sociology 311 class, Hosfield shared her own experiences with the intersections of various systems of oppression. It was a powerful experience for Hosfield’s classmates about inequities within public health and social services. Hosfield’s hard work has led her to be accepted into eight Ph.D. programs in sociology and public health. She plans to study how people with mental health and substance abuse issues begin to rehabilitate socially. Jack Norwood, business administration, management Gerevas Family Dean’s Award, College of Business Administration Norwood works as a programming specialist for Associated Students, Inc., at the Temecula campus where he helps students by developing and managing student-focused programs and initiatives. In this role, he also works with other university student affairs departments and organizations in support of Temecula students. Norwood has volunteered his time as an ambassador for the Temecula campus. He has participated in an Extended Learning marketing campaign, outreach events to prospective students, and represented the campus on efforts with community partners and Mt. San Jacinto College. Norwood has also represented the Temecula campus as part of the Business Organization for Student Success, the ASI Student Advocacy Committee, the Extended Learning Student Fee Advisory Committee, and has been the university representative for the Temecula Student of the Month. Beyond the university, Norwood has participated in community service activities. He has been a site lead for the Cesar Chavez Day of Service for two years. Beyond his leadership, Norwood explicitly defines the day of service to the volunteers and its comprehensive benefit to the communities served. Miranda Grzywaczewski, kinesiology Dean’s Award, College of Education, Health and Human Services Grzywaczewski has shown a consistent and unwavering commitment to the CEHHS mission and vision as well as consistent engagement in community service and leadership activities. Through class discussion and peer assignments, she leads by example with her outside-the-box thinking. The effort and hard work she put into her coursework shows in her 3.94 CSUSM GPA, as she is one of the top-performing kinesiology students. Grzywaczewski possesses a certification to do vascular stiffness measurements, which makes her one of four students to achieve this status. This process takes over 30 clinical screenings to perfect these vascular analysis skills. Grzywaczewski also serves as the CEHHS representative for Associated Students, Inc., where she holds office hours and encourages student engagement. She has a clear passion for service and care toward others. Patricia Tulloch, biological sciences Dean’s Award, College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Tulloch has pushed through barriers and has emerged as a motivated leader who is dedicated to helping underserved communities. She leaves a positive impact while conducting biomedical research as a teaching assistant and working to make a difference in her local and international community. Tulloch has been a dedicated researcher in biology professor Julie Jameson's lab for three years. She always brings a positive attitude to the lab, and she was excited to learn about mouse surgery, anesthesia delivery and dissection. Tulloch has shared her findings at the University of Irvine Immunology Fair and received funding to present at the American Association of Immunologists meeting in Chicago. She is committed to the study of skin diseases, diabetic wounds and psoriasis and she is a co-author on a manuscript that is soon to be published. In addition to her work in the lab, Tulloch is a dedicated teaching assistant for Molecular Medicine, BIO 456. In this role, Tulloch demonstrates a natural ability to guide students through a team-based learning strategy while they work on case studies focused on medical therapeutics. Nick Melanese, business administration, marketing Dean’s Award, Dean of Students Melanese was recruited to the men’s cross country and track and field team where he became CSUSM’s record holder for the 800 meters, a multi-time California Collegiate Athletic Association champion and an NCAA qualifier. Melanese was elected as a Leadership Council Member for track and field, where he oversees and facilitates conflict management, team-bonding, apparel and social media during council meetings. He has also been awarded the Elite 13 Award, which recognizes the athletic and academic achievement of a student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average in their sport. In addition to Melanese’s athletic achievements, he joined the University Student Union team as a video production student assistant in 2021. Melanese’s creativity and dedication to the USU’s mission and values were quickly recognized, which led him to transition to becoming the USU’s marketing coordinator. Media Contact Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314
