Since 2004, Campus Coffee had been a beloved CSUSM cafe and eatery, serving warm cups of joe and sweet treats on the plaza outside Science Hall 1 – on the opposite side of campus and two big flights of stairs away from Starbucks and other food and drink vendors. It was a place where the owners greeted you with a smile and often knew your name – and your coffee order.

Now, about six months after those owners (Tim and Sandra Sabbatini) decided to retire, a new establishment will inherit the legacy of Campus Coffee.

This month, the prime real estate will be taken over by El Kafecito, a local coffee shop that already has locations in San Marcos, Vista, Escondido, Valley Center and San Diego. Its sixth spot is scheduled for a soft opening on Aug. 24, with the full launch on Aug. 31, the first day of the new school year.

El Kafecito is owned by Rodrigo Rodriguez, a CSUSM alumnus and former Cougars soccer player. A Valley Center native, Rodriguez started the company with a small, drive-through coffee hut in Vista in 2021, when he was just 21 years old. His entrepreneurial spirit was inspired by working alongside his parents in their family business.

“I remember stopping at Campus Coffee before a long lecture or between classes, so I understand how something as simple as a good cup of coffee can become part of students’ daily routine,” Rodriguez said. “Being able to return to CSUSM, this time as a local business owner, feels like a full-circle moment.”

El Kafecito specializes in Mexican and Hispanic-inspired flavors that, Rodriguez said, “bring something unique to the traditional coffee experience.” Its signature flavors include dulce de leche, horchata, mazapán, café de la olla, tres leches and Mexican mocha, though it also offers traditional favorites such as vanilla, caramel and mocha.

El Kafecito also serves pastries and other food items, with customer favorites including churro cupcakes, Mexican-inspired cinnamon rolls and stuffed conchas.

“Our goal is to create a place where everyone can find something they enjoy while introducing CSUSM to flavors that represent my culture and the community,” Rodriguez said.

The selection of El Kafecito to replace Campus Coffee stemmed from the work of the CSUSM Corporation in collaboration with the Student Culinary Council (SCC), a body created last spring to strengthen the connection between students and campus dining. Responding to students’ expressed desire for a new coffee stand on the far end of campus, the SCC helped identify potential vendors, participated in interviews and evaluated each candidate based on its vision, quality and alignment with campus culture.

“What makes this selection so special is that Rodrigo is a CSUSM alumnus who is passionate to serve the campus community,” said Anthony Romero, who leads the SCC. “His commitment to quality coffee, building community and creating meaningful connections makes Rodrigo and El Kafecito the clear choice for the new coffee stand at CSUSM.”

Rodriguez, who now lives in San Marcos and spends his days shuttling between locations, said he can’t wait to get started.

“My goal is not simply to sell coffee on campus,” he said. “I want to build a connection with the CSUSM community and make El Kafecito feel like it belongs to the students, faculty, staff and Cougar family. As a former student and student-athlete, I’m excited about the opportunity to give back to a campus that was an important part of my own journey.”

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

But something happened along the way. The history courses sparked Acevedo’s interest in a manner that his other GE courses did not. The material ran so much deeper than the rote memorization of names and dates that he associated with history.

“My professors at CSUSM also made me feel smart, giving me invaluable feedback on my work and my progress as a student,” Acevedo said.

That was more than two decades ago. Intending to major in communication, Acevedo switched to history, graduated with a history degree in 2004 and ultimately became a professor himself – with an ambition to emulate in his teaching the way he was taught at CSUSM.

It seems to be working. Now an associate professor and coordinator of history, political science and American studies at Hudson County Community College (HCCC) in Jersey City, N.J., Acevedo last month received the Distinguished Faculty Award from the New Jersey Council of County Colleges – an honor that covers all faculty across the state’s 18 community colleges. He was recognized for his “profound influence on students academically and professionally inside and outside the classroom.”

Acevedo co-founded the Hudson Oral History Project, through which he guides student interns in interviewing residents, community leaders and business owners to document the history and rapid changes of Jersey City’s Journal Square area. He also helped establish the HCCC Department of Cultural Affairs, which provides free arts and enrichment programming for students and the people of Hudson County.

“When I was notified I got the award, it felt quite rewarding,” he said. “Sometimes it is easy to lose sight of the impact you have on students, especially when doing the work of preparing lessons or confronting challenges like the influence of AI on education. So to receive an award like this was definitely a reminder that the daily commitment to help students grow as learners and thinkers is so worthwhile.”

A Fallbrook native, Acevedo chose CSUSM because of the proximity to home and the intimate learning environment compared to other California State University schools that he considered. Once he switched his major to history, he came under the tutelage of multiple faculty mentors, most notably Alyssa Sepinwall.

Sepinwall invited Acevedo to be part of CSUSM’s Faculty Mentoring Program, which since 1991 has paired first-generation students like Acevedo in a one-on-one mentoring relationship with a faculty member to increase retention rates. At Sepinwall’s suggestion, he attended an academic history conference in Newport Beach that he calls a turning point because it exposed him to what history professors do outside the classroom.

“Dr. Sepinwall also brought in guest speakers and made sure her students got engaged with history beyond just completing our assignments,” Acevedo said. “And she gave me invaluable guidance when I applied to grad school, spelling out in no uncertain terms the challenges of the academic job market, but also pushing me to pursue my dreams. Along the way, she has been my go-to person for all things history.”

Sepinwall’s influence was such that, during his senior year, Acevedo nominated her for the President’s Award for Innovation in Teaching, which she won in 2004. Her admiration for her former student is equally strong.

“I am so impressed by all of Tony's successes since he graduated from CSUSM,” Sepinwall said. “He took everything he was taught here and built on it in his own way to become a superstar teacher. I learn so many things from him when we talk about teaching – and watching him become a state and national leader in history pedagogy, for community colleges and others, makes me tremendously proud as his former Faculty Mentoring Program mentor.”

After graduating from CSUSM, Acevedo earned a master’s degree in history from San Diego State and worked there as a graduate teaching associate. He also taught a history course at CSUSM for a former professor, Darel Engen (another major influence), when Engen was on paternity leave. Hired by HCCC in 2013, he lives in New York City, where he’s in the dissertation phase of achieving a Ph.D. in world history from St. John’s University.

Acevedo particularly values the experience of teaching at a community college.

“Most of my students are first-generation students, and getting to be part of their journey feels special, because for many of them, as for myself, receiving a college degree can be transformational,” he said. “I also can relate to the ways my students have to balance lots of real-life responsibilities, such as heavy work schedules, with their pursuit of a college education, and I am continually impressed by their grit and perseverance.

“Most of my students are also non-history majors taking history courses to fulfill a requirement, so I especially love reading student evaluations that start with ‘I didn’t like history before’ or ‘History was never my favorite subject’ before they explain how much they enjoyed the class.”

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

For Cal State San Marcos alumnus Jaedon Spurlock, the decision was simple.

During commencement weekend last month, he and his dad, Jared Spurlock, elected to skip the ceremony and instead climb Mount Whitney.

“I just figured, since my friends aren’t going to the ceremony, maybe it’d be all right if I did this instead,” Jaedon Spurlock said. “I think it’d be cooler, and I think it’d be more memorable for me.”

So, on Monday, May 18, after a weekend spent preparing, father and son completed the 18-hour hike up Mount Whitney.

Mount Whitney is in the Sierra Nevada range of California. It’s the highest point in the lower United States, with an elevation of 14,505 feet. Thousands of people try to reach the summit each year, but not all make it, according to the U.S. National Park Service.

The Spurlocks, however, did. And since it was commencement weekend, they held a small ceremony at the peak.

“I brought a little grad cap that I bought on Amazon, and then I also had my honors cord that I got from the school, so I just brought that with me,” Spurlock said. “I didn’t have too much space in my backpack, so I brought what I could.”

It worked out that commencement weekend was the window of opportunity for the Spurlocks to go on this journey, because permits are limited due to the sheer number of requests and the conditions on the mountain at the time, according to the Park Service.

The climb allowed the family to grow closer.

“We’ve always enjoyed doing outdoor stuff, and we wanted to do things together,” Spurlock said. “So, we’ve just started hiking together.”

He said he is used to challenges such as climbing Mount Whitney.

Jaedon was born with congenital profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and now hears with cochlear implants. The implants are small rectangular devices that sit behind the ears and act as sound processors. Then then stimulate the nerves in his ear, allowing him to hear.

The implant on the right side isn’t working, however, so he’s living with low hearing.

“I’ve always grown up using only my left side,” he said. “So, I actually have full hearing on this side, but on this side, I can’t hear at all. It’s kind of like 50% hearing.”

Asked how he navigates this challenge, he said: “A lot of times I won’t get what someone says on the first time, so I always be like, ‘Oh, could you repeat that?’ And they’ll say the same thing again. Usually, I get it the second or third time.”

He said keeping a positive attitude helps him to accept his disability.

“I think it’s just years of growing up with this disability and then being able to accomplish things that other people can,” he said. “It’s knowing that I’m just as capable as a person as anyone else.”

His degree is in software engineering, and he graduated magna cum laude. One of his professors remembers Spurlock as smart and hard-working.

“He never mentioned to me the challenge that he faced”, said Yongjie Zheng, a professor of computer science and engineering. “Instead, Jaedon worked as hard as many other students and had lots of industrial experience. He kindly shared with us his technical knowledge and internship experience in some of our classes.”

Spurlock plans to move to Orlando, Fla., this summer to begin his career at Lockheed Martin – a massive aerospace, defense and technology corporation – as a software engineer. He said his time at CSUSM helped prepare him for his future.

As his recent climbing experience illustrates, he doesn’t accept limitations on what he can accomplish.

“Don’t put yourself in a situation where you put yourself to the same expectations as others,” he said. “Set your own expectations, set your own level of confidence and just find what you can do.”

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

So when Kelsey Forrester told Hackson about the most challenging part of her job at UC Santa Barbara, Hackson took action.

Hackson and Forrester have been close friends since their days as teammates on the Cal State San Marcos women’s basketball team from 2018-22. Forrester, now an assistant coach and director of basketball operation for the UCSB women, told Hackson how the hardest part of her job is coordinating meals for players when the team is on road trips.

“Honestly, everything is perfect besides the meal part – and the meal part isn’t hard, it’s just the organizational part,” Forrester said. “And so Akayla is like, ‘OK, well let me fix this.’ ”

It turned out to be a life-changing solution for Hackson. In coming up with an alternative for Forrester, Hackson launched MealOps, a business that aims to modernize team meal logistics by helping athletic programs efficiently coordinate, organize and execute large group orders.

“I like to help and I like to build things,” Hackson said. “I told Kelsey I'd help her out and maybe build a product for her to keep it more organized and just help the workflow in general. Then I had a couple more friends come to me about similar issues. So I took a step back and I realized this could be something bigger.”

Hackson, who graduated from CSUSM in 2022 with a bachelor's degree in computer science, comes from a family of engineers. She has been interested in the discipline for as long as she can remember, and she always aspired to start her own company. After graduating from CSUSM, Hackson earned a master’s in machine learning and artificial intelligence from Stanford. She worked as a software engineer at G2 Software Systems, a U.S. Department of Defense contracting company, for three years before deciding last fall to focus completely on MealOps.

“It was scary,” she said. “It's hard when you have that cushion and job security, the constant income coming in to pretty much no income for a bit. I was just trying to believe in myself and believe in the product that I was building.”

MealOps is a one-stop shop to help teams with the logistics of feeding their athletes. It recently evolved into two connected products:

• CoachImHungry is a platform built for athletic programs to manage team meal logistics and ordering workflows.
• Phantom is an AI agent that connects with restaurant point-of-sale (POS) systems like Toast or Square and enables restaurants to accept orders securely from AI agents.

Hackson said CoachImHungry now operates on top of Phantom’s restaurant ordering infrastructure.

Hackson’s college basketball experience and athletics connections have been big assets as she gets the business off the ground.

“College athletics is super interconnected,” Hackson said. “I've been able to go to friends and to show them prototypes and ask, ‘How does this look? How does the workflow look?’ ”

So far, MealOps is exploring deals with UC San Diego, the University of San Diego and UCSB, which is coached by Renee Jimenez, Hackson’s coach at CSUSM.

“It has the potential to be really special,” Forrester said. “When I talk to people who take care of the operational stuff, this is one of the hardest parts for all teams.

“When Akayla puts her mind to something, she's ready to go and she's fully in. And you can see how much progress she's made on this already in such a short a period of time.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

At Cal State San Marcos, President Ellen Neufeldt has turned that conviction into a tradition, hosting her fourth annual student exhibition in her residence. 

Each showing has been curated by professional artist and CSUSM alumna Sarah Bricke, whose continued involvement has helped shape the series into a meaningful space for student expression. 

This year’s showcase, “Forms of Growth,” explores the intricate forms, textures and patterns found in plant life. Through sculpture, photography and drawing, the artists use botanical subjects to reflect on personal and social experiences. 

More than 800 CSUSM students major or minor in the arts within the College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences, and this exhibition highlights the range of its creative community. 

The featured artists this year are Amber Miller, Charlotte Dumbeck, Destiny Kirchner and Rodas Alonzo. 

Amber Miller  

Miller creates sculptures and photos that embody intimacy and proximity to counteract cultures of abuse. Relating Mother Nature with the human body as a shared essence of the soul, she demonstrates the art of connection brought from Mother Nature herself. By relating to nature in this way, her practice seeks to illustrate ways of being that exist outside of structures determined by oppressors. 

Charlotte Dumbeck  

Dumbeck creates art that critiques a global economy sustained by overconsumption and investigates its cultural and environmental consequences. She often experiments with material reversals that embody tensions between organic and inorganic items. Through acts of material transformation, the work invites viewers to reflect on the consequences of everyday consumption and our fractured relationship with the natural world. 

Destiny Kirchner  

Kirchner explores how the structures of plant life can shape the composition of visual art. By casting molds of real plants and pairing them with artworks of botanical studies, she translates plant morphology into both physical relief and visual inquiry. The plaster molds capture the exact imprint of each plant, preserving tiny details that might otherwise be overlooked. These impressions sit alongside illustrated botanicals of native plants in California. Together, they create a conversation between scientific observation and artistic interpretation.  

Rodas Alonzo  

Alonzo uses sculpture to reclaim ancestral Indigenous knowledge related to agriculture, identity, spirituality, gastronomy and ecology. She constructs sculptural forms with colorful patterns using materials such as plaster, wire, cardboard, leavesand clay, allowing organic and industrial elements to interact and reveal the tensions between the living and the inert. These materials trace ecological systems and connect them to ancestral teachings on land management and sustainability in Indigenous communities in Guatemala. 

Across all four artists, plant life becomes a way of asking larger questions about identity, consumption, memory and belonging. The result is a thoughtful exploration of how we connect and grow. 

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

When, in February, the curious people asking those questions weren’t random strangers but rather elite athletes who had just won medals in the most storied sporting competition on earth, Miller-Wing knew that this was the assignment of his dreams.

That assignment: protecting members of Team USA during the recent Winter Olympics in Italy as a special agent with the U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS).

“It was a great experience,” said Miller-Wing, who graduated from Cal State San Marcos in 2022. “I lucked out. It was like winning the lottery.”

The DSS dispatches agents to many major international sporting events, and the Olympics opportunity came about only two years after Miller-Wing started working for the agency. One of a few agents chosen from the DSS Boston Field Office, he flew to Milan in early February for initial security briefings before making the trip to the Alps resort town of Cortina, where he was stationed for the rest of the Winter Games.

Miller-Wing was responsible for the Olympic Village that housed the athletes, and he also served as a flex agent, filling in for colleagues at competition venues after they had worked particularly long days. In that capacity, he spent considerable time at the curling center, where a highlight was watching Cory Thiesse become the first American woman to win an Olympic medal in curling as part of her second-place finish (with Korey Dropkin) in mixed doubles.

“I knew absolutely nothing about curling and then, in the Olympics, I think I saw almost 20 full curling matches,” Miller-Wing said. “I now feel relatively confident in being able to explain the rules and strategy. Just enough to be a Monday morning quarterback at the Games.”

Other memorable moments from Miller-Wing’s Olympic fortnight was seeing the famous Jamaican bobsled team – “that was on the bucket list” – and meeting U.S. star skiers Mikaela Shiffrin and Lindsey Vonn. After the Games ended and he was off the clock, he extended his time in Italy by exploring the country with his wife.

It all added up to an unforgettable experience in which the competition in the athletic venues was counterbalanced by camaraderie outside of them.

“All the athletes were phenomenal,” he said. “It didn’t matter if they had just won a medal or if they were really focused on a competition – they always greeted everyone with a smile.

“And working with the other countries was a pleasant surprise. It really reminded me of what we do in diplomatic security, in our normal job, which is working with other nations to enable the diplomats to focus on their job overseas.”

The Olympics have ended, but Miller-Wing’s fulfilling work with the Diplomatic Security Service continues. The law enforcement and security arm of the State Department, the DSS creates a safe environment for the conduct of U.S. foreign policy by protecting the department’s people, property and information. The DSS has the largest global presence of any U.S. law enforcement organization, operating at more than 275 American diplomatic posts in over 170 countries and more than 30 U.S. cities. Miller-Wing is among more than 2,500 Foreign Service specialists working and traveling worldwide (DSS agents are both sworn law enforcement officers and members of the Foreign Service).

A Carlsbad native, Miller-Wing was raised by a mother who worked for the federal government. In fact, her being reassigned is why the family left the San Diego area for Northern California. He was a standout quarterback at Folsom High School outside Sacramento and aspired to play college football, but a shoulder injury sustained at the local community college short-circuited his gridiron goals.

Unsure what to do next, Miller-Wing decided to join the U.S. Army in 2017. After switching over to the Army Reserve, he jumped at an opportunity to return to his hometown as a member of the 416^th Civil Affairs Battalion out of Camp Pendleton.

During his time with that battalion, Miller-Wing had occasion to go overseas and work with DSS agents, many of whom serve as regional security officers at diplomatic posts around the world. He thought the job sounded ideal for him, but he assumed that RSOs were political officers who specialize in national security.

“My mom was working at an embassy, and she said, ‘Hey, did you know that the State Department has special agents?’ ” Miller-Wing recalled. “So I looked into it, and I realized that this is exactly what I want to do.”

With that career track firmly in mind, Miller-Wing set out to revisit higher education. He earned an associate degree at Palomar College before transferring to CSUSM in 2019, six years after he had finished high school. He majored in global studies, receiving particular help along the way from political science professor Meshack Simati.

“The biggest thing that I feared was going back as an adult with a full-time job and responsibilities where I had to take care of things that you don’t have to worry about when you’re 18,” he said. “But CSUSM was accommodating, all the professors were accommodating. And the environment was such that they focused on setting us up to be professionals in the future, not just college graduates. It was unique.”

Miller-Wing started applying for the DSS program almost as soon as he earned his CSUSM degree in May 2022, and he was a special agent stationed in Boston less than two years later. Besides Italy, he has traveled on official business to four other countries, and he hopes that his next posting will be in a foreign nation.

“I’ve worked a lot of jobs in the private and public sector, and this is by far the most rewarding,” Miller-Wing said. “One day you could be on a high-value target warrant, the next you could be on the foreign minister’s detail in Bahrain, the next you could be in Italy at the Olympics. Every single day is different.

“It’s definitely a different life experience than most people, but if you like to travel and want to experience different cultures, then I highly recommend it.”

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

She thinks about the version who had just graduated from Cal State San Marcos and still harbored some self-doubt, unsure how she would turn her sociology degree into a career.

She thinks about the version who set off for UC Davis as the first person in her family to attend college, but who couldn’t find the support that she needed and ultimately failed out.

Most of all, though, she thinks about 12-year-old Shanelle, a Black girl from southeast San Diego (the “hood,” as she proudly calls it) who had her whole life ahead of her but also had already experienced her share of pain. Watkins even dedicated her doctoral dissertation to that Shanelle.

“That’s when things started to click for me and a lot of questioning started to happen,” Watkins said. “That little girl, I just want to take and hold and heal.

“I think that she probably would think I was really cool. I think she would really like me.”

Now 36, Watkins is devoting her life to ensuring that other young girls – or, more precisely in her case, young women of color – can receive the mentorship that she sometimes got but occasionally eluded her, can achieve the success that she has attained despite the obstacles that dotted her path.

Two years ago, Watkins left her job as assistant director of the Black Student Center at CSUSM – the university she had returned to almost a decade after graduating – to become director of the Chancellor’s Associates Scholarship Program at UC San Diego. CASP, as it's known, awards scholarships to and nurtures during their time at the university local and high-achieving students who come from low-income families – students, in other words, like young Shanelle.

While she was working full-time at CSUSM and now UCSD, Watkins also was studying at both schools part-time, as an Ed.D. candidate in their joint doctoral program. Her dissertation, inspired by her experience running the Black Student Center for three years, explored the challenges faced by Black women student leaders at Hispanic-Serving Institutions within California State University.

“I wanted to know what leadership meant to them,” she said. “How did it come about? Where was it rooted from? Through those questions, I heard very rich stories about the stress of code-switching or feeling like you need to assimilate to fit in or not being seen or being the token Black person in whatever organization or group you belong to.”

She defended her dissertation and officially became Dr. Watkins, but she wasn’t finished with the subject. As an outgrowth of the project, last September she started a company called Leading While Becoming. The leadership organization offers quarterly group coaching cohorts and one-on-one coaching for women of color. She has built a roster of about a dozen clients, most of whom are women in their 20s who are trying to launch their careers.

“I didn't foresee it happening this way,” Watkins said. “I thought my dissertation might be a toolkit to inform college leaders. I didn't think it would be a full-fledged coaching program. But I am glad, because it gives me the opportunity to meet with folks and empower them and watch them grow. It’s doing a lot of the things that I wish I had had.”

What 12-year-old Shanelle did have was a love of education and a thirst for knowledge. What she didn’t have was financial resources or the most stable home life. Her mother, Augusta, was a stay-at-home parent who Watkins said did the best she could to raise her despite confronting personal challenges. Her father, Aaron, struggled with substance abuse problems before he got clean in a drug rehabilitation program and turned his life around.

Aaron Watkins became Shanelle’s rock. After going sober, he got a job in facilities management at UCSD, where he worked nights cleaning science labs and offices for the next three decades. During the day, he worked (and still works) as a delivery driver for Pizza Hut. But he still found time to drive Shanelle to school every day, and to pick her up between his shifts.

“Through his dedication to remaining sober and his hard work, I think he definitely instilled a lot of that in me,” Watkins said.

In contrast to his other two children (Shanelle has an older sister and younger brother), who both played sports, Aaron Watkins recalls Shanelle being laser-focused on academics and ancillary activities – from being part of a radio broadcast with a classmate to serving on a drill team to doing a ride-along with the local police department.

“She was involved in everything she could be,” Aaron Watkins said. “She was almost always self-motivated.”

Her passion for learning, however, didn’t always come with a sense of belonging. When Watkins reached middle school, her family took advantage of a city program that allowed kids from disadvantaged neighborhoods to attend schools in wealthier communities. She went to Correia Middle and Point Loma High School, which both feature predominantly white student populations.

“I questioned if I fit in there or if my family had the money to provide me with the things that I needed to thrive,” Watkins said. “For a little bit, it did kind of dim my light.”

That light grew brighter in high school, when the canceling of her elective choir class because of low numbers led her to the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program, which is designed to prepare underrepresented students for college. On the first day, her teacher, Kellie Larson, told Watkins she would have to go to study hall and turn in notes every week. Watkins, feeling uncharacteristically rebellious, was less than enthused.

“I was like, I’m not doing any of that,’ ” she said. “That whole first semester, her and I beefed so bad.”

Larson persisted, pushing Watkins, encouraging her to take AP classes and sign up for clubs, handing her the tools to succeed that her parents didn’t know existed. By the time she graduated from Point Loma, Watkins had amassed more than $35,000 in scholarships.

“Mrs. Larson and I are still in touch to this day,” she said. “If it weren’t for that choir class not having enough people, who knows where I would be now?”

The appearance of mentors at just the right time would become a pattern for Watkins. After her academic withdrawal from UC Davis – “I was up against a lot of first-gen struggles,” she says – she returned home to attend MiraCosta College, then transferred to CSUSM. As a senior in fall 2012, she gave birth to her son, Seiji, and thought she might have to drop out, again derailing her academic ambitions.

But a group of sociology professors – Watkins called out Karen Glover, Kathy Shellhammer, Sharon Cullity, Mary Roche and Gary Rollison – rallied to her side, pointing her toward maternal services, helping her postpone certain courses, letting her bring her baby to class. One even made a quilt for Seiji.

“The faculty in the sociology department loved on me in places that I needed to be loved on,” Watkins said. “It made me really grateful for my CSUSM experience.”

And when she came back to CSUSM as a staff member eight years later, in 2021, she discovered another invaluable mentor in Gail Cole-Avent, the university’s interim associate vice president for student health and wellness. Watkins says Cole-Avent, her supervisor, taught her how to occupy a leadership role without sacrificing her identity or sense of authenticity.

Watkins’ return to CSUSM was the first in a series of gratifying full-circle moments that have marked the last few years. Her hiring at UCSD brought her to the place where her father worked for a generation before his retirement in 2019 – where she first learned what college was and how life-changing it could be. Even now, she encounters former colleagues of her dad, professors whose labs he cleaned, and they urge her to reach out if she ever needs assistance.

Also, when Watkins decided that she wanted to add a board membership to her expanding resume, she sought out a San Diego nonprofit named CRASH (Community Resources and Self-Help). CRASH happens to be the organization that helped her father kick his drug addiction and begin his life anew way back when. In December, CRASH hosted a holiday party at one of its houses, and Watkins went with her dad, who had been invited as an alumnus of the program.

“Everyone who he ran into, he was like, ‘This is my daughter, she’s on the board, she’s a doctor,’ ” she said. “My dad doesn’t smile a lot, but I could see the pride on his face.”

And here’s one more full-circle moment. Watkins is a business owner, she’s a higher education administrator, she’s a leader. Above all, though, she’s a mother. Seiji is 13 now, almost the same age as the young Shanelle who Watkins often reflects on. He’s in seventh grade, he’s an ardent athlete and, like most teenagers, he thinks he’s too cool for his mom.

“I was a single mom from the time he was three months old, and I would say I think I did a good job,” Watkins said. “He’s a wonderful kid and he’s my best friend. I see a lot of me in him. I always tell him, ‘You’re the greatest thing I’ve ever done.’ ”

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

Paulin won the award from a pool of nearly 1,000 current or former college students. He was recognized at the 27th annual J. Fred Landers Awards Banquet held in Nashville, Tenn.

Paulin is a native of Christchurch City, New Zealand who graduated from CSUSM last May with a degree in global business. He received the award for his work running a business selling educational resources to Wisconsin families. Through the Southwestern Advantage sales and leadership program, he met with about 2,000 families, and his business produced over $115,000 in revenue.

Nashville-based Southwestern Advantage has operated a sales and leadership program for college and university students from around the world since 1868. The entrepreneurial program offers students the opportunity to learn how to run a business, gain valuable soft skills and help offset their educational expenses.

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist
bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

“We never heard about people going to college,” said Barrera, who earned a bachelor's degree in human development in 2018 and a master's in public health in 2024. “If it weren’t for Upward Bound, I wouldn’t have known it was a possibility for me.”

Through Upward Bound, a program that helps low-income and first-generation high school students prepare for college, Barrera received academic support, mentoring and help with applications.  

When Barrera arrived at Cal State San Marcos, she discovered a community that was both welcoming and unfamiliar.

“I met an international student for the first time," she said. "Back home, everyone is Hispanic. It was so interesting to be in a place that celebrated diversity. The campus and the student life centers showed me that there’s a place for everyone.” 

After earning her bachelor’s, Barrera began working in health-related fields and discovered a passion for research. Returning to CSUSM for her master's helped her refine that passion and find belonging.

“That’s when I really felt seen as a Mexican-American researcher,” Barrera said.

Receiving a scholarship from the CSUSM Alumni Association was another milestone.

“The money was helpful, but more importantly, being selected was super validating,” she said.

Today, Barrera works at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Wash., and hopes to pursue a doctorate in public health. As an employee benefit, she was able to create a will and decided to include a $10,000 scholarship for public health students at CSUSM.

“Making a will was so easy, a lot easier than I thought, and I’m extremely grateful to be in this position to give back,” Barrera said.

Supporting students like her and the public health field is at the heart of Barrera's motivation to give. Asked what she’d tell future recipients of her scholarship, she doesn’t hesitate.

“You received this scholarship for a reason," she said. "There are people out there who see your potential and have invested in it. Lean into that and trust your capabilities to do incredible things. Keep going!”

How You Can Support Future Students in Your Estate Plan

Barrera’s story is a powerful example of how anyone, at any age, can help future students thrive.

Gifts in estate plans – through wills, trusts or retirement accounts – can be changed by the donor at any time, and there are many possible planned giving options to suit your needs. Gifts at all levels make a difference for students.

“I want young people to know it’s easier than they think,” Barrera said. “Even with modest assets, you can still set up a planned gift. You don’t have to wait until later in life.”

To learn more about planned gifts, contact P. Vien Walker, director of planned giving, at 760-750-8138 or vwalker@csusm.edu, or visit plannedgiving.csusm.edu.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Goodblanket was nervous about checking out the CICSC. She didn’t know anyone on campus and was unsure about going inside. But she mustered the courage to open the door, and all of her anxiety disappeared as she was instantly welcomed.  

Little did she know that she was meeting mentors that day who would help her achieve the career she has today. Through intentional support from faculty and staff and inclusive spaces like the CICSC, CSUSM equips students to lead with identity, purpose and impact. 

“I was looking for that connection to my culture, and I found it on campus,” said Goodblanket, who received a bachelor’s degree in psychological science and a Master of Social Work at CSUSM. “I'm an out-of-state Native. My tribe is from Oklahoma, so I always am searching to reconnect with tribal communities and tribal culture.” 

Goodblanket, a member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma, serves as an Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) court advocate for the Valley Center-based Indian Health Council, which provides health and wellness services for American Indian communities in north San Diego County. Any families involved in a child welfare case, such as a juvenile dependency proceeding, can rely on Goodblanket for support. 

"I work with moms and dads who are struggling with a variety of challenges," Goodblanket said. "One is substance abuse. My job is to support families in doing what they need to do to reunite with their kids if they’re not currently in a place to have them back. I also work with caregivers and family members who have taken placement of the children." 

Goodblanket’s cultural connection is at the heart of her advocacy. Under the ICWA, child welfare agencies must prioritize placing American Indian children with relatives or within their tribal communities whenever possible.  

“Natives are still removed at a disproportionate rate by child welfare services,” Goodblanket said. "When children are disconnected from their culture, their long-term outcomes aren't as strong as those who remain connected. That’s why the cultural component is such a vital part of the work I do." 

As a student, Goodblanket participated in CSUSM’s inaugural “Beyond the Stereotype" campaign to raise awareness about cultural appropriation and the harm caused by stereotypes. Goodblanket and other students were featured on posters across campus that challenged common misconceptions about underrepresented groups. She emphasized the need to raise awareness about issues like missing and murdered Indigenous women and the harmful sexualization of Native women through stereotypes and costumes, which contribute to broader societal perceptions and injustice. 

"Maya demonstrates how education driven by purpose and cultural knowledge creates lasting change,” said Joely Proudfit, chair of the American Indian studies department and director of the CICSC. “CSUSM remains grateful for her transformative impact, particularly through her leadership in the award-winning 'Beyond the Stereotype' campaign, where she challenged cultural appropriation with authenticity and understanding.” 

Goodblanket didn’t expect the campaign to have such a large impact, and its widespread presence across campus was surprising but meaningful.  

"I think it was really important to take that stance and just stand up,” she said. “And I think that's what college is all about.” 

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Diagnosed with hepatitis C, very unusual for a child that young, Jaenisch had been told by doctors that if he didn’t get a liver transplant, he wouldn’t live past 30. That disturbing prediction had hung over his adolescence and early adulthood like a black cloud, casting a pall over every doctor’s appointment and health episode.  

Now here it was, 2016, the year when Jaenisch turned 30, and the doctor’s assessment was feeling eerily prescient. He had not been able to procure a new liver, and his condition was deteriorating rapidly. To borrow his gallows humor, he was as “yellow as a Simpsons character” because of jaundice. He collectively spent more than six weeks in the hospital as a result of various complications from end-stage liver disease.  

“Every single day that year, I had a 30 to 60 percent chance of dying,” Jaenisch said.  

That he didn’t die, that he received a liver transplant on Dec. 3 (only a few months before his 31^st birthday), Jaenisch considers to be nothing short of a miracle. Given the gift of fresh life in his fourth decade, he elected to devote it to ensuring that no one else has to go through the ordeal that he did. 

Three years later, Jaenisch returned to Cal State San Marcos – the university where he had earned a bachelor’s degree in social sciences in 2008 – to pursue a master’s in public health. He now works as the director of education and outreach for Open Biopharma Research and Training Institute, a Carlsbad nonprofit whose mission is to reduce the cost of pharmaceuticals like the ones that helped keep him alive while he waited for the miracle liver.  

More significantly, Jaenisch is a tireless patient advocate, dedicating countless hours to multiple organizations that share a goal of ending the scourge of hep C. He has transformed adversity into community impact, leveraging his CSUSM education to improve lives and strengthen public health across the state.  

“Richard is truly a special person,” said Carrie Frenette, the executive director of global medical affairs for Gilead Sciences and Jaenisch’s liver doctor for nine years starting in 2012.  

“I can’t think of anyone else who has so much expertise and understanding in their medical problems, advocates for themselves and then goes on to advocate for others. Honestly, it made it so easy to care for him, and it made it mean even more when he got his transplant and was healthy again.” 

'I don’t know how you are still alive...’ 

It all started with brown pee. 

Jaenisch was a normal suburban kid growing up in Rancho Bernardo. When he was 12, his parents signed him up for a summer tennis camp. It was a sweltering day and he didn’t drink a lot of water; when he returned home and went to the bathroom, his urine was dark.  

His father took him to Rady Children’s Hospital, where he was put through a battery of tests on his kidneys, spleen and liver. The diagnosis of hepatitis C virus (HCV) stunned them, as did the subsequent wallop of bad news: After the rest of the family was tested, it was discovered that he contracted the infection at birth from his mother, who also was found to have HCV.   

Nothing, though, could have prepared Jaenisch for the haunting prognostication of liver transplant or death.  

“That shook me to my core,” he said. “My childhood was fundamentally changed. And my mom heard that, too, because she was in the room. It’s awkward hearing your own future from your child’s diagnosis. We shared a very odd relationship in that way.” 

At the time, in the late 1990s, there was no cure for HCV, only experimental treatments with low success rates and punishing side effects. Jaenisch’s mom started the drugs – interferon and ribavirin – almost immediately, but as a child, Jaenisch wasn’t eligible. The primary impact of HCV on his teenage years was that he was forced to cease participation in all sports and PE classes (because the disease can be transmitted through blood) and he began to suffer from a type of brain fog named hepatic encephalopathy (HE).   

After graduating from Rancho Bernardo High School, he attended Palomar College for two years, then transferred to CSUSM. There, he threw himself into classes in economics, history and political science – not only to satiate his hunger for knowledge but also to distract himself from the fear that constantly lingered at the back of his mind.  

“I wanted to live as much of my life as I could before everything hit the fan,” Jaenisch said. “Because I knew what was coming. When someone gives you a death sentence, you remember it, to say the least.” 

Jaenisch graduated from CSUSM in December 2008. Only a few weeks later, the trouble started. He attempted to begin the same treatment program his mom had undergone, but because of denials by his mom's employer, he wasn’t able to do so for about nine months.  

Once the snags finally had been resolved, the 12-week regimen of interferon and ribavirin didn’t work. He experienced all the negative effects of the drugs – in his case, painful inflammation and wild emotional swings – without any decrease in his body’s viral load. A second round at double the dosage early in 2010 similarly yielded no response.  

By this point, more than a decade after his HCV first had been discovered, Jaenisch had descended to the most serious stage on the scale that measures liver fibrosis, or scarring. F0 equates to no fibrosis, F1 is mild, F2 is moderate, and so on. He was at F4, which indicates the presence of cirrhosis, a condition in which the liver is extensively scarred and permanently damaged.   

Jaenisch had reached the dreaded end-stage liver disease, which essentially meant that the ticking of his clock was only accelerating. All the while, he was encountering roadblocks in his career. He had hoped to enter the niche field of traffic economics, but graduating into the Great Recession scuttled that plan. For a time, he held a job in tech support that he found unfulfilling. 

The work that did bring Jaenisch joy was for a group that offered before- and after-school services for elementary and middle schools in the Poway district of his youth. He envisioned a long-term future in that field but was stymied by both the ailing economy (which led to layoffs) and his illness (he claims he was a victim of disability discrimination but chose to spend his remaining time trying to get better rather than pursue a case.)   

While he tried to piece together enough work to retain his vital health insurance, Jaenisch’s health continued to deteriorate. In 2014, two years into her stint as his liver doctor, Frenette proffered a grim evaluation. 

“She said, ‘I don’t know how you are still alive with this liver,’ ” Jaenisch recalled. “She showed me pictures and was like, ‘Your liver is an old shoe. It is not doing what it’s supposed to do. But you’re still functioning.’ ” 

Every moment of optimism, it seemed, was followed by a stroke of misfortune. He began taking a new drug called Sovaldi (a direct-acting antiviral, or DAA) that was considered a game-changer for HCV patients in that it had an 86% cure rate in six months. Sure enough, Jaenisch’s viral load was approaching zero and his liver was curing. But then he contracted a C. diff bacterial infection (the suspect: spoiled food from a restaurant), which caused acute liver failure and brought his HVC roaring back.  

He later tried another second-generation DAA – Harvoni – that sounded promising but failed in the last week of treatment. As his liver continued to deteriorate, in 2016 he became too sick for treatment and, following a now-common hospitalization, an ER physician gave him outdated medical advice, which resulted in a case of sepsis that nearly killed him. 

End-stage liver disease is typically a rapid descent lasting as little as two years. For Jaenisch, it was an eight-year slog, from age 22 to 30.  

“He was in and out of the hospital multiple times, and he nearly didn’t make it to transplant multiple times,” Frenette said. “I can’t imagine anyone going through it with the courage and strength that he did.” 

Even after the liver transplant, Jaenisch wasn’t out of the woods. The operation addressed the issue of the failing liver, but it didn’t eradicate the HCV (the virus lives in the bloodstream). Frenette advised a treatment plan of Sovaldi, Zepatier and ribavirin, and that pharmaceutical concoction proved to be a magical formula.  

In September 2017, 18 years after the fateful diagnosis, Jaenisch was cured. 

“Honestly, I cried,” Frenette said. “He had been through so much, and to finally get rid of this awful virus that he had lived with his entire life and had caused his liver to fail … I don’t have words.” 

‘I have to be more than a self-advocate' 

It was during one of his dozens of hospital stays that Jaenisch decided on the next course of his life, provided he would live long enough to choose.  

In the fall of 2014, he had been admitted to Sharp Memorial Hospital after the HCV returned via his C. diff infection. His medical team was struggling to lower his levels of bilirubin, a substance found in bile that was causing jaundice, the yellowing of the skin now so familiar to Jaenisch. He knew that ultraviolet rays help break down bilirubin, so he convinced the nurses to bring him outside for an hour a day at peak sun. As he had theorized, his bilirubin numbers declined. 

“It was at that point where I was like, ‘I have to be more than a self-advocate. If I can survive through transplant, I need to go to a Master of Public Health program,’ ” Jaenisch said. “I realized that that path would help me better understand how to become an advocate not only for myself but also for others.” 

His commitment would be nurtured in an environment like CSUSM, as he was accepted into its accelerated MPH program. His time back at the university overlapped with the pandemic, which he took advantage of by choosing as his thesis topic the emergency use authorization of COVID-19 tests.  

“He was very inquisitive and passionate,” said Asherlev Santos, an associate professor of public health and Jaenisch’s thesis adviser. “Sometimes that passion was more visible than the evidence of the inquiry, but all came from a place of helping others in some sort of need. He used his personal and professional experience to spur on what he did for his MPH degree.” 

His master’s allowed him to land his job at Open Biopharma, but it’s passion that mostly fuels Jaenisch in his advocacy connected to HCV. In 2016, while his body was still racked with the disease, he traveled to Sacramento with an organization known as CalHEP to talk to state legislators and raise awareness about viral hepatitis.  

The next year, when Congress was preparing to vote on a bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Jaenisch enlisted in the fight. He told his story of overcoming HCV in half a dozen TV interviews, worked at a call center, wrote letters – he did so much that the American Liver Foundation named him its liver champion of the year.  

“I wanted to preserve the things that help people get access to health care,” he said. “Because to me, it saved my life.” 

He also has volunteered for state and local groups such as End the Epidemics, the California Department of Public Health and the Eliminate Hepatitis C San Diego County Initiative. Their shared objective (in line with a goal established by the World Health Organization) is to eliminate hep C by 2030, which means a reduction of new infections by 90% and deaths by 65%. 

And the barriers are much lower than they used to be. Jaenisch says his family spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on treatment and other expenses to keep him alive. Today, treatment could run as cheap as a few hundred dollars, and that’s for more effective drugs, too.  

“I was raised in a middle-class suburban household, and I wouldn’t have known I had hep C if I didn’t pee a brown color,” Jaenisch said. “I’ve always maintained that I think we’re missing a lot of people, and I keep trying to push for us to find them and knock this virus out. We’re taking a lot of steps, and eventually we’ll get there.” 

Thanks to Jaenisch’s focus on access and innovation, those steps are becoming strides – toward a healthier, more equitable future for all. 

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

“It’s almost like you could take a Fully Employed MBA class schedule and go, ‘OK, yep, you’ve tapped finance, you’ve tapped accounting, marketing, leadership,’ ” Lutz said. “Somehow, I have to wear one of those hats at any given point in my job.” 

Founded in the wake of a tragic act of domestic violence, Kathy’s Legacy Foundation honors the memory of Kathy Scharbarth, who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend in 2011. The nonprofit supports children and pets impacted by domestic violence – offering comfort, stability and hope through its two signature programs. 

Lutz, who joined the organization in 2019 after earning an MBA from Cal State San Marcos, thrives on the variety and challenges of nonprofit work. Her time at CSUSM helped her develop a deeper understanding of her strengths and areas for growth, while also fostering connections that continue to support her in her role today.  

“CSUSM helped me focus on what I felt like my strong suits were and what I liked and didn't like,” Lutz said. “The personal connections I made at CSUSM have become invaluable professional resources.”  

Years after graduating, Lutz came full circle when she collaborated with CSUSM business students on their Senior Experience project for Kathy’s Legacy. Although the project was ultimately cut short due to the pandemic, Lutz felt a strong connection to the students because she had completed similar projects while earning her MBA. 

“The project was marketing-focused, and we were working to try to reach donors who resonate with our mission, " Lutz said. “I was bummed that we didn't get to finish in person together, but I loved getting to work with them as someone who has gone through the same experience. It was great, and we got some amazing materials in return.” 