- STEAM Ambassadors Give Schoolkids an Extended DNA DayApril 25 was DNA Day, when the world commemorates the date in 1953 when scientists including James Watson and Francis Crick published papers in the journal Nature on one of the building blocks of life. The day is celebrated annually by biologists, science teachers and anyone who’s interested in genetics. This year, the occasion has been made more memorable at elementary schools across the region thanks to a group of students at Cal State San Marcos. About two weeks before DNA Day, more than two dozen students gathered in a classroom on the fourth floor of Academic Hall for the culmination of months of work to prepare a creative and thought-provoking lesson on DNA for local K-6 classrooms. Six STEAM ambassadors – arts and liberal studies majors who also have a passion for STEM disciplines – presented the kits they have been compiling to a class, taught by Ingrid Flores, of pre-service teachers pursuing their multiple-subject credential. The ambassadors showed the student teachers how to extract DNA from a strawberry. They engaged them in an activity that involves a paint-covered marble creating twisted lines on paper to resemble strands of DNA. They read the children’s book “The Smallest Spot of a Dot,” which explains how genetics makes each person unique. And they did all this so that the teachers, as well as the ambassadors themselves, would be equipped to turn around and give the same lesson to classes full of schoolchildren. The activity was expected to be presented in 70 classrooms during the ensuing month, reaching more than 2,000 kids. “We think and hope that kids can see that science experiments can be done with simple ingredients that you can find at home,” said Melanie Wollrabe, a third-year liberal studies major (with a focus in art) who’s the coordinator of the other STEAM ambassadors. “Additionally, we hope it is evident that anyone can be a scientist, as well as an artist.” During the event at University Hall, the CSUSM students listened to a talk about genomics by Manuel Martinez, a scientist at Illumina, a San Diego-based biotech company that develops DNA sequencing technology to enable research and improve health. Illumina, along with the Coastal Community Foundation, provided funding this academic year to support the STEAM ambassadors program. “I was impressed with the depth and engagement the students had regarding genetic topics,” Martinez said. “I say I was impressed because when I was a student, these topics were not being discussed much outside of the scientific circles, so seeing this level of knowledge and awareness in just a decade was very pleasant.” The STEAM initiative started four years ago, when music professor Merryl Goldberg allowed several of her students to become arts ambassadors as part of an independent study assignment through her Art=Opportunity program. One day a week, the students would report to a school in Vista either to help teachers with their art classes or teach a lesson on their own. Goldberg recruited professors Lucy HG Solomon and Christiane Wood to incorporate STEM concepts into the arts curriculum, and the arts ambassadors became STEAM ambassadors. The program was run then, and is still run now, by Solomon and Wood, who have developed a strong partnership as faculty from the School of Arts and the School of Education, respectively. Solomon has an expertise for fusing art with science. Wood not only has brought teaching credential students into the program (to implement the lessons that the ambassadors conjure up), but she also has incorporated the core concept of literacy. In addition to funding the DNA activity that’s central to its mission as a company, Illumina also is supporting the use of podcasting technology and audio storytelling to enhance student learning. “Podcasting offers students a dynamic way to document and share their scientific discoveries,” Wood said. “By using words, tone, pace and creative audio techniques, they can effectively communicate their ideas and findings.” Wollrabe has been a STEAM ambassador since the spring semester of her freshman year in 2022, when she learned about the opportunity in her art education course. She thought it would be the perfect job for her since it combines two things that she loves: being creative and organizing. She did both so well that last fall she was promoted to STEAM coordinator, which involves orchestrating meetings with the ambassadors and communicating with the faculty in charge. When Wollrabe graduates in May 2025, she hopes to become an elementary school teacher, with an inclination toward art as her subject. She knows that her time as a STEAM ambassador will aid her cause considerably. “I have gained extensive experience with creating projects that combine art, reading and STEM,” she said. “So it has given me the proper tools to come up with ideas to carry out in the classroom.” Media Contact Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306