Lutz first connected with Kathy’s Legacy when a friend asked if she’d be interested in consulting on an event for the organization. She was immediately drawn to the mission and soon after was hired full time as a program manager. In the ensuing years, she steadily took on more responsibility, stepping into the role of co-executive director in 2024.  

“I feel like jumping in wholeheartedly and putting everything I had into Kathy’s Legacy led me to where I am today," Lutz said.  

The foundation’s work centers on two initiatives: the Silver Lining program, which helps children heal from the trauma of losing a parent to domestic violence, and the Lady’s Legacy program, which was inspired by Scharbarth’s yellow labrador, Lady, who was present when Scharbarth was killed. Lady became a symbol of the often-overlooked impact of domestic violence on pets.  

Lutz now helps coordinate multiple fundraising events throughout the year, including the annual Kathy’s Legacy Golf Tournament held at Twin Oaks Golf Course in San Marcos.  

The work isn’t easy, but Lutz says the impact is clear at the quarterly events Kathy’s Legacy hosts. There she sees firsthand how the organization is changing the lives of the children they support.  

“We had one boy who was not doing well during COVID and even long after the pandemic would wear a mask and have his hood up,” Lutz said. “But in the past year, the hood has come off and he’s smiling and engaging, which means something we’re doing is working.  

“I love that we can be that beacon of light and that reliability that these kids don't have anywhere else.”  

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

As a boy, his career aspiration was to be on a SWAT team. As a student at Cal State San Marcos, though his academic track early on was kinesiology, he gravitated to the theater and began auditioning for every high-pressure stage role possible. 

So when Collier was at a crossroads in his post-graduate life and his stepfather figure suggested that he explore firefighting, perhaps the most surprising aspect is that Collier had never thought of it himself. Who, after all, is more willing to charge headlong into a risky situation than a firefighter? 

“I’m the person who will stop their car on the side of a busy road to help somebody rather than driving on,” Collier said. “That’s just what I do. It’s what’s in me. So for me, this job is a hand-in-glove fit.” 

Collier was speaking from a common area inside San Diego Fire Station 43, which is in Otay Mesa and has been his home away from home for the past year. On this day in late April, he had donned his gear several times to go on calls in the station’s primary engine with his firehouse colleagues – a firefighter paramedic, an engineer and a captain.  

The calls were fairly routine. Because Station 43 is in a lightly developed neighborhood only a few miles north of the Mexico border, most of the emergencies that its crews respond to are vegetation fires, car fires and incidents at the border itself – often people sustaining injuries as they try to cross into California illegally.  

Collier, 29, is less than four years into his firefighting career, which translates into this current assignment far from the heart of San Diego. He has to gradually work his way up the ranks and into more plum stations.  

But Collier still loves where he is and what he’s doing. He gladly will show off for visitors every nook and cranny of Station 43 – from the exercise space where he gets to incorporate one of his favorite activities (weightlifting) into his work hours, to the kitchen where he frequently cooks meals for the whole house, to the cherry-red fire engine that he has come to know every inch of like the back of his hand.   

“Becoming a firefighter is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” he said. “It’s not an easy job. When the stuff hits the fan, it sprays everywhere. But it’s also one of the most rewarding things you can do.” 

It was at CSUSM that Collier discovered the stability and self-confidence that made life as a firefighter seem realistic. He grew up in the foster system and entered the university having attended an astounding 17 different schools before he even reached high school, Olympian in Chula Vista. He arrived at CSUSM with the assistance of ACE Scholars Services, the university’s program for former foster youth. 

Collier switched his major from kinesiology to visual performing arts and threw himself into theater with abandon, ultimately starring in seven shows during his five years as a student.  

“What CSUSM gave me is the belief that I can do anything,” said Collier, who graduated in 2018. “I came into college with extreme educational deficiencies. Yet CSUSM had every tool to catch me up and help me succeed. It gave me the environment to grow.” 

Collier intended to pursue a Master of Fine Arts and a doctorate en route to becoming a theater professor, but he admits that he didn’t prepare well enough for his graduate school auditions and was delivered a harsh “reality check.” He was teaching kids at Callan Swim School when his stepdad proposed what turned out to be a fateful visit to the Heartland Fire & Rescue station in El Cajon. He was a reserve firefighter there for a year before entering the San Diego Fire Academy in 2022. 

Now Collier aims to keep climbing the ladder – both literally and figuratively – as a firefighter while not pulling it up behind him. As soon as he joined the fire service, he got involved with community outreach as part of the team tasked with recruiting the next generation of firefighters. And his next goal is to take classes toward becoming an instructor of young firefighters eager to enter the fire service.  

“I feel like that’s my next calling,” he said. “I’m trying to figure out how to give back by motivating and helping others. It gives me joy to see people be uplifted and accomplish things.”  

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

Her degree (communication) was unrelated to health care, and Gonzalez had no intention of staying in the field. The main appeal of the job was that it was close to her home and the university.  

Beginning her journey as a program assistant in an entry-level role, Gonzalez quickly developed a fondness for the local nonprofit and its high-minded mission: providing quality health care and wellness services to underserved communities, regardless of income or insurance status. Her early connection to community health mirrored CSUSM’s commitment to accelerating social mobility through leaders who serve with purpose. 

What Gonzalez imagined to be a brief pit stop instead turned into a rewarding career, and over two decades, she climbed the rungs all the way to the top – she was appointed president and CEO in 2020, the same year that North County Health Services was reborn as TrueCare.  

With Gonzalez at the helm, TrueCare has expanded into a regional force with 21 health centers and five women, infants and children (WIC) locations, covering a footprint of more than 42 miles, from Encinitas to Ramona. Her leadership has driven key advancements, including the opening of new health centers, expansion of the mobile fleet and specialty services, implementation of an advanced electronic health record system, rebrand of the organization, and launch of a successful doula program supported by a $2 million federal grant.  

Question: This year marks the five-year anniversary of you becoming the leader of TrueCare. What does that milestone mean to you? 

Michelle Gonzalez: I think it's a reminder of how quickly time flies and how quickly things can change and evolve. It's hard to remember that we were in this worldwide pandemic. It feels like it's been a couple lifetimes. We've had a lot of growth for the organization, and I think at this five-year mark, it just underscores how resilient we are, how much people matter at the core of everything we do – whether it's providers, whether it's patients, whether it's the community, our staff. It's a culmination of the strength of the organization and everything that we've accomplished, which is a lot in the last five years. 

Q: How would you sum up the growth and changes that have occurred since 2020? 

MG: We've expanded our footprint. We've opened new sites, we've added new service lines, we've added acupuncture, we've added podiatry. We've really stabilized our workforce during a time of a lot of shortages and uncertainty. I’m proud of the fact that our provider retention rate is over 90%. We continue to hire at an accelerated pace, and I start there because everything we do, all the growth and all the accomplishments, it always starts with people. Without a solid workforce, we wouldn't be able to achieve anything.  

Our patient population has grown significantly as well. We had a slight decrease post-COVID, but we're back up to almost 70,000 patients. We've rendered more than 350,000 visits in this last year. Our workforce continues to grow. We're over 800 employees now and close to 160 providers. And then our budget has grown significantly, by almost $55 million in the last five years. We've tripled our mobile fleet. In all the areas of the business that you would expect to continue to progress, we're not only progressing, but we're thriving. 

Q: How did your appointment as CEO come about? 

MG: My predecessor went on a leave of absence in January 2020. The board asked me if I would be willing to step in on an interim basis. They were initially planning to do a national search, which I was fully supportive of. I didn't have any aspirations to be a CEO. I sometimes say I'm an accidental CEO. I was working in that interim capacity for several months, and then COVID made its presence known and we had the stay-at-home order. By April, the board had unanimously appointed me to maintain the position full term. After a lot of conversation and some prayer and reflection, I decided to pursue the position, and it's been a fantastic journey, in large part because I have such a great team around me.  

Q: What was the biggest challenge in taking over just as the pandemic was heating up? 

MG: There was so much uncertainty and fear. At one point, we had to close more than half of our clinics, probably 75-80% of our sites, we had to furlough staff. You think you can sort of ease in to becoming a CEO. There was no ease-in period. I remember talking with colleagues in the industry and saying, “How are you handling this? What are you doing?” And I realized very quickly that there's no playbook and everybody was truly figuring it out as they went along. Very early on, I made a conscious decision that I would be the type of leader who was always grounded and surrounded by strong advisers. We offer health care, but I'm not a clinician, so I made certain that we had strong clinical leadership on our team. It was about trying to understand what was unfolding in the world around us and how TrueCare plays an important part and ensuring that we were keeping our workforce intact. We’re back on track now, but it was an incredibly stressful time.  

Q: How did TrueCare pivot during that time and how does the organization look different now than it did in 2020?  

MG: Before the pandemic started, we had pieces of a telehealth or virtual health program. We realized very quickly that it would be crucial to continue to offer services to patients. For many patients, we are their lifeline, and cutting off their health care was not an option. So we were able to stand up a virtual health program in three days. It started off with telehealth visits and as soon as we were able to, we migrated to a video visit platform. We essentially worked around the clock to make sure that we didn't cut off access for patients, but it also gave employees a sense of purpose. And we've continued to build on that virtual health program while staying true to the traditional methods that you would expect to render medicine.  

We also had to pivot when it came to figuring out what our workforce was going to look like. We had to put people on furlough, but we made sure they still got a salary. We really believed that we needed to take care of our people, and a lot of funding from the federal government helped to shore us up. We laid off less than 15 individuals, and we were able to provide them with a severance so that they landed on their feet. I’m proud of that.  

Q: How would you characterize the change in you that turned TrueCare from a short-term job to more of a calling? 

MG: What I found was that people who worked here were very connected to the mission. They weren't here for the money. They were here because they cared about the people and patients that we were serving. The more I learned about the organization, the more in love I became with it and the more I realized, “My gosh, we have to make sure more individuals in the community and more community-based organizations know about what we do because there are so many people in need.”  

There was a misconception about people who were accessing care at community health centers, that they deserved less or they were just poor. I discovered that these are individuals who work very hard and who don't understand the importance of preventative care, and a lot of times don't feel like they're worthy of having access to care. What became a cornerstone of the work I did early on, and has carried on throughout my time here, is making sure everybody understands that access to health care is a right, not a privilege, and we don't care about your walk of life, where you come from or your circumstance. We want to make sure we help everyone who walks through our doors to the very best of our ability.  

Q: Tell me about your background. 

MG: I was born in Virginia, which is where my father is from. My mother is from Guam, and my parents met there while my dad was in the military. I'm half-Chamorro and half-white, and my husband is Mexican. We were childhood sweethearts who met when I was 12 and he was 14. I've had a lot of exposure to his family and culture over the years, and I think that's something that has benefited me very well. Though I'm not Mexican, I'm not Latina, I have such an appreciation for the culture and the people who we serve, which is the predominant background of our patients. 

My family traveled a lot while my dad was in the service. We moved to Vista when I was in third grade, and I've lived in North County pretty much my whole life. I'm also the youngest of seven children and the first in my family to go to college. So I'm a first-generation college graduate.  

Q: Did your parents not encourage college among your siblings? 

MG: We came from very humble beginnings, and I don't think we always understood that college was something within reach. My parents did the best they could to work and provide for us, but it was really the mindset of, you go to school and you get a good job. But my mom would say to me, “You're too smart, Michelle. You need to think about college.” I told her we couldn’t afford college, but she said we'll figure it out, we'll find a way. For most of the time that I was a student, I worked two jobs to put myself through school. I was also an AmeriCorps member, so I was able to receive a grant. But none of it came easy and none of it was without sacrifice or hard work – not just for me, but those around me who supported me. 

Q: What I'm hearing is a story of social mobility.  

MG: Oh, one thousand percent. I think that's why Cal State San Marcos and TrueCare are such great partners. We see health care as a right, not a privilege, and we think it's fundamental and foundational to everything. I think it ties in beautifully with social mobility. And there's so much good that is happening at Cal State San Marcos. There's a lot that we do together, and social mobility is a big part of that.  

Q: One of the main areas in which TrueCare and CSUSM have partnered in recent years is mobile health clinics. How did that come about? 

MG: Once I became CEO and started serving on the University Council, I learned about CSUSM’s interest in having a mobile health unit. I connected with (nursing lecturer) Matt Mincey early on and said, “You don't have to go on this journey alone. We have mobile clinics. We're right here, let's partner, let's figure out how to do this together.” What started out small has expanded into working not just with the mobile team, but also with the School of Nursing, public health, the entire College of Education, Health and Human Services. It’s a great opportunity to give exposure to students and help them understand that health care doesn't just come in a traditional hospital setting, that there's this whole other life of community health. There's a ton of overlap where our interests align nicely with what CSUSM is doing. We go to the same community events, and CSUSM students are able to do outreach, blood pressure screenings, things of that nature. Then, as they move farther along in their studies, when appropriate, they're also able to do internships at TrueCare. 

Q: How would you summarize TrueCare’s model in terms of providing health care?  

MG: One of the things I want to emphasize is that TrueCare will not refuse services to anyone regardless of their ability to pay. What we're focused on is the individual and the family who presents and what services you need, and how we can either provide those directly or connect you with somebody who offers them. At TrueCare, we provide high-quality, compassionate care. Like we always say, “Health inside, welcome in!” 

Q: That seems like such a valuable service in the community – health care you don't have to pay for. 

MG: In today's day and age, it sounds like something very novel. Does that really exist? And the reality is that it does. When you believe in your core that health care is a right and not a privilege, you fight to make that a reality. And that's what we're doing. We're growing in all possible ways and we're maximizing wherever we can, in terms of the revenue we're able to generate. We take that and we pour it right back into the organization so that we can continue to expand our footprint. We put a lot of emphasis on making sure we can get people enrolled in coverage because we know that if you have coverage, that's a reduced barrier and you're more likely to access health care. But that's not the only barrier you will have to face and figure out. We also spend a lot of time and resources and energy in cultivating a fantastic culture internally. We believe that people who are joyful at work are more likely to do a better job and will pour that energy back into our patients and community. We make it a priority to care for our workforce, to really give them opportunities to advance, to grow and level up. What we find more and more often is that our patients are a direct reflection of our staff, and our staff is a direct reflection of our patients. Pouring into one is pouring into the other, and we're proud of that because health care is daunting – not just for the patient in terms of navigating, but it's also really hard work. One of our VPs many years ago said, “Michelle, we do noble work.” And I was like, “Yeah, this is noble work.” That's exactly what we do.  

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

Perry wasn’t worried about pay or even the tasks he would be doing. He simply wanted an opportunity to gain some hands-on experience. 

It wasn’t an easy sell, even if CSUSM is known for high-impact, experiential learning. Perry wasn’t a physics major (he was studying mathematics at the time), and he didn’t have any lab experience. 

Perry wasn’t having much luck when he knocked on the door of physics professor Stephen Tsui. 

“He just said, ‘Sure, why not?’ ” Perry said. 

The simple gesture was the catalyst for Perry’s switch to physics and the beginning of his journey to co-founding TP Engineering Services, a Poway-based company that builds laser and electro-optic systems for defense and fusion applications.  

The company has flourished since its founding in 2017, but a fusion contract that it secured three years ago has accelerated its growth. 

“It’s pretty insane to think about us getting to this point already,” Perry said. “Did I ever think we'd get here? Yeah, but I had no idea what it was going to look like, and I had no idea how it was going to happen.” 

The experience is similar to the one Perry had at CSUSM, where he practically lived in Science Hall 2 as a student. In fact, he was there so early and so late that the physics department eventually entrusted him with keys and after-hours access to conduct his work. 

“That was my thing – just being in a lab setting, being around hardware, being around something that was tangible, something that wasn't just theoretical,” he said. “It was where I could put my hands on hardware and get some experience.” 

After graduating in 2016, Perry headed north to UC Santa Cruz, where he earned a master’s in phototonics. His master’s thesis – on the design and development of a deep ultraviolet fiber laser system – caught the eye of a defense contractor who funded the project, leading to the formation of TP Engineering with his mother and father. 

TP Engineering quickly grew from an optics table in Perry’s bedroom where they navigated every project to the Poway lab it calls home today. The company has expanded from the initial trio of co-founders to over 20 employees, including two from CSUSM. 

The university still holds a special place in Perry’s heart. It’s where he met his wife, Amanda, who earned a bachelor’s in kinesiology. More than a decade after they met while both lived on campus in the University Village Apartments, they welcomed daughter Elli, who will be 3 years old in December. And he still returns to campus every year for Super STEM Saturday, an annual one-day science festival that brings thousands of community members to campus. 

A longtime supporter of CSUSM Giving Day, Perry increased his contribution last year with a matching gift for the physics department. 

“He's an alum who really believes in giving back,” Tsui said. “It's nice that so many of our graduates remember us so fondly and want to see younger alums and students do well.” 

That’s certainly the case for Perry. He doesn’t take for granted the impact that people like Tsui had on him and his career. 

“CSUSM took a chance on me a long time ago, and I want to support them being able to give other students a chance as well,” Perry said. “My professors gave me a unique perspective on life. If Dr. Tsui hadn't given me that opportunity to work in his lab, I don't know if any of this would have happened. They gave me a chance, and that changed me forever.” 

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Pack’s path to CSUSM wasn’t straightforward. After beginning his higher-education journey at the U.S. Air Force Academy and transferring to another university, he eventually found his home at San Marcos, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1997. He often credited a CSUSM economics professor with transforming his academic trajectory and helping set the foundation for his career. 

Professionally, Pack rose to become co-CEO of Fortress Investment Group, one of the world’s leading investment firms. Over more than two decades, he built a reputation as a leader in credit and real estate investing, overseeing billions of dollars in assets and guiding teams through complex financial markets. 

Pack’s connection to CSUSM remained strong long after graduation. He gave his time and expertise as a member of the CSUSM Foundation Board from 2011-16, including service on the Fundraising Committee, where his vision helped strengthen the university’s philanthropic efforts. He also supported the Finance Society by offering real-world insights to students preparing for their own careers. 

Pack’s passion for serving veterans was rooted in his upbringing as the son of Lt. Col. A.J. Pack, a U.S. Marine Corps officer who served for 22 years. Like Josh, Lt. Col. Pack served as a director of the CSUSM Foundation Board (2015-21). In his father’s honor, Josh established the Lt. Col. A.J. Pack Veterans Scholarship at CSUSM, supporting military-affiliated students in pursuing their educational and career goals. 

He also championed the creation of a veterans and military center on campus, which broke ground in 2013, calling the work “enormously gratifying for me and my family.” In 2014, he partnered with the Veterans Center and Associated Students, Inc., to host the campus premiere of “The Hornet’s Nest,” a documentary about American troops in Afghanistan. The event included a post-screening Q&A with military units and filmmakers, underscoring his belief in the importance of recognizing and supporting student veterans. 

In 2021, Pack reflected on his connection to CSUSM in an article on the Fortress website, noting how meaningful it was to help create a leading center for veterans and active-duty service members at the university. 

“The CSUSM veterans community has earned not just our thanks, but our commitment to support their dreams,” he said. 

Pack will be remembered for the generosity he showed to his alma mater and to the veteran community that meant so much to him. Through the Lt. Col. A.J. Pack Veterans Scholarship, his support of campus programs and his advocacy for military-connected students, he built a legacy of service that will continue to impact lives for years to come. 

Pack is survived by his wife and their four children. 

“Josh was a true partner in our mission of student success,” CSUSM President Ellen Neufeldt said. “He had an unwavering belief in the power of education, and he never forgot where he came from. His impact on our students, and especially our student veterans, will endure for generations, and we will carry forward his spirit of service with gratitude.” 

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

A proud alumna of Cal State San Marcos and its School of Education, Guthrie serves as a Distinguished Teacher in Residence (DTiR) – a unique program that brings experienced educators into the university to teach, mentor and lead. DTiRs play a vital role in preparing the next generation of teachers by bridging theory and practice, offering students real-world insights and guidance rooted in classroom experience.

In her role, Guthrie designs and teaches a wide range of undergraduate, credential and graduate-level courses. Her leadership extends beyond instruction, as she co-chairs the school’s Community Governance and DTiR committees and serves on the Education Recruitment Committee.

“It has been an honor to come full circle by returning to teach in the School of Education," Guthrie said. “The faculty at CSUSM do an incredible job of preparing and inspiring future educators to create meaningful learning environments across our region. The opportunity to bring my classroom and real-world experience back to support our TK–12 candidates fills me with both joy and a deep sense of purpose.”

Last year, Guthrie was honored with the College of Education, Health and Human Services Outstanding Alumni Award, a recognition of her impact on education and her continued dedication to CSUSM’s mission.

Now, she’s taking on a new challenge as the faculty fellow for Project R.I.S.E. (Recruiting Inclusive, Supportive Educators), leading strategic programming and planning to support sustained outreach across partner school districts. Her work will lay the foundation for a future Project R.I.S.E. Center, envisioned as a regional hub to strengthen recruitment and pipeline development for aspiring educators.

“Cassiopeia brings a unique blend of creativity, strategic thinking and heart to everything she does,” said Moses Ochanji, director of the School of Education. “Her leadership in Project R.I.S.E. will help us build lasting partnerships and expand opportunities for future teachers.”

Guthrie’s journey began with a bachelor’s degree in journalism from San Diego State, followed by a teaching credential at CSUSM and an MBA from a private university. She is pursuing a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership through the joint doctoral program between CSUSM and UC San Diego, with a research focus on how political rhetoric affects teachers’ emotional responses in polarized times.

Her resume includes roles such as a curriculum and educational technology specialist, marketing communications officer, and arts integration fellow with CSUSM’s Center ARTES. She also has served as a journalist and theater critic, earning multiple San Diego Press Club awards and contributing to outlets such as San Diego Magazine and San Diego Story.

Whether she’s leading professional development, designing equity-focused curriculum or mentoring future educators, Guthrie’s work reflects CSUSM’s commitment to innovation and developing creative solutions in partnership with the community.

Support leaders like Cassiopeia Guthrie and programs like DTiR, Project R.I.S.E. and Center ARTES by contributing to CSUSM’s “Blueprint for the Future” fundraising campaign. Your gift helps us innovate in education, accelerate student success and cultivate lasting impact across our region. Learn more and give today.

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

“Through the partnership with CHABSS, Hidden City Film Festival has provided students with the opportunity to share their work on a large scale to the greater North County community, gain professional experience and make valuable connections within the art and film communities in San Diego County,” said Leslie Foster, a CSUSM art, media and design faculty member who has been involved in the planning of HCFF.

“We're so grateful for the work of art, media and design alumnus Kelly Dexter, who played a significant role in forging this relationship; and we are excited to see the festival feature work by several students and former students. We're also delighted that alumni like Joshua Kim, who now works at the Institute of Contemporary Art, San Diego, were able to serve as members of the film festival's jury. We look forward to growing this relationship, especially in connection with the annual Festival of Arts, hosted by the university's art, media and design department each May.” 

Through volunteer opportunities and festival events, students can connect with industry professionals to expand the opportunities already provided on campus. HCFF runs Sept. 26-28 at the Regal Cinema in Escondido, where CSUSM alumni Kate Clark, Adriana Carmen Alfaro and Paul Bacaj and current student Amara Abaquin-Brown will be screening their films. The festival's mission is to unite the community through the power of film by giving both local and global filmmakers the chance to highlight their creative talent.

“We have a great selection of films to kick off the inaugural year, including lots of local and international selections,” said Nicole Mendez, department coordinator and filmmaker, who is serving on the jury for the festival. 

Carmen Alfaro said her intention in directing her film “Behind the Scenes” was “to tell the kinds of stories that often go untold; the real, everyday experiences of people whose voices aren’t always heard.”

The festival will include curated short film showcases, feature film spotlights and live Q&As as well as a closing awards ceremony.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim assistant director of editorial and external affairs
ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Developing an alias is standard for all counselors at Resident Oncology Camp. It offers privacy while counselors work with children who have had their lives upended by cancer.

Consunji picked Mushu as a nod to her Asian heritage, but the choice carries deeper significance.

“He is so bold, fierce and just really supportive,” Consunji said. “He knows when to come in and help Mulan out and is just an underdog. I chose the name because of all of that, but it really has taught me so much more. Each year, I'm able to set my personal life aside and just be there for the kids. Mushu has provided me so much grit, motivation, protection and strength.”

Resident Oncology Camp, part of the nonprofit Oncology and Kids, was developed for children affected by cancer to create memories, forge friendships and build the resiliency needed to heal. It’s a mission that resonates with Consunji. Not only is she a cancer survivor herself, she attended Resident Oncology Camp from the time she was 7 until she turned 18.

Giving back to the camp that did so much for her is why Consunji takes a week off every summer from her job as a marketing specialist in the University Communications office.

“It’s really special,” she said. “Many of the counselors were once campers, and they truly want to bring back the magic that they felt as campers.”

Consunji was diagnosed with cancer when she was just 2 years old. She wasn’t able to articulate the pain she was experiencing, but she was constantly crying and her stomach was hard as a rock. Doctors initially couldn’t find anything wrong, but when the pain persisted, her parents took her back to the hospital and doctors discovered a tumor on one of her ovaries.

Although Consunji’s cancer has a high survival rate, having one of her ovaries removed took an emotional toll on her family, and the repercussions are still felt more than two decades later.

“At a young age, the doctors were like, ‘Hey, she's not going to be able to have kids, she's going to have complications,’ ” Consunji said. “Now that I'm in my 30s, as I'm thinking about family and the future, it's not the normal options.”

Consunji had another cancer scare as an undergraduate student studying business administration at CSUSM (she’ll become a double alumna in December when she completes her MBA).

When she was 21, Consunji started experiencing severe stomach pain. Doctors thought it might be a virus, but the pain persisted and her stomach started hardening, exactly what she had experienced as a toddler. A trip to the emergency room uncovered a large cyst on Consunji’s remaining ovary. Though it was benign, it required removal of the ovary and caused Consunji to miss most of the semester.

“I kept my cancer and the cyst such a secret before I finally started to tell my close friends,” she said. “I had so many low moments during that time of just anxiety and depression going through another major surgery.”

Consunji confided in a friend she knew from Resident Oncology Camp about the emotional difficulties she was experiencing after having her second ovary removed. The friend told Consunji how she returned to the camp as a counselor and how helpful it had been, inspiring Consunji to give it a try.

Nearly 10 years after that conversation, Consunji continues to return to the camp each summer. It’s free for campers thanks to donor support and grants, and Consunji is grateful that it continues to give children affected by cancer the same joy that it brought her.

“Camp helped me navigate all of those feelings,” she said. “It helped me to feel OK in my own skin and celebrate that I have another chance at life. It also provided me a lot of humility and acceptance because you realize it’s not just you and that there are people who have it worse than you. It helps you appreciate life a little bit more.”

Oncology and Kids has provided free, year-round programs for people ages 4 to 25 affected by cancer since 1983. Visit the Oncology and Kids website to learn more about its programs and support of children and families affected by cancer.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

What she found was a close-knit campus community, opportunities to grow as a leader and the unexpected start of a career she hadn’t planned. 

Debber graduated from CSUSM in 2016 with a degree in kinesiology. Today, she leads the team at Lilo, a 22-seat fine-dining restaurant known for its immersive tasting experience and coastal cuisine. Just 10 weeks after opening, the restaurant earned a prestigious Michelin star. 

“I didn’t even know hospitality could be a real career when I started,” Debber said. “But I quickly fell in love with it. That passion and the people I’ve met through this industry have made all the difference.” 

Debber planned to major in nursing at CSUSM, but after not being admitted into the highly competitive program, she shifted to kinesiology and fully embraced the opportunities the university offered. 

She spent four years on CSUSM’s women’s club lacrosse team, a sport she’d never played before college, and served on the campus orientation team. She said those experiences shaped her into the leader she is today. 

“I didn’t like not being good at something, so I worked hard at lacrosse,” Debber said. “That same hunger carried into management. I wanted to be better, and I was willing to put in the work.” 

Orientation team training helped her connect with people from all walks of life, a skill that now serves her well in the hospitality industry.  

“We spent a lot of time learning about different communities on campus and how to support them,” Debber said. “That still sticks with me. Now I manage a diverse team, and that kind of awareness is essential. I received good training from being on the orientation team. They would bring in a lot of different leaders on campus to teach you about their area, and that was beneficial.” 

After graduation, Debber faced a decision: return home to Fresno to save up for grad school or stay in San Diego and work. She chose to stay and unknowingly launched a career in hospitality.  

“My initial entry into hospitality was with the intention of going back to school for kinesiology or for health science,” Debber said. “But I decided that I really had a knack for hospitality. I didn't even know that that was a career option.” 

Her first role was as a host at Campfire in Carlsbad, where she helped open the restaurant in 2016. She worked her way up through various roles, eventually helping to open Jeune et Jolie as a bartender and rising to general manager. 

“I think a lot of people really struggled when I first started working in hospitality,” Debber said. “I had a lot of people telling me it's not really a sustainable career. I felt like I had a lot of societal pressure to move into a different direction.”  

However, Debber found a sense of purpose and community working in the restaurant industry. Now as general manager of a Michelin-starred restaurant at Lilo, she’s focused less on accolades and more on people. 

“I think the Michelin star is just a byproduct of all the hard work we put in,” Debber said. “What’s most important to me is that we’re providing a unique experience for people, that our books are full every night, and that our team is genuinely happy with what they do. 

“As a company, we really believe in making sure everyone’s time is well spent. That’s something I care deeply about in my role. So, for me, it’s less about the Michelin star and more about creating something meaningful.” 

Debber never could have predicted becoming the general manager of one of the most talked about restaurants in Southern California. But she credits every twist and turn along the way for helping her grow into the leader she is today. 

“I think the best things in my life have come from saying yes to something that scared me a little,” Debber said. “You don’t always have to know exactly where you’re going. Just be open, work hard and trust that it’ll lead somewhere great.” 

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

The CSUSM fellows are: 

• Hugo Peralta-Ramírez, studying history and sponsored by history professor Alan Malfavon.  
• Karissa Tran, studying psychology and sponsored by kinesiology professor Richard Armenta.  

Seven CSUSM alumni were selected in the previous 2024-25 cohort. 

CDIP aims to increase the number of faculty with the qualifications and skills needed to teach the diverse students of California State University. The largest program of its kind in the United States, CDIP has supported more than 2,500 fellows pursuing doctoral degrees since 1987. CDIP also prepares promising doctoral students for CSU faculty positions by providing financial support, mentorship from CSU faculty and professional development with grant resources.  

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim assistant director of editorial and external affairs
ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Keehr, who graduated in 2016, now works as a speech-language pathologist in the San Marcos Unified School District (SMUSD). She has remained closely connected to CSUSM, regularly supervising SLP graduate students working as interns in the district. 

In somewhat of a full circle moment for Keehr, she now sends her daughter to the CSUSM SLP clinic where she once trained as a graduate student. 

Keehr’s daughter Lyra was born with Nicolaides-Baraitser syndrome, a rare genetic condition that affects how a child grows and develops. It can cause learning difficulties, seizures, delayed speech, and unique physical features like coarse facial features or small hands and feet. 

Though Lyra will turn 3 years old in September, she weighs just 15 pounds and is still learning to walk independently. When Lyra's physical therapist recommended a walking device to improve her mobility, the SLP clinic was there to help. Lyra’s tiny frame meant a standard walking device wouldn’t work, and a custom-made one came with an exorbitant price tag. 

One of Keehr’s SMUSD coworkers suggested she talk to CSUSM about the possibility of developing something. 

Laura Coca, CSUSM’s director of clinical education for the SLP department and one of Keehr’s mentors while she was a student, reached out to engineering professor Reza Kamali, who is the faculty adviser for the university’s chapter of Tikkun Olam Makers (TOM), an assistive technology organization that matches students with people living with neglected disabilities.  

“It was such a wonderful opportunity for students to collaborate,” Coca said. “I cannot thank Reza and TOM enough. They were just so fast and so comprehensive.” 

Kamali and the TOM team had several meetings with Keehr and Lyra’s physical therapist. Less than four months later, they had created a lightweight walking device tailored for Lyra. 

“These experiences offered a unique opportunity for students to engage in community-based projects where they could see firsthand how their knowledge and skills could be applied to create meaningful change,” Kamali said. “Watching their product go from an idea to a tangible device used by a child in need was an emotional and inspiring moment for everyone involved.” 

Keehr said the additional support has helped Lyra in many ways, including socially, with play skills that she’s learning from the SLP clinic and in her general mobility. 

“I didn’t know what to expect, and that’s why I was pleasantly surprised,” Keehr said.“Since getting the trainer, she has been able to stand by herself for a few seconds. It’s definitely been helping with her development. 

"I'm just very grateful for both of those programs and what they're doing for the community. Trying to navigate the insurance world and all the paperwork and everything that comes with it, it's programs like the SLP clinic and TOM that make it just a little bit easier for families like ours. They’re people who have good hearts and just want to help their community. So I'm very grateful for making those connections and also being able to promote them to other families that I work with so that they can benefit from these services.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

If you’re a watcher of “NBC 7 San Diego News Today,” you’ll see the fruits of his and his team’s labor. 

Villasenor is an executive producer at the station and has worked there for nearly 14 years. He attended Cal State San Marcos and majored in communication. He now oversees the news programs for the morning show from 5-7 a.m. and the midday show at 11 a.m. 

His job consists of proofreading scripts for the show and working with staff, including writers, producers and anchors. He also handles breaking news for both NBC 7 San Diego and Telemundo 20, which are both located in the same building in Kearny Mesa. 

On Aug. 2, he’ll celebrate his 14^th anniversary at the station. It’s a day that’s special to him. 

“I remember that date because that’s the day my son was born. He was born at 7 o’clock in the morning,” Villasenor said.

Villasenor is a fourth-generation San Diegan who chose CSUSM because it offered night classes, which allowed him to support himself during the day. At one point, he worked three jobs to put himself through school.

He also had a goal: to work for NBC 7 one day. His journey there began as a boy in the sixth grade.

“My middle school multimedia program teacher came into the class to promote the program,” Villasenor said. “Ever since then, I fell in love with it. I was the little 8-year-old nerd coming home from school watching Marianne Kushi (current morning anchor) on TV as a kid. I was a news junkie from a very young age.”

His average day consists of waking up at 2 a.m. and starting to send emails to his staff. He arrives at the station at 3 a.m., immediately has a quick meeting to discuss the news of the day and then starts working with the anchors to read scripts to get ready for the first show at 5 a.m.

He also listens and watches out for breaking news that needs to be added to the shows. Once the show goes off the air at 7 a.m. to make room for the “Today” show, he has a wrap-up meeting with staff and then repeats the process for the next show at 11 a.m.

His hard work has paid off, as he won a National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Award, also known as an Emmy, in 2022. 

The path to this award wasn’t easy, but he kept his eye on the prize. 

“I was in construction for 10 years, and then I knew I wanted to be in media,” Villasenor said. “My goal was to be on air. But I had a lot of responsibility with family and siblings. I had to stay home and be the dad in a sense to my younger siblings, so I ended up staying here and applying for a cameraman job at KUSI. They said, ‘We don’t have a cameraman job, but we do have a job for writing.’ Now, writing was not my best subject and neither was grammar and spelling, so I had to fake it until I made it. I was working at KUSI while I was at Cal State San Marcos.”

He got his big break after a producer at the station got into an argument with the anchor on set on Thanksgiving and then walked out. 

“I was the only other person there, so I had to jump in the seat,” Villasenor said. “And from that day on, I’ve produced and then moved up to executive producer.”

He said he likes working at NBC for a few reasons.

“I have great coworkers. They make you want to come to work,” he said. “The majority of people I work with love what they do because you have to love what you do in this industry.”

He has this advice for anyone wanting to break into the media or any other career: 

“Don’t pass up an opportunity because every opportunity that presents itself to you, whether it’s an internship or the opportunity to meet someone to make a connection, whether it be through your teachers at school or someone who knows somebody, can connect you to somebody in the business.” 

Media Contact

Jerry McCormick, Director of Strategic Communications

jmccormick@csusm.edu 

The event is at 6 p.m. on April 14 in the USU Ballroom. Reserve tickets online via the Arts & Lectures website. 

The event includes showcases, instructional sessions and practice for all skill levels. In a bonus panel discussion, get to know your instructors and discover how they use movement to enhance their well-being. The panel will be moderated by Daja Marks, a CSUSM alumna, artist/activist and experimental documentarian. 

CSUSM’s Arts & Lectures series offers a diverse lineup of artistic, cultural and scholarly events every semester based on input and proposals from students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members. 

What: Art & Lectures event, “Xtreme Wellness: Keep It Moving” 

When: 6 p.m. Monday, April 14 

Where: USU Ballroom 

Who: Daja Marks, a CSUSM alumna, artist/activist and experimental documentarian 

Tickets: Visit the Arts & Lectures ticket webpage 

Cost: Free for CSUSM students; $5 for faculty, staff and alumni; $7 for community members 

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim assistant director of editorial and external affairs
ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

At the time, there were four main buildings on campus with University Hall having just opened a couple of years before Charles graduated with her liberal studies degree.

So, it’s easy to imagine her shock at seeing campus for the first time since those commencement ceremonies when she arrived in the summer of 2023 to attend family orientation with her daughter, Kaiah, who was an incoming first-year student that fall.

“It was crazy,” Charles said. “I thought, ‘This was my little school, and it's just so beautiful.’ I was so proud of how far it's come. I almost got teary eyed. I feel like I was there at the beginning, and it's become this incredible university. Attending orientation, I don’t know why people in the area would want to go anywhere else. It’s so gorgeous and you have everything.”

Charles attended CSUSM with a single goal – becoming an elementary school teacher. And she credits the university for helping to prepare her for the career she’s enjoyed for more than two decades.

“Like with anything, once you actually get into teaching it can be so different than what you learned in school,” Charles said. “But CSUSM really does a great job of setting you up for success.

“It was helpful that so many of my professors had been in the classroom before. It wasn't someone just telling you what it was going to be like, it was based on real-life experience. That made a huge difference learning from people who actually know what you're going to be going through and what it’s like. They didn’t sugarcoat everything, which was good because they know that there are good things about teaching and there are challenging things about teaching.”

Charles was a first-generation college student, and she was focused from a young age on becoming a teacher (brief thoughts about becoming a nurse ended in fifth grade when she sliced open her hand and saw the blood). She always loved working with kids – even when she was one herself. In elementary school, she often helped in the kindergarten classes, loving every minute working with younger students.

An Escondido native, Charles taught in her hometown at Conway Elementary (now known as Conway Academy of Expeditionary Learning) for three years before moving across town to help open Bernardo Elementary School in 2005. She has been at Bernardo ever since, teaching first grade throughout her career.

“I love what I do,” Charles said. “First grade is so much fun because a lot of these kids come in knowing letters and sounds, but they literally leave as readers. First grade is so foundational that just to see their growth is so rewarding.

“And we have great families at Bernardo. I love my team that I work with and we have an awesome principal. I couldn't work at a better school.”

Charles has similar feelings about CSUSM. She was about 7 months pregnant with her first child, Benjamin, when she received her teaching credential at commencement in 2001. A year later, she began teaching at Conway. She had three more children – Kaiah and sons Elijah and Josiah – with Kaiah following in her mom’s footsteps by attending CSUSM.

Like her mom, Kaiah is looking toward a career working with children. She is majoring in psychological science and works about 30 hours a week doing applied behavior analysis therapy to help young children with autism learn and develop skills.

“I love working with kids. I feel like I was born to do it,” said Kaiah, who likely will pursue her master’s with an eye on being a therapist.

It's gratifying for Charles to see how Kaiah is finding her place at CSUSM and looking forward to diving deeper into her major as she completes her general education courses.      

“I'm so happy she's there, and she's really happy that she's there, too,” Charles said. “Right from the time we got to orientation, it just felt like a family and a community.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Scientists who had the proper academic underpinning. Scientists who were passionate and driven. Scientists who weren’t afraid to roll up their sleeves and work hard.

And it certainly didn’t hurt if they were, like him, scientists who had graduated from Cal State San Marcos.

“I brought on board some of my previous classmates and really kept an eye out for any fresh grads from CSUSM who were just looking for an opportunity,” Greely said. “Because I know the educational basis that they're operating with and their scientific expertise. But on top of that, one of the things that I've noticed about the CSUSM community is really the push to strive for more.”

Greely would know, since he is one of those strivers. One of two children of a single mother who was a victim of domestic abuse, the North County native embarked on a decade-long journey (interrupted multiple times at multiple schools) in higher education that ended in a single academic year at CSUSM, from which he graduated with a degree in biology in 2017.

What a year it was, however. It helped propel Greely into a job at Carlsbad’s Trinity Biotech, which he then parlayed into a position at TriLink BioTechnologies by May 2018. Almost seven years later, he’s still there, having been promoted six times, most recently in 2023 to associate director of nucleic acid products manufacturing.

TriLink has about 200 employees, and Greely estimates that up to 10% of them are CSUSM alumni. Included in that group are a couple of others who are high in the company’s hierarchy: Justin Barbosa, vice president and general manager of discovery; and Evan Myers, associate director of process development.

“CSUSM provides a high-level education that prepares us for the future,” said Myers, a 2016 graduate who tutored Greely through the STEM Success Center when they were both students and now works with him closely at TriLink. “Chris is an exceptional worker who brings huge value to the company.”

At no time was that more clear than in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. While the virus was beginning to rage out of control, BioNTech, the German biopharma giant and an existing client of TriLink’s, approached the company asking for its assistance in producing a vaccine that would combat COVID.

TriLink, which specializes in the synthesis of nucleic acids and mRNA capping analogs, possesses a proprietary technology called CleanCap that simplifies mRNA manufacturing by removing additional enzymatic steps, resulting in higher efficiency and better yields. BioNTech wanted as much CleanCap as it could get its hands on.

There was just one problem: TriLink had recently moved into a new building in Sorrento Valley, and its GMP (an industry term that stands for “good manufacturing practices”) lab wasn’t operational yet. So while Greely was building out his team from five people to 45 to prepare for the heightened demand from BioNTech, he also had to devise a solution that would bridge the gap from where TriLink was in its manufacturing capacity to where it was going. That involved doing some of their work in a standard chemistry lab like the ones Greely utilized back at CSUSM and the rest in a temporary GMP lab.

“It enabled us to partner with BioNTech and Pfizer and say, ‘Hey, we understand we’re not equipped right now to satisfy your needs, but we’ll make it happen,’ ” Greely said.

By the time the state-of-the-art lab facility was completed, Greely and his team were ready to hit the ground running. Starting on Valentine’s Day in 2021, they worked around the clock every day for about eight months to ensure that BioNTech had enough CleanCap to produce the vast amounts of COVID vaccine necessary to inoculate millions of people around the globe.

“It was an enormous satisfaction knowing that you were helping your community, the overall population, the whole world,” Greely said. “During the pandemic, some of my lead engineers would say things like, ‘I’m coming in at 2 a.m. because you called me, because the equipment is down, and at the end of the day, I want my daughter to be able to go back to school.’ That was huge.”