- Business Student Flourishes as TikTok Food InfluencerLike many kids, Natalie Ludwig was asked in kindergarten what she wanted to be when she grew up. Some of the common answers – astronaut, musician, veterinarian – never crossed Ludwig’s mind. And it’s safe to say that her answer probably didn’t cross the mind of her classmates. She wanted to work at McDonald’s because of her love for their chicken nuggets. At 16, the moment Ludwig was legally allowed to work, she turned that dream into a reality and worked at McDonald’s for nearly two years. Ludwig likes to say that her dreams haven’t changed much since then because, years later, her career path is still centered around her passion for food. Ludwig is graduating from Cal State San Marcos this spring with a bachelor’s in business administration with an emphasis in marketing. A first-generation student, she has flourished academically while simultaneously growing her popular foodie TikTok account @eatsbynat to nearly 270,000 followers. Ludwig grew up in Hampshire, Ill., a small rural town of about 7,600 people an hour northwest of Chicago. She and her twin sister Nicole always had their hearts set on one day moving to California. Their father grew up in Huntington Beach and always talked highly about living on the West Coast. After both sisters completed their associate degrees at Elgin Community College near their hometown, Ludwig and Nicole began researching California universities to see if it was possible to make the move. The first university to show up in their search? Cal State San Marcos. Ludwig took it as a sign. Over the next four months, she and Nicole applied to CSUSM, flew to California for four days and found an apartment. They didn’t even get a chance to tour campus, but they were ready for a new start. “After getting my associate's degree in Illinois, I had no idea what I wanted to do, absolutely no clue,” said Ludwig, whose sister received her bachelor’s from CSUSM in media studies in fall 2022. “We weren't sure if we could afford it, but everything worked out and we just took a leap of faith.” The move paid off for Ludwig, who discovered that she has a knack for social media marketing when her videos started to gain traction in 2021. “It’s a gift to wake up every day wanting to do it,” Ludwig said. “For school, you have a deadline. But nobody's next to you telling you you must post today. You have to think of new ideas. You have to brainstorm. You have to come up with all these concepts. Consistency is the most important thing and loving what you do. If you don't love what you're posting, you don't love your niche or your content, you're not going to stay consistent.” Ludwig and her sister both successfully post food reviews on TikTok (@nicole.ludwig). Ludwig’s content ranges from eating at local restaurants in San Diego to franchise bakeries like Crumbl Cookies. While she isn’t afraid to try new things, her favorite foods to review are desserts. “I joke and I say like 90% of my diet is sweets but in reality, it really is,” Ludwig said. “I love cookies. I love ice cream. Sweets are my main thing, and I love posting it because I just love to eat them.” Ludwig doesn’t just introduce viewers to new food stops and products. Her videos deliver a bigger message. When Ludwig was in the sixth grade, she was hospitalized with an eating disorder. Her family has helped her develop a healthy relationship with food, and she wants to do the same for her viewers. “It's been a roller coaster ride, but I'm glad I can use my platform to share my story,” Ludwig said. “I get comments all the time saying that ‘Watching you eat this food makes me want to eat it, too.’ This is really one of the main reasons I wanted to start my account because I just want to help other people.” The work Ludwig has put into her social media accounts has also been used on collaborative research projects with her professors. She is currently working with CSUSM marketing professor Vassilis Dalakas and Western Kentucky University professor Joanna Melancon on how sounds in TikTok videos can impact shopping behavior. “I made the video they are using for the experiment,” Ludwig said. “The goal is to compare and see if people purchase a product depending on a happy or sad song.” Ludwig was recently recognized as the Outstanding Student for Marketing at the College of Business Administration Dean’s Breakfast for her ability to continuously go above and beyond both inside and outside the classroom. Ludwig plans to continue growing her social media platforms after she graduates and work with Nicole and her brother on their start-up marketing agency, Digital Direct Marketing. “CSUSM has helped me become who I am and grow my interests not only in social media, but business as well,” Ludwig said. “I'm so thankful for this school because it has helped me in ways that I couldn't even imagine. I wouldn't be where I am today without the opportunity to come to CSUSM or come to California.” Media Contact Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314
- Alumna Comes Full Circle as Curator of President's Art ExhibitSarah Bricke was a student entering her final year at Cal State San Marcos when Ellen Neufeldt was hired as president of the university in the summer of 2019. They first connected a few months later. Bricke, an art, media and design major, was the co-curator of a student art exhibition titled “Juncture,” and Neufeldt dropped in on the opening event to express her admiration. Neufeldt, it turned out, was an art lover, to the extent that she converted a room in her Escondido home into a gallery space. And when, during her first year at CSUSM, she decided to display student art in that space, sure enough, it was Bricke’s art that was chosen (along with that of Kimberly Lopez, her co-curator for the student exhibit). Four years later, Bricke’s relationship with the university