Greely was prepared for such a period of growth, both personal and professional, because of the training he received at CSUSM. He vividly remembers a biochemistry course with professor Kambiz Hamadani that was three units but seemed like twice that. At the time, Greely felt overwhelmed by the volume of work, but once he was a new employee at TriLink, he suddenly found himself grateful for the grueling experience.

“The principles that Hamadani taught and the ground that his virtual lab covered prepared me for some of the standard operating procedures I would see in the lab within my first three months of starting my job,” he said. “That was eye-opening for me, the real-world application of what’s being taught at CSUSM.”

After growing like gangbusters during the pandemic, TriLink contracted in 2023 as the demand for the COVID vaccine decreased. But the company is coming off a prosperous year fueled by the development of a new iteration of CleanCap that’s being used by industry partners for cell and gene therapy that could help cure diseases.

“Whenever I interview anyone, they always ask me, ‘What do you love about TriLink?’ ” Greely said. “And my response always stays the same: I am never bored. It’s all about pushing to that new benchmark, clearing that next hurdle, seeing how far we can take our intellectual property for the betterment of the human experience.”

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

This is the 10th year that AACSB’s Influential Leaders member spotlight program highlights the value that business schools bring to business and society.

Van de Ven, who graduated from CSUSM in 2004, is the CEO of Calsense, an irrigation smart system provider. Calsense has designed irrigation control systems for a diverse array of applications for over 30 years. While working there, van de Ven has driven significant impact through innovative ventures like Irrigation Managementas a Service (IMaaS), which has expanded access to smart irrigation technology. 

Van de Ven has proven how he is deeply committed to water conservation and sustainability. With the introduction of IMaaS, the company was able to address financial barriers faced by organizations when adopting smart irrigation technology. Because of his efforts, different organizations such as school districts and universities can access these solutions without having to face financial difficulties. In addition to his work at Calsense, van de Ven has volunteered as a chairperson for ECOLIFE Conservation, contributing to projects

that protect wildlife and support underserved communities. 

“Van de Ven’s work demonstrates how business schools can fuel solution-minded leaders to create new business ventures and solve complex challenges,” said Lily Bi, AACSB president and CEO. “Through entrepreneurial approaches and visionary thinking, van de Ven is creating meaningful change in the world.”

AACSB’s Influential Leaders have all earned an undergraduate, graduate or doctoral degree from one of the more than 950 AACSB-accredited business schools worldwide.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim assistant director of editorial and external affairs
ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Local TV station KUSI News for the past 26 years has broadcast a highlights and interview show called “Prep Pigskin Report," also known as “PPR,” that canvases San Diego County every Friday night to bring high school football stories to tens of thousands of homes.

Cal State San Marcos may not have a football team, but a couple of communication students — one an alumnus and one about to be one — are heavily involved in the game locally as they comprise the “PPR” team that covers North County’s biggest game each week.

Matt Candelario is set to graduate from CSUSM this month. He handles the camera, interviews athletes and posts to social media before and after games.

The on-air talent Candelario films is Nick James, a Chula Vista native and former communication student from the class of 2001.

“Just being out there with Nick and it's like we got our own little locker room feel where we're prepping for the interview, we're prepping for the game,” said Candelario, who played high school football in the Bay Area. “Who do we got on this team? Who do we got on that team? That kind of thing. So just being out there on Fridays kind of gives you the nostalgia of being out there on Friday night as a player.”

When they’re not scrambling to put together segments on tight deadlines every Friday in the fall, the duo work together in various formats.

In addition to creating content, a lot of their collaboration is focused on giving Candelario high-level sports broadcast industry experience.

After answering an email from KUSI that was forwarded from the CSUSM communication department, Candelario immediately jumped in with editing training. He eased into the position with a veteran mentor but one who didn’t do much beyond camera work and posting to social media.

Candelario was eventually paired with James, who was losing his student producer at the time to graduate school.

According to James, Candelario was lacking solely in hands-on experience. What he clearly wasn’t missing was passion, an inquisitive attitude and a natural excitement for telling stories about local sports.

That eager spirit helped him quickly close the gaps in experience.

“Before he was just with the photographer and doing social media so he wasn't doing a lot of editing,” said James, who did an internship for ESPN after college. “He wasn't doing a lot of the hands-on gritty stuff that we do. Now with me, he has to do social, he has to shoot, he has to shoot a little bit when we need him to shoot and stuff like that. And he edits. He edits the games. If I tell him something, he knows what I'm talking about.”

James has an infectious energy fueled by working for accomplishments every step of the way. While playing football at MidAmerica Nazarene University in Olathe, Kan., he made the decision to quit the game and transfer to CSUSM. He wanted to study communication and be closer to home to begin a career in sports media.

While James learned a lot at CSUSM, he has forged a path in the field based on outworking his competition.

“He knows what he's talking about because you can just tell by the way he prepares and all the stuff he does when it's live,” Candelario said. “He never bats an eye. He’s always ready, and it's so cool to work with him. Ever since I started working with him, I just learned so much.”

Like most in the sports media industry, James has forged a meandering path that has included stops in small markets in Cheyenne, Wyo., Roswell, N.M., Lubbock and Lufkin, Texas, and Bakersfield before landing back in his hometown in April 2020.

Among his duties as Candelario’s friend and mentor is to offer advice on the road awaiting him.

“I just tell him to keep grinding,” James said. “Because he's already in a good position. He was one of the people that got hired to get extra hours each week on top of already working with me. So every Saturday he comes in and he works four or five extra hours that they allotted him to come in and do social media work. So I know he's got bigger aspirations in life. He’s already applying for jobs and whatnot, as he should be. I keep telling him to put your hat in everything because you have nothing to lose.”

In addition to cutting highlights, essentially producing segments and managing social media, Candelario’s experience has also included developing a podcast.

He also got the opportunity to meet one of his sports heroes this fall when he and James covered a Santa Fe Christian game. One member of the coaching staff was Super Bowl MVP quarterback Drew Brees.

“You're sitting there and Drew Brees is 10 feet from you, and you're like, this is Drew Brees,” Candelario said of his YouTube video interview. “I'd never been in a situation like that. I was just thinking, let me ask these questions without messing up. And then I messed up the first try. Thankfully because it's not live, it’s on YouTube, Drew said, 'You're good, man.' And then I just got right into it. He's such a nice guy. He was really cool with us.”

KUSI has several other CSUSM communication department graduates. Photojournalist Mike Millburn is from the class of 2007 and producer Nick Pollino graduated in 2018 after spending some time as the CHABSS ASI representative.

The “PPR” has another communication alumna in Bri Savant from the class of 2019. In addition to her work on the show, she is on-air talent for sports segments on KUSI and Fox 5 San Diego.

Another member of the CSUSM class of ’19 is Candelario’s brother Joseph, who was a criminology and justice studies major and is now working toward a career as a probation officer.

Candelario was drawn to CSUSM based on his brother’s positive experiences here. He’ll soon be the third person in his family to graduate from college, following in his brother and sister’s footsteps.

“He just said everybody's really welcoming at San Marcos,” said Candelario of Joseph’s experience on campus. “He never had a bad experience. He lived at the Quad just like I did. So we had a similar experience. He was telling me all that stuff before I went to San Marcos. And then once I actually got on campus, I saw everything, and I was like, ‘Yeah, this is where I want to be.’ ”

Candelario has parlayed his experience off campus with play-by-play stints on the CCAA Network with CSUSM’s baseball and softball programs.

Although he enjoyed the experience, he hopes his next steps in the industry will be reporting on sports such as a sideline reporter on one of the college networks like the ACC or SEC Network. He has fond memories of listening to the radio with his grandpa on the way to a game so a career in sports radio is a strong option.

But like his mentor James, Candelario knows it’s an industry that usually requires baby steps before huge leaps. Just getting a foot in the door is his focus now.

That door is already partially open thanks to the experience he’s gathered as a student here.

“It’s really important to try and look for different internships or look for any little door that's open to work in the space if this is something you want to do, especially for sports media, sports journalism,” he said. “I've used my KUSI internship, and that's how I was able to do the play-by-play for the baseball team the past two seasons here because I sent them my clips. This is what I want to do. So as if you know what you want to do and that's what you want to do and you're serious about it, just jump into it and don't be scared. You just got to get your feet wet no matter where it is.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

As a teenager, Myers started a small nonprofit to raise money for cancer treatment and research in honor of a friend who had leukemia. Years later, as an incoming freshman at Cal State San Marcos, Myers secured a job with Associated Students, Inc., as a student receptionist. The role helped her meet a network of students involved on campus, which led to her involvement in CSUSM’s Student Philanthropy Council and, eventually, to participating in the inaugural CSUSM Giving Day in 2015.

“I think my exposure to the student philanthropy world and the CSUSM Foundation Board came from different student connections through ASI,” Myers said. “But giving was always part of what I did as a student, including as an adolescent.”

On Dec. 3, when CSUSM hosts its 10^th annual Giving Day, Myers will do what she’s done every year since that first one – give. Myers is one of 15 people – and one of just three alumni – who have donated on CSUSM Giving Day every year since its inception.

CSUSM Giving Day is part of Giving Tuesday, an international day focused on philanthropy. For 24 hours, donors have an opportunity to choose from dozens of programs to support. Last year, CSUSM Giving Day raised nearly $460,000 with contributions made by 2,410 donors. A variety of giving challenges are planned this year, including a dollar-for-dollar match from the Epstein family on the first $200,000 given up to $10,000 per gift.

In addition to donations, people can support CSUSM Giving Day by:

• Becoming an ambassador and helping to promote the program they love by reaching out to their personal networks on CSUSM Giving Day using their own custom link.
• Re-posting and commenting on their favorite CSUSM Giving Day social media posts to increase engagement and inspire others to give.
• Learning more about the causes that can be supported and the immediate impact that can be made by giving on Dec. 3.

Myers has supported many programs over the years, including the student philanthropy endowment fund, a variety of scholarships and the economics department from which she graduated in 2017.

“I give because I believe in philanthropy,” said Myers, who leads sales operations for Carlsmed, a commercial stage medical technology company and leader of the personalized spine surgery market that is based in Carlsbad. “I believe also that education and access to education is the crux of societal and personal change. I think that it is the solution to bringing awareness to societal issues.

“And in responsible hands and minds, money is really quite a renewable resource. So philanthropy and giving back is really like giving blood – it will come back, and the impact it will make is bigger than the impact you'll feel. And that’s something I appreciate.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

One day, McDermid will be meeting with a company that is developing what are effectively electric helicopters designed to cover distances of less than 100 miles – basically, an Uber for the skies. The next day, she’ll sit down with a business that’s building a device that captures a semi truck’s carbon emissions directly from the tailpipe, pumps it into a tank, then either buries it underground or sells the CO2 for use in products like soda.  

Still other days might include huddles with firms that make rooftop solar panels, heat pump water heaters, even self-driving cars.   

“Each of the clients that I work with, I get a chance to embed in their team,” McDermid said. “I get to jump around. And not only is the subject matter different, but the people are different and the vibe is different. I like that diversity.” 

Those clients, in turn, value McDermid’s expertise, so much so that they’re willing to pay handsomely for it, in many cases while they’re still trying to get off the ground as a startup. The Cal State San Marcos alumna is the founding partner of Caliber Strategies, a Sacramento-based lobbying firm that helps energy and climate companies – whether sexy startups or stodgy utilities – navigate the regulatory maze that is the California policy arena.  

In doing so, McDermid draws on almost two decades of experience in state politics and policymaking, going back to when she was a clean energy adviser to former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in her early 20s, only a few years after graduating from CSUSM with a degree in biology.  

“I founded this company because it’s really challenging to bring new technologies to market, especially in a place like California where the market rules are quite complex and there are all these different agencies doing different things,” McDermid said. “We focus exclusively on climate and energy, and primarily on what I refer to as disruptive technologies.” 

Founded in 2013, Caliber now totals eight employees, and one of McDermid’s fellow partners is Michael Picker, former president of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), the nonpartisan body charged with regulating the state’s utilities. The company has almost 50 clients, including investment management giant Blackstone, accounting firm KPMG and Sunrun, one of the nation’s biggest solar installers. 

Sometimes Caliber’s clients take the form of a legacy company that’s opening a new product line. A.O. Smith Corporation, for example, has been around for 150 years and is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of water heaters and boilers, with annual sales of almost $4 billion. But as California increasingly moves toward the full electrification of all buildings, A.O. Smith is gravitating toward heat pumps, which heat water using electricity instead of gas.  

Enter Caliber. The company worked with a team of nonprofit, industry and environmental organizations to help pass legislation to allocate about $44 million in incentives for heat pumps. Caliber then led an effort with this coalition and the CPUC to design an incentive program that would offer state residents payments of up to $7,300 for installing heat pumps.  

Another category of clients is fledgling businesses with an innovative solution to a climate-related problem. Charm Industrial is a Bay Area startup with a mission to, as its website touts, “put oil back underground,” an elegantly simple description of the complex science involved in carbon capture and sequestration. Charm approached Caliber in its infancy, seeking to get introduced to the right people, increase its name recognition and create a market from scratch.  

“It’s about streamlining the process, and even more so trying to educate regulators,” McDermid said. “We educate regulators and policymakers about what the needs of new technologies are. After the policymaker has already said, for example, we want electric cars and you have the market ready, there remain all these barriers that no one has figured out. So it’s a collaborative process to figure out how we get from where we are now to where we want to be.” 

It was at CSUSM where McDermid discovered her twin passions for environmental science and public policy. Having initially enrolled at the university on a cross country and track and field scholarship (she competed for two years before injuries forced her to stop), she decided she wanted to pursue conservation biology and save the earth one planted tree at a time.  

At some point in her college journey, however, it dawned on her that planting trees – even 10 to 20 acres worth – couldn’t compare with, say, protecting millions of acres through legislation. As a junior, McDermid spent the fall semester in Washington, D.C., as part of the Panetta Congressional Internship Program, and when she returned, she ran for and was elected president of Associated Students, Inc., for her senior year in 2004-05. She even started a progressive activist organization with some friends.  

“CSUSM was this perfect testing ground to try out all these different things,” she said. 

Using her student experience as a springboard, McDermid was accepted after graduation into the Capital Fellows Program, an initiative through Sacramento State that offers paid, full-time fellowships in each branch of California’s government. She was assigned to Gov. Schwarzenegger’s office for a year, followed by a year working in the office of First Lady Maria Shriver.  

In 2008, McDermid got her big break when Susan Kennedy, still early in her tenure as Schwarzenegger’s chief of staff, acted on a recommendation to tap McDermid as her top deputy. Kennedy was seeking not an executive assistant but someone who could step into her high-pressure position when necessary and not miss a beat. In McDermid, she found a kindred spirit, essentially a younger version of herself.  

“She was perfect,” Kennedy said. “She looked out at the landscape from the perspective of, if she were the chief of staff to the governor, how would you prepare for this? How would you brief him on this? What information do you need from the agencies or the departments or the senior staff? 

“It’s a very tough role to step into, and she earned everyone’s respect because she was so good at what she did. She made me twice as good at what I was doing because she was as good as me.” 

Near the end of his eight years as governor, Schwarzenegger began to feel a particular urgency to buttress his accomplishments in the climate space. He tasked Kennedy with figuring out how to secure permitting for a host of renewable energy projects being incentivized by the Obama administration, and Kennedy in turn tasked not only Picker – the former CPUC president and current Caliber partner – but also McDermid.  

“It was a failure-is-not-an-option initiative by the governor,” Kennedy said. “I gave Michael all the power, and I gave him the most powerful weapon I could think of, which was Manal. The two of them were responsible for basically unlocking gigawatts of renewable energy in California, which completely changed the landscape of the state’s climate initiatives.” 

McDermid’s efforts were so successful that, when Schwarzenegger left office in 2011 and Jerry Brown entered, she was among just a handful of staffers retained out of the nearly 100 in the governor’s office. She departed later that year to take a job in Washington as a lobbyist for NextEra Energy, an electric utility holding giant, before Kennedy lured her back to California in 2013.  

With her longtime mentor, McDermid launched not only Caliber but also Advanced Microgrid Solutions (AMS), a company that was born out of the shuttering of the San Onofre nuclear power station in June 2013. That closure created an immediate 20% power shortage in large portions of Los Angeles, a gap that AMS filled by building what McDermid called the “world’s largest virtual power plant” – battery storage systems at commercial sites like Kaiser Permanente, Irvine Company and Walmart. Over time, AMS shifted its focus from developing those large-scale energy storage projects to providing software that allowed others to optimize their own energy storage assets. 

When AMS was sold in 2020, McDermid rededicated herself to Caliber, which had been on the back burner for a few years. During the pandemic, she got married and moved from San Diego (where she grew up after her family escaped war-torn Lebanon when she was 3) to Santa Barbara, her husband’s hometown. Manal and Hitch, her husband, have a 3-year-old son, Malek.  

McDermid makes frequent trips to Sacramento and to San Francisco, where Caliber has a small office. Not coincidentally, the Bay Area also is the headquarters of the CPUC, one of the regulatory bodies that Caliber works closely with, along with the California Energy Commission, the Air Resources Board and the Natural Resources Agency. 

Many for-profit companies have an adversarial relationship with the regulators that establish the rules governing them, but that’s not the case with Caliber or most of its clients. They’re all in the same boat and rowing in the same direction when it comes to the state’s ambitious climate goals, which is one of myriad reasons why McDermid loves the work she does.  

“We’re very focused in California precisely because we actually want to get things done,” McDermid said. “I don’t want to spend my time convincing someone that climate change is a problem or that we should put more electric vehicles on the roads. The nice thing about California is, at the highest level, the leadership is completely bought in on what the problem is. And it’s more about figuring out: How do we solve it?” 

Manal Yamout McDermid 

Major at CSUSM: Biology 

Graduation year: 2005 

Company: Caliber Strategies 

Website: caliberstrat.com 

Founded: 2013 

Number of employees: 8 

Talking Business With Manal Yamout McDermid

What's the best advice you received about starting a business? 

Work with people you like. It's super simple, but if you pick people you like and admire and want to spend an inordinate amount of time with, you really can't go wrong. In some ways, getting the people right is more important than the idea and the path to market.  

What advice would you give budding entrepreneurs? 

Same advice as the first one: Choose your partners carefully, and choose them based on their character, their integrity and your level of trust in them. Don’t just think about breaking into a market. 

What's the greatest challenge in starting your own business? 

I think it's the uncertainty and the self-doubt that come with it, like: Should I grow? The greatest challenge is believing that as you scale up, things will work out, and getting the confidence to take that next step. 

Knowing what you know now, is there anything you would have done differently?  

No. I'm a firm believer that whatever happens was supposed to happen, and it doesn't mean that it was good. But I wouldn't have done it differently.  

What are the qualities of a good entrepreneur?  

I would say confidence, belief in yourself. The ability to really pay attention to what's happening around you, whether that's the market or the people you surround yourself with. 

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

Each student was required to develop a business plan based on a product they conceived. Finestone decided to curate a product that combined her passion for cooking with a childhood love of chocolate milk.  

But Finestone wanted to develop a healthy alternative to other chocolate milks on the market. She noticed that there was a growing demand for more plant-based options, and she wanted to create a product that would avoid a laundry list of unfamiliar ingredients. 

When Finestone couldn’t find a product on the market that met her requirements, she chose to make her own. Using her Vitamix blender to grind almonds in her kitchen at home, Finestone crafted samples of chocolate- and strawberry-flavored, plant-based almond milk. She served it to each student in the class while presenting her product. 

“I remember a classmate saying, ‘I do not drink flavored milk, no matter what kind of milk it is, but I would buy this one,’ ” said Finestone, then known by her maiden name of Mandim. 

The overwhelming support from her peers inspired Finestone to launch The Mulk Co. in June 2018, only one year after she graduated from Cal State San Marcos with a bachelor’s degree in global business management. 

“What she is doing in starting up a food business is extremely difficult,” said Dick Lansing, who worked with Finestone as part of the College of Business Administration’s Career Mentor Program. “There are all sorts of hurdles and problems and costs that you need to go through and take into consideration. 

“I generally don't recommend anybody go into the food business, as an individual person, unless they have a lot of money they want to lose. But she had a plan, which was really good and really smart.” 

Today, Finestone’s signature almond milk is available at nine farmers markets throughout San Diego County and three in Los Angeles. She has gone from grinding almonds in her kitchen to using a commercial space in Vista, where she produces 10 different flavors and three seasonal offerings. The chocolate and strawberry flavors that she shared in class are among the most popular – and the recipe hasn’t changed much since then.  

“I can’t pick a favorite, but I associate each flavor with a memory,” Finestone said. “When I think of strawberry, I think of the student who complimented me in class because I couldn’t believe that she liked it so much.” 

Finestone takes pride in using only real ingredients in her almond milk; it contains no additives, fillers or preservatives. She sources her almonds from a farm in California’s Central Valley, where 80% of all almonds in the United States are harvested. 

Mulk has become so successful that Finestone has employees to cover the numerous farmers markets, though she still can be found each Sunday at the Leucadia Farmers Market.  

“My husband tries to get me to stay home and rest on Sundays, but I just love it,” she said. “There’s just something about the community and relationships you build with other vendors. I love the friendships you make, not just with your customers but with fellow business owners.” 

Finestone never intended to be an entrepreneur. It took a one-way ticket around the world for her to discover this path. 

Finestone grew up in South Africa, where she earned a bachelor’s in fine arts from Witwatersrand College and then graduated from Inscape Design College. She had a well-established career in interior design, even winning an interior designer of the year award for Virgin Airlines’ launch in South Africa. 

When Finestone’s parents moved to Australia, where her sister had landed a job, Finestone decided to move with them. But she quickly learned that Australia wasn’t where she wanted to live long term. Instead, she packed her belongings to find someplace that felt like home. It began a journey that took her from Melbourne to Sydney and then on to Chile, Brazil, Peru, Argentina, Bolivia, India and Thailand. 

With visits to more than 30 countries over her lifetime, Finestone credits the globe-trotting experiences for shaping her as a businessperson. In fact, it was a trip to India that inspired one of Mulk’s most popular flavors. The company’s golden almond milk is blended with turmeric, cinnamon and ginger, a nod to the Indian drink masala haldi doodh, which translates to “golden milk.”  

“I remember drinking it at Indian street markets, and it was delicious,” Finestone said. “I knew I wanted to create a version of it for Mulk.” 

After nine months of traveling, Finestone returned to Australia to see her family. She didn’t stay long, taking an offer to visit a friend in Los Angeles. This trip was different from the others, though. It was her first time in the United States, and she fell in love with Southern California. 

Finestone found herself with new opportunities, and she leaned into her passion for cooking, which had been a constant in her life since she was 6 years old and honing her skills with her mother and grandmother. Her talents led to a job as a chef for Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer. 

But Finestone yearned for something else. She started studying business leadership and management at Santa Monica College and landed internships in public relations and marketing. She always thought her time in the U.S. would be temporary, that she would eventually return to Australia to be closer to her family. Then she met her future husband, Adam. 

One of Finestone’s internships was located next to the packing and shipping company owned by Adam’s parents. She frequented the store to mail packages, becoming such a regular that Adam’s parents invited her to a Christmas party where she met their son, who was visiting from San Diego. 

Finestone eventually moved south to be closer to Adam and continued to pursue her business degree, first at Palomar College and then at CSUSM. 

“I liked the idea of having a degree that would support any industry,” Finestone said. 

Finestone also had support from Adam, whom she credits for inspiring the name of her almond milk business. 

“My husband makes fun of me when I say ‘milk.’ It sounds like I’m saying ‘mulk’ because of my South African accent,” Finestone said. “The name just stuck, and I felt like it was fitting for my business.” 

Starting any business comes with challenges, and the food industry is notoriously difficult for budding entrepreneurs. It wasn’t just Lansing, a College of Business Administration advisory council member, who warned Finestone about how grueling it could be.  

As Finestone grappled with whether to start a business or find a corporate job, she reached out a week after graduation to Jim Hamerly, then the college’s dean. 

“I certainly shared some of my concerns and skepticism with Melissa about starting a food business,” Hamerly said. “She told me, ‘Well, I'm manufacturing it in my kitchen at home and I'm crushing my own almonds.’ And I'm thinking, ‘Oh my.’ ” 

Hamerly knew that could be problematic for adhering to U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines and that a commercial kitchen would be needed. At the time, Hamerly was helping his brother with a soup stock business, which required Hamerly to learn about packaging and manufacturing fluids. He shared what he learned with Finestone, even connecting her with his brother. 

Both Hamerly and Lansing were impressed with Finestone’s drive to launch her business. She decided after meeting with them that she would start small and serve her milk at a few local farmers markets. It was familiar territory to Finestone, who worked as a food service vendor for Bitchin’ Sauce, an almond dip company, while attending CSUSM. 

“I knew the lay of the land,” Finestone said. “I was able to create connections with other farmers market vendors and get ideas for my business.”  

When Finestone was just starting out, Hamerly was a regular visitor to her booth at Poway’s farmers market on Saturday mornings to support her and purchase Mulk products.  

“She's really good with people,” Hamerly said. “I used to sit on the sidelines and watch her sell to people as they came through the farmers market. A lot of CSUSM students start businesses, but she's really got a great head for business. She gets it.” 

Six years after launching Mulk, Finestone is familiar with the landmines that come with owning a business. But the happiness that radiates from her customers keeps her going. She is continuing to grow the business, with hopes of one day having Mulk available in Whole Foods. 

Finestone still thinks often about the day that her classmates tried her almond milk for the first time. She smiles when she recalls their reaction, and the memory never ceases to fuel her motivation for the future. 

“I have had lots of challenges,” Finestone said. “But I believe in my product and I see people’s faces when they find something they like. And when customers keep coming back, it just tells me that I'm actually fulfilling some sort of need. That's really what keeps me going.”  

Melissa Finestone 

Major at CSUSM: Global business management 

Graduation year: 2017 

Company: The Mulk Co. 

Website: themulkco.com 

Founded: 2018 

Number of employees: 3 

What advice would you give budding entrepreneurs? 

“Rank on a scale of 1 to 10 how passionate you are about this idea because it needs to be 11. Don't be scared of starting a business. It might fail, but it also might set you up for your next success. I've come across entrepreneurs who have started one product, realized there were a lot of roadblocks with the product and then they switch and start doing something else. And then they actually move forward with that one.” 

 What’s the greatest challenge in starting your own business? 

“Employees and when your equipment breaks. I use industrial equipment and I'm not an engineer. So if something goes wrong, it's really stuck.” 

 Knowing what you know now, is there anything you would have done differently? 

“It would have been so cool if I was studying business while I was starting a business. Because I think I would learn a lot of principles and it would have helped getting feedback from professors.”  

 What are the qualities of a good entrepreneur? 

“Resourcefulness, passion and a high learning curve.” 

Media Contact

Bri Phillips, Communications Specialist

bphillips@csusm.edu

That was the situation Elijah Schneider found himself in as a freshman at Cal State San Marcos when he attended a Thanksgiving celebration in the fall of 2015. One of the guests that day – Schneider remembers him being a neighbor or a distant family friend – was a business owner who was soliciting opinions about his company’s Instagram channel.  

Though firmly in its core demographic, Schneider was no big afficionado of Instagram – he estimates that he had posted fewer than 20 times in about a decade of having an account. He was (and is), however, very opinionated. So while fellow attendees declined the invitation to weigh in, Schneider didn’t hold back. 

He told the man that his company’s feed looked ugly, that the images resembled generic stock photography and that he should replace whatever marketing agency handled his social media. A few days later, Schneider followed up with a phone call in which he proposed a rather bold suggestion for who should be the replacement. 

As Schneider recalls it: “I was like, ‘Hey, you’re getting ripped off. You told me you’re paying this agency 10 grand month or something. How about you pay me 1,500 bucks a month? I will learn, I will become obsessed with this. Give me three months. If it doesn’t work, get rid of me.’ ” 

To Schneider’s surprise, the man agreed to the gambit. Schneider had promised that he would devote 10 hours a week to the enterprise, but he grew so fixated that he doubled it. After a few months, the company’s Instagram following had swelled by a factor of eight, and the man was so pleased that he wanted more services.  

“Do you know how to do paid ads?” he asked Schneider. 

“No, but I’ll figure it out,” Schneider replied, with a degree of self-assurance that would become his trademark.  

He did indeed, to the tune of quintupling a $1,000 investment in paid ads after taking a few courses on YouTube and LinkedIn. By the end of his freshman year, Schneider was managing tens of thousands of advertising dollars, being connected to a second client and hiring his first employee – all while living in The QUAD housing facility and taking classes toward his major in business administration. 

As a teenager in his dorm room, Schneider founded a digital marketing agency that he first called Mercury Media before changing the name to Modifly in 2017. He continued to build the company during his five years at CSUSM – eventually moving into an office at Union Cowork across the street from campus in North City – before graduating in 2020.  

Today, Modifly occupies a sleek, modern, 8,000-square-foot space in a high rise in downtown San Diego, a short walk from where Schneider lives with his wife, Sarah, an OR nurse at UC San Diego whom he met at CSUSM. Two years ago, Schneider sold a majority stake in his nascent business to a parent company called CourtAvenue, helping his team grow to 30 employees spread across four cities, including Mexico City. Modifly’s current and former clients include such brands as Mercedes-Benz, Nordstrom and UGG boots.   

Asked about his unorthodox path to becoming an entrepreneur, the now 27-year-old Schneider said: “Because I didn’t have the baggage of working for other companies, I hadn’t developed bad habits. I had to develop perspective, which allowed me to – with no experience – test things and see what’s working and what’s not. Not having a traditional background is fantastic in terms of the progression of the business because we do things differently. Every time somebody joins the company from another agency, they’re like, ‘It’s not supposed to work like this.’ And I’m like, ‘I know, it’s great.’ ” 

How does Schneider do things differently? He conducts a performance evaluation called a 360 review in which every employee of the company evaluates everyone else, meaning that the CEO (Schneider) can get critiqued by a lower-level worker who was just hired.  

“It’s not about age or experience,” Schneider said. “Everyone’s perspective is critical.” 

How does he do things differently? Even as the young leader of a young business, he’s not afraid to call established companies out on what he sees as flawed marketing strategies and to propose solutions that constitute much more than tinkering around the edges.  

Take Poo-Pourri, which devises and sells fragrant sprays for toilets. The company approached Modifly after its previous marketing partner didn’t work out. After a deep dive into customer feedback, Schneider proposed a complete overhaul of its approach, mostly notably removing the “Poo” and broadening to other types of sprays. Now rebranded as ~Pourri, the company peddles fragrances that reduce odors from not only the bathroom, but also pets, cars, shoes, baby diapers, even marijuana. 

“Digital media and digital marketing are constantly changing – every hour, it feels like,” Schneider said. “It’s a giant puzzle, and if you have to navigate that as a brand, it can become really confusing. I love this business because it pushes me to think outside the box to solve problems.” 

Schneider’s righthand man almost since the outset of his entrepreneurial journey has been Brandon Biancalani. They met at orientation before their first year at CSUSM – Schneider an incoming freshman from San Diego, Biancalani from San Clemente. They soon learned that they would be living a couple rooms down from each other on the same floor of The QUAD (Schneider’s future wife lived a few rooms down in the other direction).  

Biancalani initially was struck by Schneider’s outspokenness – a sharp contrast to his introversion – but while other residents of the dorm were distracted by partying or other teenage concerns, he and Schneider bonded over long, late-night conversations about life goals. Having entered CSUSM as a kinesiology student, Biancalani quickly realized it wasn’t for him, and when Schneider dangled an opportunity in the summer of 2016 to be Employee No. 2 for Modifly (then Mercury Media), Biancalani jumped at it.  

They moved into an apartment south of campus and lived together for the next 3½ years before graduating in the same class. Biancalani, who’s also married to a fellow CSUSM alumna, is now the head of paid media for Modifly.  

“We had this feeling early on that we could be really successful with this,” Biancalani said. “Even when we didn’t have an office, we’d meet at a coffee shop, just a couple kids figuring stuff out. And then it started turning into something big really fast.” 

Biancalani says their business partnership works so well because he’s a detail-oriented, data-crunching specialist while Schneider is a big-picture visionary.  

“Elijah has done so many personality quizzes that land him in that ‘thought leader’ category,” he said. “If something new pops up, he’s probably three steps ahead and already is best buddies with the person who owns the company. His superpower is that he can predict things and be on the cutting edge and be fearless in voicing that early. And he’s right 99% of the time.” 

After Schneider sold his majority stake in Modifly in 2022, he turned over day-to-day operations to a new president, Nico Coetzee, who’s been in the marketing business since Schneider was an infant. Now that he has built a stable company, Schneider is relentlessly focused on its growth. He travels frequently to meet potential clients, speak at conferences and generally proselytize on behalf of Modifly.  

Given that he stumbled upon his career in the most accidental way imaginable – giving offhand advice to someone at a family gathering – even Schneider is often amazed by the passion he feels for it.  

“I pour myself into this job because I can and because I want to,” he said. “It doesn’t feel like work; it’s my favorite thing. There are definitely days where I’m like, ‘I just want to go home, I’m done.’ But 99 out of 100 days, I love what I do.” 

Elijah Schneider 

Major at CSUSM: Business administration 

Graduation year: 2020 

Company: Modifly 

Website: wemodifly.com 

Founded: 2016 

Number of employees: 30 

Talking Business With Elijah Schneider

What's the best advice you received about starting a business? 

Surround yourself with the right people. You are a product of your environment, and if you have morally good people around you, then every piece of advice you're receiving is typically to your benefit. People over everything – that's the biggest thing.  

What advice would you give budding entrepreneurs? 

If you have an idea for a business, just do it. Don't overthink it. Just put it in the market. Also, make sure you give yourself permission to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. 

What's the greatest challenge in starting your own business? 

For me, it was age and experience. I didn't really have a good mentor system around me. The people I could turn to for advice, I kind of had to build that as we went.  

Knowing what you know now, is there anything you would have done differently?  

I would have evaluated myself more. I am good at some things, I am great at others and I am horrendous at others. I wish I had been able to take a step back and evaluate myself in a way where I could place levers of accountability to fill the holes.  

What are the qualities of a good entrepreneur?  

First and foremost is awareness. You have to be aware of yourself, your environment, your strengths and weaknesses. Number two is vision. As an entrepreneur, if you cannot bring people together to accomplish something, whether it's a task or solving a specific problem, you're not going to do well. 

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

CLIMB, which stands for the Center for Leadership Innovation and Mentorship Building, was established by the College of Business Administration in 2004 with the goal of serving “the leadership development needs of the surrounding community through innovative research and collaboration with various internal and external constituencies.”

Raj Pillai, a professor of management and the executive director of CLIMB, co-hosted a special session of the signature “In the Executive’s Chair” program featuring alumni Quynh Pham, Jimmy Thai and A.J. van de Ven on Oct. 22.

“Each one of these individuals embodies the principles of CLIMB,” Pillai told a group of about 80 students who attended the event in Markstein Hall.

Pham, a 2016 graduate, is the director of coaching for Leaderology, which provides customized executive coaching and leadership development. Thai, who earned his MBA in 2000, is the president and co-founder of the Build a School Foundation, a nonprofit that provides educational opportunities for poor children. Van de Ven, who was named CLIMB’s 2023 Outstanding Business Leader, is the CEO and president of Calsense, which creates sophisticated smart irrigation solutions built on a foundation of technology, education and partnership.

Pillai and co-host David Berry, a lecturer in the management department, asked the panelists a series of questions designed to help students as they prepare to navigate the transition to the professional world. Three teams of students concluded the session by asking the panelists additional questions.

Three more “In the Executive’s Chair” events are scheduled for November. The sessions are open to all CSUSM students, alumni and community members. Learn more at the “In the Executive’s Chair” website.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim assistant director of editorial and external affairs
ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

On a Thursday afternoon in mid-February, a group of residents at the Bayshire Carlsbad assisted living facility made the exotic trip for free when white virtual reality headsets were placed over their faces.  

“You better hold on to your seat!” a resident named Jim Conley exclaimed as he craned his neck back and forth and spotted elephants, gorillas and monkeys in his field of vision, with a spectacular mountain range as the backdrop. “Boy, that is one pretty picture.” 

While Conley, seated in the first row of chairs, grew increasingly enmeshed in the virtual paradise around him, Jeremy Ford walked among the couple dozen other residents on hand for the VR session, carefully fitting them with their own headsets. Nearby, Tracy Ford, Jeremy’s wife, chatted with a couple of the residents as if they were old friends.  

After the safari experience, the residents hopped on a (virtual) plane and traveled to Cuba, then to Argentina and South Africa. A little less than an hour later, they were back at Bayshire, their eyes transfixed, their spirits lifted.  

“Every month when they come, I’m one of the first people out there,” said Conley, 72, a former boxer who has trouble walking now. “We saw a lot of cool stuff today. How often do you get to be that close to an elephant? After a while, you have to remind yourself that it’s not real.” 

That type of transporting experience is just what Jeremy Ford himself went through three years ago when, on an ordinary shopping trip to Best Buy with his wife, he strapped on a VR headset and found himself soaring over the Golden Gate Bridge like an eagle. Jeremy is a technophile who always has been an early adopter when it comes to electronic gadgets – he has waited in line for multiple iterations of the iPhone – and this would be no exception. Tracy bought him an Oculus Quest 2 for his birthday, only a year after it had been released. 

Neither Jeremy nor Tracy studied business as students at Cal State San Marcos – Tracy graduated with a degree in criminology and justice studies in 2007, Jeremy with a degree in sociology in 2015 – but both possess an entrepreneurial bent that sees them frequently bounce ideas off each other. Here was a golden business idea staring them in the face: the opportunity to combine Jeremy’s technological savvy with Tracy’s interpersonal skills and their mutual desire to help people. 

Following a year dedicated to research and development, the Fords purchased 20 of the Quest 2 VR devices and in October 2022 launched Lightning Tours (the name was inspired by their son, Colton, now 5, and his love of the character Lightning McQueen from the Pixar film “Cars”). They considered multiple demographics as their target audience before deciding that senior living facilities made the most sense.  

“It started out with just putting on a headset, experiencing it for ourselves and wanting to share that with others,” Jeremy Ford said. “We’ve always had a passion for helping others and putting a smile on people’s faces. And that’s what we do, day in and day out.” 

Almost two years after the company was formed, Lightning Tours still hasn’t spent a penny on marketing. In the early days, the Fords pitched their concept to multiple facilities in North San Diego County by giving free virtual tours, and they gradually attracted paying customers by positive word of mouth. Now, they have grown to almost 40 VR experiences per month, and in total have given more than 500 throughout Southern California.  

As the tech guru, Jeremy handles the VR side of the business – buying and maintaining the headsets, selecting and loading the proprietary travel software, rigging the equipment so that it’s as comfortable and user-friendly as possible for an older clientele. He also has used his background in sales to drum up more customers, and he has personally directed all but one of the VR sessions (the single exception was when he had to travel for a funeral).  

Tracy, meanwhile, shoots photos and videos for the company’s social media channels while also taking the lead on communication with the residents of the facilities.  

“I try to build relationships with the seniors,” Tracy said. “I’m more of an emotional person, so I like to come in and see how they’re doing, how their day is going while he’s getting everything set up. I’d say he’s the brains of the operation, and I’m maybe more heart. 

“Although,” she added with a smile, “he does have heart.” 

Most of Lightning Tours’ clients value its service so much that they have booked standing monthly experiences. Each time, the tour is to a different country or region of the world – with rare exceptions, the destinations are places that the seniors are incapable of traveling to at this point in their lives.  

The effect can be powerful. Jeremy recalls a woman at a facility in Irvine who was initially reluctant to participate before he convinced her to give it a try. She agreed and sat quietly for the whole hour, turning her head in every direction. After the tour of Paris ended and Jeremy removed her headset, he saw that she was crying. When he asked her what was wrong, she related that her husband had died a few months earlier and that the sights during the tour brought back exhilarating memories of their frequent trips to the City of Light as a couple.  

“It was a moment that will stick out forever in terms of being able to provide that to her,” Jeremy said. “We want to bring joy to people, connect them to something that they might not otherwise be able to connect with, whether it’s the technology or whether it's the location.” 

Residents have been known to clap when the Fords enter the facility each month and to cheer after the experience. Some sites have introduced passport books, with seniors receiving stamps when they visit a new country. Olah Tupuola, the resident program director at Bayshire Carlsbad, said Lightning Tours has been a “transformative program” since the Fords first came to the center last September.  

“Their professionalism and kindness have made a significant impact on our community,” Tupuola said. “With Lightning Tours, the concept of a vacation is redefined, as residents can explore the world virtually, often while reliving cherished memories.”  

Jeremy and Tracy Ford are accidental entrepreneurs in more ways than one. A San Marcos native who’s the son of a Marine, Jeremy transferred to CSUSM from Palomar College and played on the first men’s basketball team in university history, coached by Jim Saia. He aspired to go to law school after graduation but ended up working in sales, first for a law firm and then for two large national life insurance companies.  

Tracy grew up in Oceanside and hoped to parlay her criminology degree into a career in law enforcement. But she graduated into a poor labor market caused by the 2007 recession and instead took a job in finance for 24 Hour Fitness. Unfulfilled by it, she transitioned into a role as a personal trainer for the same business. In fact, Tracy and Jeremy met at a 24 Hour Fitness gym, and they got married seven years ago.  

Both feeling boxed in by their corporate environments, they tried to turn a couple of their other late-night brainstorms into businesses, but nothing took off. Then came the fateful visit to Best Buy. Not that the birth of Lightning Tours came without hurdles. For the first 10 months of the company’s existence, Jeremy kept his full-time position at Ethos Life Insurance. 

“But there came a point where my wife was driving me to tours and I was working in the passenger seat, trying to do both jobs,” Jeremy said. “It was like, ‘OK, this isn’t sustainable. We’ve got to figure something out.’ ” 

That something was his decision to leave Ethos and dedicate himself fully to the startup in August 2023, which was accompanied by a different challenge in terms of the loss of his monthly paycheck. Jeremy called it a big leap of faith that makes him anxiety-ridden just by thinking about it.  

“They say it’s not easy to start a business, and they weren’t lying,” Tracy said. “But now we know exactly what to tell future entrepreneurs: If you think you’re ready to quit your job, wait at least six months, then do it.” 

Almost all of Lightning Tours’ clients are assisted living facilities, but the Fords have dipped their toes into other waters as well. They have brought their VR experiences to a few different daycare and after-school programs in the region, allowing children the same opportunity to see distant lands as the seniors get. This summer, they introduced a travel tour called “Around the World in Five Weeks” to the Boys & Girls Club of the South Coast Area in San Clemente, with passports and stamps for the kids to document their adventures. They also are in the process of getting approved by the San Marcos Unified School District to offer tours in local schools.  

Some of the sessions don’t even involve virtual travel. Lightning Tours has conducted some guided meditation experiences for the sales departments of businesses or for employees of high-stress jobs, such as firefighters and police officers. 

“Brick by brick, we’re building those partnerships,” Jeremy said.  

Yet the senior population remains the Fords’ primary focus, which makes sense given that there are more than 50,000 facilities for assisted living and memory care in California and they have been to only about 50 of them. The company’s growth continues apace.  Lightning Tours has two other partial owners (unpaid for now) specializing in partnerships and strategic innovation, and it’s on the verge of hiring an employee to run some of the tours and free Jeremy up to source more business.  