and its president has come full circle. In January, the art created by Bricke the student was removed from Neufeldt’s home gallery. In its place was installed art by two current or recent CSUSM students that was selected by Bricke, now a professional artist and curator. “I’m really happy to have been asked to curate the exhibition,” Bricke said. “It brings together all of these things that are intensely personal and specific to me, but that also resonate with the larger community at CSUSM, including the faculty of the art department and the president’s office, and hopefully the president herself. It’s a beautiful thing and, for me, it’s really what makes this worth doing.” After being hired to curate the exhibition last fall, Bricke opened a submissions process for CSUSM arts faculty to recommend students whose work was especially accomplished. From a group of almost 20 students, Bricke chose five oil paintings each by Karolina Lopez and Esther Rodriguez. The exhibition’s theme, Bricke says, relates to the “intersection of landscape and lived experiences of these two women who are navigating life as students, set against one of the most contested borders in the world.” Rodriguez said she created her paintings last spring during an independent study course leading up to her May graduation, under the direction of lecturer Heidi Brar. “It was a great surprise when Sarah gave me the news, and I never could have imagined my pieces being displayed in the home of President Neufeldt,” said Rodriguez, who’s now pursuing a Master of Fine Arts degree at National University. “This exhibition means a step further in my career as an artist. Also, I am representing the CSUSM arts faculty, which makes me feel very proud of this accomplishment.” Brar actually mentored both selected students, first in her AMD: Advanced Painting course and then in the independent painting projects that evolved into the exhibited paintings. She said the students have different approaches to painting – Rodriguez “uses bright colors and personal imagery to interweave personal narratives with larger cultural themes,” while Lopez shows a “remarkable ability to capture the essence and color palette of iconic landscape locations in San Diego" – but are equally deserving of the recognition. “Both students’ perseverance and hard work distinguished them among the AMD majors, and I feel they are very relevant choices for the president’s collection,” Brar said. “Their work presents an opportunity to appreciate the impact the college makes and celebrate the talents of these wonderful students.” Bricke’s model of resilience and determination since her time at CSUSM is one that the student artists might hope to emulate. Graduating just as the COVID-19 pandemic was heating up in 2020, she hoped to obtain an MFA degree but didn’t get into any of the four graduate programs she applied to. Feeling lonely in isolation and discouraged by the setback, she rededicated herself to her art, and when she applied to nine programs the following year, she was accepted by eight of them and chose one of the most prestigious in the nation – the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. “SAIC was my reach school. I really felt like it was a long shot,” Bricke said. “When I got the big envelope in the mail, I was over the moon. I couldn’t believe it.” SAIC is a low-residency program, which means that students aren’t expected to live full-time in the city where the institution is located. That made it an ideal fit for Bricke, a single mother who didn’t want to uproot her daughter, Crimson (now 10), from their home in Vista. Bricke would travel to Chicago for in-person work toward her degree over the summer, but otherwise she was free to stay in Southern California, interrupted by a couple of trips with Crimson to places like Berkeley and New York City to tackle projects related to artists’ archives. “I felt this confidence as a scholar and an academic and an artist,” she said. “But the setup also gave me greater confidence as a mother.” Bricke uses multiple terms to describe her art, including “conceptual” and “research-based.” The one she prefers, though, is “transdisciplinary.” She describes it as combining academic disciplines, materials and methods in an attempt to make something new that hasn’t been done before. For Bricke, transdisciplinary art manifests itself in novel and subversive ways. She will attend academic conferences and present what she calls performative lectures, in which she adopts the traditional role of an academic while simultaneously challenging the conventions of the higher education system. Her website is another example. A page that on a traditional site might be titled “About Me” is instead called “forms of refusal,” and in place of the typical artist bio is a paragraph that reads: “Sarah … believes that biographical content is largely unnecessary and generally uninteresting. Alternatively, this placeholder for formulaic recitations of academic degrees, artistic achievements and prestigious awards offers an opportunity to test parafictions and substitute narratives.” “I think of my website as a work, and its function isn’t to present objects that I’ve made so that curators can see them and put me in an exhibition,” Bricke said. “It functions more as a thing to talk about. Curation was a natural extension of this concept, where I thought, ‘I want to gather objects and people and images so that we can have dialogue around them.’ And for me, that dialogue, that exchange between the art, the person who made the art and anyone else, like the viewer, that is where the art resides.” Bricke graduated from SAIC last July, and for the last year she has been juggling art projects like the curation for Neufeldt’s home with preparations to begin a doctoral program this fall. She's pursuing a Ph.D. at UC San Diego in contemporary art history with a focus on gender and sexuality, and artists’ archives. “I've come to see that I have an artist/scholar, scholar/artist practice,” she said. “I would love to teach because I've had such incredible mentorship from faculty at CSUSM and at SAIC, which has changed me as an artist and an academic and a scholar, but also as a person. I'd like to pass that on.” Media Contact Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306
- Business Student Thrives as Fledgling EntrepreneurHow can one turn popular candies such as gummy bears, gummy worms and peach rings into a side business? Ask Cal State San Marcos marketing student Mo Carrasco. Carrasco has been surrounded by entrepreneurs for multiple years, as her mother and aunt have a business in which they create and sell rim dip, a paste usually created with tamarind and chamoy that are then used to cover the rims of beers and other beverages. Carrasaco’s mom and aunt developed their own recipe for these rim dips in 2020. While Carrasco wasn't involved in the process, she used it as inspiration for her own business, Hot Summer Gummies (@hotsummergummies on Instagram). “Where I live, tamarindo gummies are very popular,” said Carrasco, who is from Imperial Valley. “Personally, I don’t really like those ones, but my mom’s recipe was really good, so I pitched ideas.” Carrasco’s mom was on board with the new idea. Together they picked up different kinds of candy, developed logos and packaging, and then Carrasco started selling the new gummies at her community college sporting events while attending Imperial Valley College. “A lot of people really liked them, and I was selling out every time I went to the games,” Carrasco said. “I pitched the gummies to the owners of the stores that had rim dip in them. They loved the idea and gave me space to put them in their stores.” Carrasco said her goal going forward is to expand her business into San Diego, or even sell the gummies on campus. Carrasco is on the right track to help her business progress. Last fall, she was the winner of the Innovation Hub’s Quick Pitch competition, which closely resembles the hit TV show “Shark Tank” in which competitors pitch their business ideas to a panel of judges. Carrasco received $1,000 for her winning pitch. “I was in shock,” Carrasco said. “I had a big smile on my face, and I was like, ‘Oh my god, no way.’ ” Carrasco put the prize money into her savings, with plans to utilize it for her business. Not only did winning the Quick Pitch provide funds to help grow the business, but it also equipped her with lifelong lessons. “I remember sitting down at the competition and I almost walked out because I was so nervous,” Carrasco said. “But I said, ‘We’re just going to do it.’ “It really showed me what I was capable of and helped me step out of my comfort zone – and it made me feel that what I'm doing is good. I got really good feedback. I brought gummies with me and went home empty-handed at the end of the night because I sold them all. It just gave me a lot of confidence.” Carrasco is using this newfound confidence while working toward her degree at CSUSM. She will graduate in May 2025 with a bachelor's degree in marketing. While she has thoughts of continuing with the business, her dream is to be a social media coordinator for the Los Angeles Lakers. “I’m very open-minded,” Carrasco said. “I’ll just see what happens.” Media Contact Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314
- New Library Makerspace Invites Campus to Get Hands DirtyA new space has opened in the Cal State San Marcos library that promotes and celebrates the old-fashioned idea of using your creativity and your hands to make stuff. The makerspace, called The Makery, is located on the second floor of the library, just inside the doors leading to the main traffic circle, in an area that used to house the media library. It was unveiled to the campus community on Feb. 29 as part of a soft opening, and the grand opening celebration will take place on April 23, with a ribbon-cutting attended by President Ellen Neufeldt and other campus leaders at noon followed by a open house until 6 p.m. And of course, as befits the name, The Makery’s first official week from April 22-26 will feature a host of maker activities, inviting guests to gather, create, invent, tinker, explore and discover while using a vast assortment of tools and materials. “I don’t want people to be afraid to come in, or afraid of failing or afraid of what they don’t know,” said Kodie Gerritsen, a CSUSM alumna who’s now the makerspace specialist. “They can just come in here and mess up a bunch and still have a finished product at the end of it. I use the term ‘get