Last spring, the Fords bought 20 more Quest 2 headsets (the company is now owned by Meta, Facebook’s parent), doubling their inventory, and deployed them in the Inland Empire through a licensing agreement with a couple who lives there.  

“I think this will go as far as we can take it,” Jeremy said. “We’ve done things strategically because if we grow too fast, the base can be flimsy and it can all fall apart. But thinking big picture, Lightning Tours could be national, it could be in every state, every big city.  

“Where we are now is trying to put the pieces together, get this technology out there and in the hands of as many seniors as possible. We want to provide high-quality experiences and the joy of travel, get them outside of those four walls that they’re in daily.” 

Jeremy and Tracy Ford 

Major at CSUSM: Jeremy, sociology; Tracy, criminology and justice studies 

Graduation year: Tracy, 2007; Jeremy, 2015 

Company: Lightning Tours 

Website: lightningtours.co 

Founded: 2022 

Number of employees: Four 

 Talking Business With Jeremy Ford

What's the best advice you received about starting a business?  

Have goals. Having goals gives you strategic direction, and if you don't have them, you'll be spinning your wheels. When you have those goals, it enables you to focus on the main categories that will be the catalyst for your business moving forward.  

What advice would you give budding entrepreneurs? 

Be prepared for long hours, a lot of late nights. On those late nights, it can seem like you're on an island by yourself. What we learned the hard way is that having a team is very important – bringing others in to help support certain aspects of the business. Your reach expands when you let other people in to help. 

What's the greatest challenge in starting your own business? 

If you already have a full-time job, it can be difficult to decipher when it's time to quit and give your business the full attention.  

Knowing what you know now, is there anything you would have done differently? 

I would have waited longer to quit my full-time job. And I would have focused more heavily on the revenue-producing aspects of the business. Even though we do have quite a robust product now, there were times when we were building it up where the churn was at a higher rate than the income that was coming in.  

What are the qualities of a good entrepreneur? 

I can sum that up in one word: perseverance. If you do not have perseverance, you will not be an entrepreneur; you will go back into the workforce within months. If you have the ability to persevere, the ability to plan things out and execute that plan, you have a much better chance of being an entrepreneur for longer than just a few months.  

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

Ortiz still gets nostalgic recalling childhood trips to Rite Aid to grab Thrifty’s ice cream with her parents. Her go-to flavor was chocolate, and it brought her comfort every time she ate it.  

Ortiz cherished the little things. Going for chocolate ice cream with her mom and dad may have seemed ordinary to others. But for her, growing up in a low-income family, it was always a special moment. 

 “Ice cream was always a reward,” Ortiz said. “I had to do something good to get it. Every time I had ice cream, it was always that sense of accomplishing something, even if it was something small.” 

 Now, as a business owner, Ortiz looks for special moments like these through customers at her own ice cream shop. Entrepreneurship was never something on her radar, but that changed at Cal State San Marcos. It was a combination of fond memories of eating ice cream with her family and realizing that ice cream shops have the happiest clientele. 

 “No one goes to an ice cream shop angry, right?” Ortiz said. “Customers are either really happy because they're with family or friends or they've had a really bad day and they want a pick-me-up.”  

 Since graduating from CSUSM in 2018 with a degree in marketing, Ortiz has launched a successful ice cream business, Cali Cream, with her husband, Ken Schulenburg. Ortiz has helped craft 55 different flavors, including her childhood favorite, chocolate. 

 Quality is paramount. Cali Cream ice cream is made with 16% butterfat, compared with an average of 12% for most ice cream companies.  

 “We get it shipped from the farm to us within seven days,” Ortiz said. “It's only seven days from cow to cone.”  

 Since opening steps from Moonlight Beach in Encinitas in 2016, Cali Cream has expanded to include a bakery and a second ice cream location in San Diego’s downtown Gaslamp Quarter. Cali Cream also has been featured at special events like Comic-Con International and concerts at the Rady Shell at Jacobs Park.  

 “I don't know if there was ever a moment where the lightbulb went off,” Ortiz said, “but I think there are times where you're in a place in your life where you just say, ‘Hey, I want to do something different.’ ”  

 Ortiz came to CSUSM looking for a change, intending to create a better life for her daughter, Leslie. 

 When she was 16, Ortiz learned that she was pregnant. Telling her parents was difficult, and she didn’t want them to be disappointed in her or think it would keep her from having a successful future.  

 “It was extremely hard,” she said. “You never want to disappoint your parents. And you never want to do anything that they think might hold you back. Sometimes kids make mistakes. I've learned from it, but I think I've turned it around. I also believe that there are certain things that just kind of happen for a reason, and I feel like she's my biggest motivator. We’ve grown up together.” 

 Leslie was born prematurely, weighing just 4 pounds. Ortiz was facing adult responsibilities at a young age, but Leslie was a constant source of inspiration and motivation.  

 “At that time, it was so difficult to try to navigate everything,” Ortiz said. “But I ended up just striving forward again. I'm not going to be a statistic. I'm not going to let something like that hold me back. I needed to give my family – and I needed to give my daughter – a good example.”  

 When Ortiz was introduced to Rebeca Perren, a CSUSM marketing professor and former faculty mentor in the College of Business Administration’s mentorship program, she was clear that going back to school at age 30 was all for Leslie. And Perren was excited by the possibility of helping Latina students because when she was a student, she rarely saw people like her in the classroom. 

 “I wanted to help students who were like me,” Perren said. “And just by chance, Juliana was the student who was assigned to me. I got to know Juliana and her story, not just as a first-generation college student, but as a mother. She had a teenage daughter and she wanted to get her degree before her daughter went off to college. I had children myself, and we connected on so many different levels.” 

 Perren and Ortiz would meet to discuss class assignments and the struggles of being Latina in higher education. Ortiz saw that Perren regularly met with other business students, and she suggested that they all come together and start gathering as a group.  

 Perren invited Josefina Espino and Chris Santos to join, and they all bonded instantly. They met twice a month, usually at the campus Starbucks, and talked about how they pictured their lives after college.  

 The mentor group evolved into CoBA’s Latino Business Student Association, with Perren serving as the faculty adviser for seven years. Espino remembers when Ortiz revealed to the group that she was interested in entrepreneurship and wanted to start an ice cream business. Ortiz and Espino even used her business idea for a research project in a marketing class taught by professor Kristin Stewart.  

 Starting a path to entrepreneurship was exciting, but also nerve-racking for Ortiz. She didn’t know how she would balance being a student and mother while quitting her job as a marketing coordinator at Pacific Records, Inc. in San Diego.  

 “I remember one of the most important conversations I had to have with Juliana was about being generous to herself,” Perren said. “She, of course, had so much to offer, and one of the most difficult decisions she had to make was investing in herself. She is such a generous and loyal person. It felt difficult to let go of some of her commitments and give back to herself.”  

 Now, as an entrepreneur, Ortiz shows her generosity in the creative ways she connects with her customers and employees. When a customer comes into Cali Cream and talks about an ice cream flavor that holds significance for them, Ortiz goes out of her way to make it.  

 “Ice cream is such an emotional product,” Ortiz said. “We've made special request ice cream orders, because maybe it's a birthday present or it’s their parents' favorite. It’s so cool because I get to be the decision-maker. I can say yes or no, but if someone were to ask any other ice cream company, the answer is always going to be no. But my goal is to always make people happy.” 

 One of the most rewarding parts of Ortiz’s job is supporting her employees through college. It’s her way of giving back. A photo wall in the Encinitas location displays the logos of the colleges that her employees are attending. Ortiz even established a rule that if an employee performs well during the summer, they are guaranteed a job when they come home from college.  

 “I remember going to Cali Cream and seeing that the tip jar said ‘college fund’ on it,” Perren said. “It’s really awesome to see how college is built into the company culture. It's great when you see our alumni not only make a difference in their own life, but also how she can inspire and create social mobility in her family and in our community.”  

Juliana Ortiz 

Major at CSUSM: Business marketing  

Graduation year: 2018 

Company: Cali Cream 

Website: calicreamicecream.com 

Founded: 2016 

Number of employees: 35-80 (depending on the season) 

Talking Business With Juliana Ortiz

What’s the best advice you received about starting a business? 

Do what feels right for you and don’t be afraid to take risks. Not every risk is going to be successful, but there's certain risks that are very rewarding. I think if you do your work and research time, then it minimizes the damage.  

What advice would you give budding entrepreneurs? 

I would say go for it. I think you never want to regret not making a decision because of the fear of failure.  

What’s the greatest challenge in starting your own business? 

The greatest challenge for me was trying to understand the process for getting health permits. 

Knowing what you know now, is there anything you would have done differently? 

For us, it's a weather-based ice business. I have to look at weather for the next week and for the next couple of days to see how it impacts our business. That’s something that most people don't think about.  

I would also make sure to work with a team and ensure that if there's a new product, we have to educate them. If your team's not good and if they're not educated, it falls back on you. They also don't want to be put in a position where they don't know how to communicate to their guests. 

What are the qualities of a good entrepreneur? 

With changes in just about anything, whether it’s regulation or COVID, you have to be able to adapt and you have to be able to transition. 

Media Contact

Bri Phillips, Communications Specialist

bphillips@csusm.edu

Valdivia was in her second year at Cal State San Marcos, and she was thriving both in and out of the classroom. But she was also an undocumented student whose academic career was a fragile thing, always at risk of being thrown off course by seemingly endless dangers and challenges.  

It wasn’t built to withstand incidents like the crash Valdivia was the victim of while driving to campus in 2009. She was unconscious for a short period, and when she came to, the police were on the scene, tending to her and asking for her driver’s license. One problem: Because of her undocumented status, she didn’t have a driver’s license. 

Officers asked if she wanted to be taken to a hospital. No, she said. She didn’t have health insurance, and the prospect of the emergency room fees was terrifying.  

Valdivia came away from the accident with a fine for driving without a license, a hefty bill for recovering her car from the impound lot – and a belief that she had reached the end of the road in her quest to graduate from college. 

“It was a reminder of how vulnerable I was in my pursuit of an education,” Valdivia said. “At the time, I was struggling to pay for school in the first place. When that crash happened, I was like, ‘I guess this is as far along as I can go.’ ” 

In the end, Valdivia greatly underestimated her individual fortitude, the support of her family and the kindness of the community. After receiving a scholarship from a couple she calls her guardian angels, she graduated from CSUSM with a degree in sociology in 2011.  

But she didn’t stop there. She went on to earn a master’s from San Diego State and a Ph.D. from Harvard University, then received a UC President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship. She's now a professor at UC Irvine, where she teaches courses on immigration, and law and society, and also mentors undergraduate and graduate students through the qualitative research process. 

Though she has gained more security in her immigration status, Valdivia remains passionate about issues affecting undocumented immigrants. At 35, she has emerged as one of the nation’s foremost young voices on the plight of undocumented students in America, determined to prevent future Carolinas from being waylaid before they have a chance to succeed – as she very nearly was. 

“She has a pretty deep moral compass in terms of what’s right and what’s just,” said Marisol Clark-Ibáñez, the associate chair of CSUSM’s sociology department and one of Valdivia’s mentors during her time at the university. “And what she does isn’t just for herself – it’s for her larger community. She’s very invested in the idea of the collective.” 

Valdivia has the collective in mind with every scholarly pursuit. She’s writing a book that examines how immigration enforcement impacts young adults and their families. She’s continuing to oversee the My Undocumented Life online platform, which she launched in 2011 and features up-to-date information and resources for undocumented students, their families and allies. 

As if that weren’t enough, Valdivia also led – with Clark-Ibáñez – a two-year research initiative that explored the experiences and needs of undocumented high school students in the county and the school personnel who work with them. Building on work that Valdivia did with Clark-Ibáñez when she was a student at CSUSM, the UndocuResearch Project – billed as by, for and about undocumented students – involves a team of about 35 researchers who have fanned out to dozens of high schools in the region to talk to students and educators about what it’s like to attend school during this era of stronger enforcement and anti-immigrant sentiment. 

The third and final phase of the project was an independent study sociology course that Valdivia taught with Clark-Ibáñez at CSUSM in which students were embedded in local high schools and took detailed field notes about the daily lives of undocumented students and educators. The team is continuing to disseminate the results through a research report, academic articles and presentations. 

“We knew from our own connection with students and their families that they were experiencing heightened levels of fear and stress and depression,” said Valdivia, adding that only a small percentage of undocumented students is able to enroll in college. “We wanted to be able to capture it so we could then tell the story of what’s happening and what needs to be done.” 

Born in Mexicali, Valdivia migrated to the United States with her family when she was 12. She was a Dreamer, the term for undocumented immigrants who were brought to America as children. That designation deeply shaped her educational trajectory, including her time at Orange Glen High School in Escondido. She was motivated to follow in her sister’s footsteps and pursue a college education, and to repay her parents for the endless sacrifices they had made. 

She applied to several universities in the state and liked the idea of following some of her friends to a school in Northern California, so she could escape her Escondido bubble. Her ineligibility for financial aid wasn’t the only hurdle, however, nor was her lack of a driver’s license. There was also the matter of Border Patrol checkpoints and the ever-present fear of deportation.  

Even to people who she knew and trusted, Valdivia didn’t exactly advertise her immigration status. 

“I remember feeling like there was this cloud hanging over her,” said Rita Guerra, who was a counselor at Orange Glen at the time. “It’s not that she was giving up, but it seemed that there was something worrying her and she didn’t want to talk about it.” 

Valdivia found her voice at CSUSM. She joined and later became president of an organization for undocumented students, the name of which the group later changed to STAND (Standing Together As oNe Dream) to sound more assertive. She became an intern for the National Latino Research Center, which fostered a fondness for research and activism that has only blossomed over the years.  

“I love learning. I love reading. I love writing,” Valdivia said. “In college, that’s when it hit me, and I was able to nurture it. My time at CSUSM provided the starting point for what I’m doing now.” 

Clark-Ibáñez encouraged Valdivia to carry her education into graduate school – “I had no idea what that was,” she said – but she remained undocumented, which meant barriers still blocked her path. To afford the exorbitant fees for grad school applications, she and a friend organized fundraisers, selling anything they could think of – T-shirts, bracelets, tamales. She was accepted to and wanted to attend Loyola University in Chicago, but she couldn’t afford the cost of out-of-state tuition. She also feared being questioned at the airport about her immigration status.   

Valdivia ended up at SDSU due to the proximity to home. In retrospect, she’s glad she did, as that’s where she gained invaluable research and teaching experience. By the time she was looking into options for her doctorate, she had acquired protections under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which allowed her to obtain a driver’s license and work permit. She chose Harvard because of the presence of Roberto Gonzales, a leading immigration scholar who was Valdivia’s internship adviser after she was named a Sally Casanova Scholar through the California Pre-Doctoral Program for underrepresented students. 

With a Ph.D. from an Ivy League university in hand and a career as a professor, Valdivia is now in demand as a public speaker, telling the inspiring story of her educational journey. Guerra saw her give a keynote address at a counselors’ conference several years ago and was reduced to tears by pride for her former student. 

Despite all she has overcome and accomplished, Valdivia has no desire to sit back and take a breath. But her relentless drive takes a toll. In the course of dozens of interviews for her book and related projects, she has heard countless stories about people being detained and deported, causing her greater stress and costing her sleep. 

It reminds her of how far she has come. It reminds her of how far so many others still have to go.  

“Whenever I speak about what I went through, I’m always sure to emphasize how much support I had from my family, friends, mentors and the broader community, and how much I want to be able to help others in that sense,” she said. “Yes, I worked hard and had determination, but this is something millions of others are experiencing and they also need to have a community there to support them. I want to be part of that community.”  

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

Ott immediately sent it to his mom, who is a huge fan of the show, and she quickly became his No. 1 supporter to try out. 

Ott later received news that he would travel to Los Angeles and begin filming for the 21^st season of the hit ABC series, a reality TV dating show where a single woman meets a group of 25 romantic interests in hopes of finding her future husband. 

The contestants were introduced in the first episode, which premiered July 8. Each participant made a grand entrance where they met this season's bachelorette, Jenn Tran, for the first time. 

“The limo entrance was crazy,” Ott said. “You can always have it in your head of how it’ll look, but until it smacks you in the face, you have no idea what that feeling is like. No one can prepare you for that.”

However, Ott felt prepared when it came to having an audience. His communication and media studies degree from Cal State San Marcos gave him a foundation to build on. Ott’s first speech in COMM 100 gave him an idea of what being in the public eye might look like. 

“I think that after you can do that as a freshman, an 18-year-old in college, you're prepared for anything,” Ott said. “It helped me block out the negative and be myself.” 

Ott owes his experience at Cal State San Marcos to the late Dennis Pugh, the university’s first baseball coach, who recruited him for the team in 2014. 

“My time at Cal State San Marcos was probably the best years of my life,” said Ott, who graduated in 2019. “There’s nothing better than playing the game you love and being around your best friends.”

Even though Ott’s time on the field ended, he never left his baseball roots. His mullet haircut and love for wearing hats is still part of his everyday life.  

“I don't know if it's the baseball player in me, but ever since I was a little kid, I have always worn a hat everywhere I go, other than when I'm working,” he said. “I probably have 60 to 70 hats in my closet. It's ridiculous.” 

Ott’s love for his mullet only grew once he flew to Melbourne, Australia, with the cast to film “The Bachelorette’s” third episode. 

“I kind of fit in a little bit because that's the big haircut in Australia,” Ott said.  

Once in Melbourne, Ott and three other contestants went on a group date in a high-speed race-car competition. The winner of the race had the chance to spend some time alone with Tran. 

“Despite the combination of trying to drive stick, which I don’t know how to, and being on the right side, I somehow won it,” Ott said. “That was such a crazy experience. Getting to ride in that car and win the race ended up with me having some extra time with Jenn.”

Ott wasn’t sure what would be shown once the episodes began airing, and watching it for the first time with his family and friends was a memorable experience. 

A scene of “Truth or Dare” was a rather hard watch for Ott. 

“I had to run around the mansion in my underwear,” Ott said. “When that happened, I had to look away.” 

While it was awkward for him to watch, Ott shared laughs among family and friends. 

Ott even made new friendships during filming. 

“I went there for romance and I left with bromance,” he said.  

Ott voluntarily left the show in episode five, saying his connection with Tran was not at the same level as the other participants. 

Ott returned to his job as an account executive with FAIRWAYiQ, a golf course operation technology company in San Diego. He plans to continue his sales career but would love to expand his social media presence. 

“If there is a little side quest in social media, if I get that opportunity, I would love to do that,” Ott said. “I think I would flourish in it.” 

Returning home from the show, he was shocked at the love he had received on social media. While he made connections on the show, he made even more through various social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. 

Before the show, Ott had a small following on TikTok where he shared lifestyle videos showing his life in San Diego. Since being on the show, his TikTok account has grown to more than 100,000 followers. Being noticed in public was never an everyday occurrence until now. 

“I think that’s the craziest switch,” Ott said. “Sometimes when I go to the grocery store or the gym, someone will come up and be like, ‘Hey Austin!’ ”

Being on reality television has changed Ott’s life. 

“It was something I never envisioned for myself, never pictured,” Ott said. “I'm so thankful that I got the opportunity.” 

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Belanger is a 2020 master’s graduate of CSUSM’s speech-language pathology (SLP) program, and she recently returned to campus as part of the university’s SLP summer clinic. A regional implementation lead for the state-funded Open Access project, she made a significant impact by mentoring students and introducing pediatric clients to augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices.

“CSUSM’s SLP program provided me with a solid foundation for a successful career,” Belanger said. “Returning to supervise this summer was my chance to give back to a program that helped shape me as a clinician. I was thrilled to enrich my supervisees’ experience and inspire their passion for the field.”

At the summer clinic, which operated for four hours each weekday morning through Aug. 9, Belanger and other supervisors helped 120 pediatric clients and 24 adults receive vital speech and language services at no cost. The program not only provided crucial support to the community, but it also served as a hands-on training opportunity for graduate students in the SLP program.

Adrienne Shah, a lecturer and supervisor at the clinic, highlighted the dual benefits of the program.

“Our students provided over 3,000 hours of free speech therapy this summer,” Shah said. “It was an incredible opportunity for them to build clinical skills while serving our community.”

Shah, who had a positive experience as a CSUSM student, was driven by a desire to support current students.

“I wanted them to recognize the value of their hard work and the difference they were making in people’s lives,” she said.

Sarah Alapizco, another clinical supervisor, emphasized the importance of building confidence among students.

“I aimed to build their confidence and show them that they had the skill set to implement successful therapy,” she said. “The summer clinic also fostered collaboration, helping students support each other and enhance their learning experience.”

The clinic’s impact extended beyond the academic and professional spheres. A mother of a young adult client shared her appreciation for the services.

“I was so happy that we found this clinic,” she said. “We had never been a part of a program like this, and my son had needed these services for a very long time. This was a special place, and I was excited to continue coming.”

Karen Delfau, visiting from France, brought her 10-year-old daughter, Augustine, to the clinic.

“I sought a range of speech and communication resources unavailable in my region,” Delfau said. “While visiting family this summer, I was pleased that Augustine could benefit from the program, and I hope to return next year.”

For more information about career opportunities in speech-language pathology or to learn about clinic services, visit CSUSM’s SLP department website.

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

CSUSM has the second-most CDIP fellows among the 23 CSU campuses. 