your hands dirty’ a lot because that’s the point. The point is to come in here and get messy and make things.” The Makery is a project that’s five years in the, er, making. Having noticed that more than half of the 23 California State University campuses boast makerspaces in their libraries, CSUSM’s library dean, Jennifer Fabbi, took the idea to a group of administrators and faculty in 2019. They began to develop the concept, surveyed professors about how they would use it and even visited some existing makerspaces around the state. Then the pandemic struck, shelving the project for more than two years. It was revived in fall 2022 with the hiring of Gerritsen. She had graduated the previous year with a degree in arts and technology/applied physics, and was working as a STEAM ambassador for Center ARTES, an on-campus arts organization founded by CSUSM music professor Merryl Goldberg. Lucy HG Solomon, another School of Arts professor and Gerritsen’s main faculty mentor, heard about the makerspace opportunity and thought Gerritsen would be a good fit. “And it turns out I was,” Gerritsen said. Gerritsen set about designing the 2,280-square-foot space with Char Booth, the library’s associate dean; the Office of Planning, Design and Construction; and an internal library group. Funding came from a Kellogg Library building endowment that is specifically to be used for library renovations. The Makery was chosen through a campus naming contest. It was the overwhelming winner over the other two finalists: “Sandbox” and “Buildbox.” “A makerspace in the library allows for a centralized space that is accessible and open to everyone in the campus community,” Fabbi said. “The Makery is a space where students, staff and faculty can use information to create new knowledge, which is what the library is all about.” The creative flair and sense of whimsy that Gerritsen brought to the design of The Makery is evident even before you step into the room. A large neon sign hanging above the door displays the name of the makerspace in blue, green and orange letters. To the immediate right past the entrance is a collection of 27 high-density foam cubes that can be used for sitting in a large group collaboration or for alternate purposes like building a wall or other structures. On either side of a desk where a student assistant is stationed to welcome visitors are two enclosed rooms. One of them, called The Pantry, features a few desktop computers for people to work on digital projects in a quiet atmosphere. The other is named Gina’s Game Corner in tribute to Georgina “Gina” Lopez, a longtime library employee who passed away last year. It has a game table and shelves that are stocked with games, puzzles and other forms of entertainment. “I wanted to have a place where people can relax and have fun, unload a little bit,” Gerritsen said. “We ultimately settled on a game room, in part because Gina enjoyed those types of things, and also because we have a lot of games in the library and many people don’t know about them.” The rest of The Makery is a large open area with half a dozen square tables topped with butcher blocks and surrounded by bright, colorful chairs. All are on wheels so that the furniture can be moved into any configuration. On an afternoon last month, two of the tables had been pushed together to display a paper welcome banner that visitors could draw and color on, and a third table held a container of purple kinetic sand. The star attraction of The Makery, however, is the back wall. There you can find the primary making equipment, such as sewing machines, embroidery machines, a cameo cutter machine, button makers, a craft printer, a paper cutter and a power drill. There also are bins upon bins of arts and crafts supplies like paint, beads, string, ribbons, clips, rubber bands, markers and dozens more miscellaneous items. The opposite wall is lined with shelves that showcase some of the creations that students already have made during the limited time that The Makery has been open. “It's been cool seeing them make things on their own without direction,” said Ryan Dorsett, a 2015 CSUSM alumnus who in January shifted from a different job in the library to run the makerspace with Gerritsen. “It's like, ‘Wow, you made that here.’ We really wanted people to be excited about the space, and there's been a lot of excitement that students have expressed. They've been very clear in their joy.” Gerritsen said her goal for the rest of this semester is to work out any operational kinks that crop up while gathering data on user numbers and behavior. Starting next school year, she plans to incorporate more programming and foster more partnerships with the campus community, which could include student orientations and campus tours stopping by The Makery or holding academic classes in the space. “We’ll see how much of that can happen by the fall,” Gerritsen said, “but it’s going to grow as time goes on.” The Makery is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The coordinators are seeking donations of craft supplies, office supplies or “anything that you can use to make stuff with,” as Gerritsen put it. Media Contact Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306
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