The CSUSM fellows are:

• Daniela Adriana Carreon, who is studying sociology at Arizona State and is sponsored by communication professor Michelle Holling.
• Yvette Conde, who is studying education at UC Riverside and is sponsored by sociology professor Marisol Clark-Ibañez.
• Matthew Logan Cope-Arguello, who is studying plant pathology at UC Davis and is sponsored by biology professor Elinne Becket.
• Diana Gamez, who is studying anthropology at UC Irvine and is sponsored by sociology professor Marisa Salinas.
• Rachel Ann Nortz, who is studying education at Pacific University and is sponsored by speech-language pathology professor Suzanne Moineau.
• Ciara Sanders, who is studying molecular biology at Princeton University and is sponsored by Becket.
• Emmanuel Solis, who is studying medical and molecular genetics at Indiana University and is sponsored by biology professor Carlos Luna Lopez. 

Additionally, CSUSM speech-language pathology lecturer Rachel Nortz, a graduate of San Diego State and San Jose State, is part of the cohort, studying education at Pacific University and is sponsored by speech-language pathology professor Sue Moineau.

CDIP aims to increase the number of faculty with the qualifications and skills needed to teach the diverse students of the CSU. The largest program of its kind in the United States, CDIP has supported nearly 2,500 fellows pursuing doctoral degrees since 1987. CDIP also prepares promising doctoral students for CSU faculty positions by providing financial support, mentorship from CSU faculty and professional development with grant resources. 

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim assistant director of editorial and external affairs
ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

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

The award honors alumni associations’ pioneering programs, culture and initiatives that encourage and support diversity, inclusion and a sense of belonging for all alumni, irrespective of racial or ethnic background, sexual or gender identity, religion, socio-economic status, world view and beyond.

CSUSM will be featured, along with 31 other recipients, in the June 2024 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.

"Today, we celebrate not only the remarkable achievements of our Alumni Association and our team, but also the vibrant mosaic of experiences, backgrounds and dreams that define our alumni community,” said Lori Brockett, associate vice president of alumni engagement and university events. “Over 57% of our graduates last year were first in their families to earn a degree, and each one of our alumni brings a unique narrative of resilience, making it imperative that our association board reflects the diversity of our student body.”

INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine selected the CSUSM Alumni Association because of its commitment to diversity initiatives, including a focused goal of recruitment and representation on the Alumni Council Board to reflect that of the diverse student body at CSUSM. The CSUSM Alumni Association also was noted for creating and building affinity group alumni networks over the past few years.  

“We know that alumni associations are not always recognized for their dedication to diversity, inclusion and belonging,” said Lenore Pearlstein, owner and publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. “We are proud to honor these college and university alumni associations as role models for other institutions of higher education.”

This marks a special recognition for the CSUSM Alumni Association and coincides with the recent accolade won by the CSUSM library for access and diversity. CSUSM proudly upholds its commitment to fostering an inclusive and equitable campus community and also celebrates a decade of consecutive honors as the recipient of the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity award by INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.

For more information about the 2024 Alumni Association Inclusive Excellence Award, visit insightintodiversity.com.

Recipients are lauded for dedicating themselves to quality mathematics education and actively supporting participation in conferences and workshops, or being involved in ongoing curricular improvement in mathematics.

Maxey, who earned a master's degree in mathematics at CSUSM and has 19 years of teaching experience, has taught at Great Oak High School in Temecula for the past nine years. At Great Oak, Maxey teaches a variety of courses, including Calculus BC and Introduction to Linear Algebra.

Maxey will receive $250 to go toward his math classroom or professional development, a commemorative plaque, a lifetime GSDMC membership, registration to a future GSDMC conference and seminar, and the invitation to speak at a future GSDMC conference.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist
ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

It was “Risk and Resiliency in Childhood and Adolescence,” a requirement for his child and adolescent development major. Frank’s professor, Sharon Hamill, had one message above all others that she wanted students to take away from the class.

“I told them to always remember how important it is to have an adult who cares about you,” Hamill said. “It changes everything. Just an engagement with someone where you really hear them, you know them, and they feel valued, that in and of itself helps to make young people – and all of us actually – very much more resilient.”

It’s a lesson that stayed with Frank after graduating in 2019, and one he continued to keep top of mind as he earned his master’s in social work from CSUSM two years later. Today, he’s putting that advice to work in his role as a therapist at Casa de Amparo, a short-term residential therapeutic program for girls ages 12-18 who have been victims of child abuse and neglect.

“We learned in that class that the biggest predictor for kids building resiliency skills is having a trusted adult in their life, just a trusted adult that they can connect with,” said Frank, recalling Hamill’s course.

“We talked about this idea of buffers. If a kid is going down the wrong path, a buffer gets in the way and steers them to a different path. And that buffer is a trusted, caring adult. I remember thinking, ‘I want to be a buffer for these kids.’ That was a huge moment in my life when it came to why I want to do this work.”

Frank was an intern at Casa de Amparo, which is three miles north of campus, while pursuing his master’s. His positive demeanor, energy and rapport with both clients and staff led to his being hired full time after graduation. A member of CSUSM’s basketball team while a student, Frank saw a need among the girls at Casa de Amparo for a health program that would positively impact their physical and mental well-being.

The result was his creation last March of an incentive-based workout program. Children at Casa de Amparo are given a weekly allowance, and Frank worked with the organization’s administration to provide financial incentives for the biweekly workouts.

“We see so many of our kids who haven't had a healthy lifestyle modeled for them,” said Erin Gospodarec, Casa de Amparo’s chief operating officer. “Being able to see them focus on their physical health and how that is improving their overall mental health has just been dramatic.”

Frank’s program includes five exercises – regular pushups, modified pushups, planks, wall sits and running. He intentionally chose exercises that require no equipment and would allow the girls to easily do them outside of the formal biweekly workouts. He even created an additional incentive to help motivate the girls to continue doing the exercises on their own.

Girls receive $1 extra in their allowance for each exercise they complete, meaning they can earn an additional $5 if they complete all five exercises. They can earn up to $5 more by beating their previous record ($1 for each record broken).

If the girls see that they can set a goal and surpass it when it comes to pushups or wall sits, Frank said they’ll learn that they can apply that to other parts of their life, too.

“The reality is lots of these kids have been abused,” he said. “So they’ve had their physical bodies taken from them in some ways. And now, because of that experience, they no longer feel in control their physical bodies. Doing these types of exercises, doing this workout program, it teaches them to regain control of their physical bodies.”

And that, Hamill noted, is what sets Frank’s program apart.

“It's not just an exercise class,” she said. “It's really about learning how to say, ‘I can take control over my own body, my own behavior. And I've got this person here who cares about me and is going to support my efforts.’ In many cases, it might be the first time in their life that anybody's ever done that.”

The positive feedback Frank has received, both from participants and professionals, has him examining how he might expand the program. He is meeting with representatives from CSUSM’s Innovation Hub to learn more about ways in which he can grow it.

But the goal isn’t about building a business, it’s about having a lasting impact on at-risk children.

“I've been a teacher for 35 years, and I've never had a student that was so intuitive and so engaged – and I've had lots of really smart students,” Hamill said. “Alec is the kind of person who you meet, and he changes things for you. There's an expression that says ‘Be the person who makes other people believe in good people,’ and Alec is that person.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Edwards was only 12 years old when he taught himself how to cut his own hair. It was a talent born of necessity. He and his family had moved to San Ysidro, just north of the Mexican border, and there were no barber shops in the area that specialized in styling the hair of Black clients.

As Edwards grew, so did his skills, and his customer base. He started by practicing on a few kids in the neighborhood. In high school, he was the unofficial barber of his football team, and he expanded the operation as a football player at Grossmont College, charging $5 per head every Thursday.

By the time Edwards enrolled at Cal State San Marcos as a transfer student returning to higher education in 2021, he was close to completing barber school. Now a licensed barber and a recent CSUSM graduate, he operates a small studio in San Diego, rotating about 25 clients through his single chair.

That’s half of Edwards’ career track. It’s the other half, though, that elevates his story from merely intriguing to truly unique.  

Edwards studied psychology at CSUSM, and it was at the university that he dreamed up the idea of melding his longtime practice of barbering with his fledgling research on mental health treatment. Before graduating last May, he became the first student in the state (according to some digging he did on the topic) and possibly the nation to conduct a preliminary study on a college campus in which barbering is used as a tool for trauma-informed advocacy.

Edwards is now building on this novel project while in his first year as a Master of Social Work student at San Diego State.

“I’ve always had the ability to talk to people, build rapport with them and connect with them in that moment of cutting hair,” Edwards said. “But I never thought of it as an interaction that could help someone, where a person felt that they could trust me enough to share certain information with me. It wasn’t until I came to Cal State San Marcos that I started thinking about it from the standpoint of a mental health advocate.”

Starting in the fall of 2022 and under the direction of psychology professor Aleksandria Grabow, Edwards embarked on a year-long independent study course through which he constructed his research project. After forming a pool of 60 male participants (15 of whom were CSUSM students) and doing a survey about their backgrounds and experiences with barbers, he gave each of them a haircut in a lab in the Social and Behavioral Sciences Building.  

For one group, Edwards talked to the participants as a normal barber would – chatting about sports, the weather, weekend plans, et cetera. For the other, he talked to them specifically about mental health and advocated for their mental well-being.

Of the latter group, nearly 100% of those individuals who received the advocacy said they would be willing to seek professional help, whether at Student Health & Counseling Services or a mental health clinic in their area. Of the control group, they almost universally said they had no desire to go out of their way to talk to a mental health professional (meaning unless that person was there in the room).

Edwards’ main takeaway from the study?

“There is a direct correlation between the level of trust that a client has with their barber and their ability to share and receive new information regarding mental health, which can lead to help-seeking behaviors following an interaction with a barber who is trauma-informed,” he said. “As a psychology major, I learned how to be trauma-informed – that’s how to listen, how to answer, how to share information with people from an advocate standpoint. When you're trauma-informed and a barber, and you have someone coming to you with vulnerabilities, there's going to be a change in their behavior for the better. This is all through getting a haircut, and that's because these individuals trust you, they feel safe and they don't feel like they're being pressured to do anything other than just exist in that moment and engage in a conversation.”

Grabow was inspired by Edwards’ fusing of his twin passions when she met him at career panel for CSUSM psychology students. She agreed to be the faculty adviser for his independent study course, and though she assisted him with the logistical aspects of the research, she says the bulk of the project was “all John – the idea, the drive, the execution.”

“What John is doing is bringing healing to the individual,” Grabow said. “This preliminary study shows that, whether it's mood improvement or an increase in openness to mental health services, a barber visit can go beyond providing a haircut. John worked diligently to apply as controlled a research environment as possible, from cutting hair in the same space to the same music and ambience for all the participants in his study. The project is certainly novel, and has the potential to contribute to how we research and apply mental health healing and advocacy.”

At San Diego State, Edwards is furthering his research from CSUSM, exposing it to additional academic rigor that can aid in the eventual publication of what he believes is a first-of-its-kind study. He also has started a nonprofit called Better CUTS (which stands for “Connected, Uplifted, Transcended and Saved”), his spinoff of the mental health platform BetterHelp. The goal is to create a space where men in distress – maybe they’re experiencing a mental health crisis or just need someone to talk to – can get their hair cut by a trauma-informed barber, whether that’s Edwards himself or someone he trains.

“My vision is to partner with as many people as I can who want to be a part of this project and come up with a curriculum where I can teach barbers how to be trauma-informed, how to listen, how to look for clues, how to identify certain behaviors,” Edwards said. “Not to approach clients as a mental health professional, but as a person who is able to lead them to individuals who can help, and they will be a part of my coalition of professionals.

“There are barbers all over San Diego County who have men and women who come in and talk about mental health in some capacity, and I believe barbers should be educated and encouraged to welcome those conversations.”

Like his love of barbering, Edwards’ fascination with mental health comes from his formative experiences. He grew up in a household with his mother, three sisters and no male role models (his father was out of the picture). For much of his adolescence, he struggled to relate to other males or express his emotions, though learning to cut his friends’ hair helped ameliorate that deficiency.

After graduating from Chula Vista High School, he attended Grossmont College mostly to play football, and when that path didn’t pan out, he dropped out of school, presumably for good. In 2017, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement hired him as a contractor to work in the Otay Mesa Detention Center. His mother has worked in the same facility for more than 25 years, and Edwards valued the position because he was able to interact with detainees (mostly men) and help them begin to make better decisions while serving time.

But then came a double whammy: Edwards lost his job and the COVID-19 pandemic struck in rapid succession. He found himself briefly unhoused due to the inability to afford high rental costs in San Diego and so immersed in negative thoughts that he could barely function. For a man who had never tried therapy and was highly skeptical of its value, this was a good time to start.

The mental health professional whom he visited improved Edwards’ head space, and Edwards was moved to act on an idea that already was marinating in his mind: Why not help men find their way through cutting their hair? Soon after, he enrolled in both barber school and CSUSM, beginning to put his plan into action.

Better mental health through better cuts.

“This is everything that I should have been doing all along,” Edwards said. “I believe that God tells us to use our gifts to serve other people. My gift is talking and my gift is barbering, and I'm using those gifts to serve my community.”

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

The award is given yearly by the Migrant Clinicians Network (MCN), a national nonprofit focused on the health needs of migrants, immigrants, asylum seekers and other underserved communities. This honor is awarded to early-career clinicians who show a significant dedication to health justice, demonstrate leadership and make an impact at the intersections of vulnerability, migration and health. 

Merino-Gonzalez has worked in the Migrant Health department at Vista Community Clinic for three years, providing critical support to the migrant and immigrant community of San Diego County. Merino-Gonzalez uses her unique perspective, background of understanding and empathetic nature to provide her community with the best care possible. 

Candace Kugel and Ed Zuroweste, award creators and namesakes, explained that the former social science major, “clearly personifies the criteria we look for in a recipient of the Kugel & Zuroweste Health Justice Award.” Merino-Gonzalez will receive a gift in the amount of $1,000 and recognition across MCN’s network of partners, collaborators and constituents.

Merino-Gonzalez and other finalists will be honored on Jan. 30.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist
ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

As a young boy, Yuri Rodea loved the freedom that a camera provided. His 1970 lens gave him a reason to explore the world. That thin strip of film laid the foundation for a strong bond with his father. And through that rudimentary camera body, with the only customizable feature being the speed of a shutter, he was able to make life his own. 

 Grinning jovially, Rodea explains some of the many layers of being a photographer: 

1. Being an equipment nerd, knowing intricate details of lenses and camera bodies. 
2. Living in the moment, always ready to snap experiences as they arise. 
3. Having an artistic eye that’s always searching for imaginative shots and angles.  

Rodea grew up knowing these layers well, as photography was a pastime he shared with his father. They were not professionals, but they found joy and connection in documenting the family's outings. In his adult life, Rodea found himself spending a large amount of his time in a niche field of photography – designing cameras to be used in space.  

 On a daily basis, Rodea reimagines what a camera is. As one would assume, this is no easy task. The composition of every camera, satellite or product he works on is elaborately tested to ensure that it can survive the conditions in space because, in space, everything changes.  

A Cal State San Marcos alumnus, Rodea spent the last six years working for Malin Space Science Systems as an engineer, and he will soon start a new position with Rocket Lab, a company that launches rockets and does satellite integration. In these roles, he has been responsible for the setup, testing and calibration of cameras used in flight programs, and the list of impactful projects that he has been a part of is extensive.  

To name a few, Rodea worked on the WATSON camera used in the Mars 2020 Perseverance mission as part of NASA’s Moon to Mars exploration approach; NASA’s ShadowCam, which offers views into shadowed areas near the lunar poles; Mastcam-Z, a mast-mounted camera system with a zoom function on the Mars 2020 rover; and the Psyche multispectral imager, which provides high-resolution images with filters to discriminate between the Psyche spacecraft’s metallic and silicate constituents, etc.  

All equipment used in such projects must be failproof, robust and long-lasting – essentially perfect. This is because, in harsh and hazardous environmental conditions with unpredictable circumstances, there are no second chances or backups. Once it’s in space, the product can't be physically changed. 

“When you think of a challenge of space, imagine taking a camera out of the oven and then putting it immediately into the freezer," Rodea said. “The atmosphere in space heats up, then goes to negative temperatures, and as soon as you’re out of the sun, it’s a dead zone.”

Even small, minor details must be tested to ensure functionality, such as the type of paint on the exterior or the softness of a brush bristle. Perfection is crucial, as cameras are used to photograph galaxies for public consumption or groundbreaking scientific research. 

“These cameras introduce a new generation of people into photography, which is cool because people have wanted to explore planets since the dawn of man,” Rodea said.  

This work is quite complex in its composition, and the deadlines can be rigorous. But Rodea’s family, especially his father, is immensely proud. 

“When I talk about the different focal lengths or different types of cameras such as infrared or ultraviolet, my dad loves it,” Rodea said. “It’s a nice connection to have with him because in space fields, whether it's rockets or spacecrafts or satellites, the details are hard to understand. But for the big ideas, everyone can connect more easily and understand concepts, because I work with what they’re seeing on television."

In addition to familial support, Rodea credits his professional advancements to the ability to learn engineering during his CSUSM undergraduate years on the same equipment he uses in the workforce. Specifically, using vacuum equipment and high-end electronics for control data analysis in the lab of CSUSM physics professor Gerardo Dominguez cut out a year-and-a-half of on-the-job training and allowed him to get hired immediately.  

“I was impressed by Yuri since the very first day that I met him," said Dominguez, who's also chair of the physics department.  “He was always a standout student in my lab and is someone I’m very proud to call an alumnus.” 

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

The manuscript “Massive contractions of Myotonic Dystrophy Type 2-associated CCTG tetranucleotide repeats occur via double strand break repair with distinct requirements for DNA helicases” was published by Oxford University Press in the scientific journal G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics in early November. 

The research analyzed the disease myotonic dystrophy type 2, which is a genetic condition that causes progressive muscle weakness. To conduct the study, Kim and her students used yeast to investigate the CCTG DNA repeats that are responsible for the disease. Yeast is commonly used by biologists and geneticists because the cells replicate their DNA similarly to human cells. 

“Even though DNA repeats associated with human disease have been studied for 20-plus years, this was the first study that investigated CCTG DNA repeats in a system that mimics the human situation where the repeats are on a chromosome,” Kim said. 

“I think what's exciting is that this was the first comprehensive genetic analysis of these CCTG repeats. And we were able to pinpoint genes that are involved in contractions. Then we were also able to show that these repeats, when they're long, are actually more susceptible to breaking.” 

Kim started the research in 2017 while doing postdoctoral work at Tufts University in Boston and brought it to CSUSM when she became a professor.

“The pandemic definitely slowed things down a lot,” Kim said. “In 2020, we were at peak productivity. It felt like we were just a few months away from publishing at that point. Then the labs were basically shut down completely from March to about November.”

The amount of time that Kim and the students could be in the lab was limited, but the research started picking up once pandemic restrictions were lifted. The project took a total of five years to finish. 

“It feels like such an accomplishment,” Kim said. “I'm just so proud of the work scientifically and also the student contributions to the work. When I see the author list, I'm just very proud that each name represents an individual academic journey.”

Kim’s former students involved in the project are David Papp, Luis Hernandez, Theresa Mai, Terrance Haanen, Meghan O’Donnell, Ariel Duran, Sophia Hernandez, Jenni Narvanto, Berenice Arguello and Marvin O. Onwukwe. 

Media Contact

Bri Phillips, Communications Specialist 

bphillips@csusm.edu 

She didn’t major in history as a student at Cal State San Marcos in the mid-2000s (her degree was in communication). She doesn’t teach history or speak at history conferences or write about historical eras or figures.

Yet there Forsythe was last March, on stage at San Diego State’s Joan B. Kroc Theatre, being inducted into the San Diego Women’s Hall of Fame with six other trailblazing women. Her category: historian.

The honor was one that first surprised her, since she has served as a military journalist in two branches of the U.S. armed forces for three decades. Upon reflection, though, as she sat on the stage, it overwhelmed her to be recognized for documenting the stories of service members and their families for so many years, most notably on five combat deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“Sharing the courage it takes to wear a uniform and fight and risk everything is a great source of pride for me,” Forsythe said. “I was very honored to be a part of that wonderful, diverse group, and being considered a historian takes it to another level I never even imagined.”

Forsythe is nearing the end of her decorated military career, but she’s not done sharing stories of valor. In May 2022, she self-published a book titled “Heroes Live Here: A Tribute to Camp Pendleton Marines Since 9/11.” It takes readers on a journey through the vast training base in Oceanside – where Forsythe served as an enlisted Marine for almost six years leading up to Sept. 11 and where she still works as a civilian public affairs officer – and provides insights behind more than a dozen tributes and monuments on base that pay homage to brave Marines.

In her research for the book, Forsythe learned that more Marines from Camp Pendleton were killed in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars than from any other base or station in the United States.

“That was a really heavy burden for the community of Oceanside and North County,” she said. “I don’t think a lot of people know the legacy of this base that marked its 80^th anniversary last year, so I wanted to shine a light on that.”

Last spring, Forsythe visited the Special Collections department of the CSUSM library to contribute a signed copy of her book (anyone can purchase their own inscribed copy by going to heroeslivehere.com). It was just one of several recent examples of her becoming reconnected with her alma mater. Those include meetings with campus and Veterans Services leadership, a speaking gig for the College of Business Administration series “In the Executive’s Chair” and a role as emcee when the San Diego Military Advisory Council gave its Lifetime Achievement Award to Maj. Gen. Tony Jackson, the former chair of CSUSM’s Foundation Board.

“In the past, I tried to attend one alumni event a year, but then I realized that there are more opportunities for partnerships,” Forsythe said. “I like finding ways to make connection points and trying to be the glue between Camp Pendleton and the university.”

A Santa Rosa native, Forsythe enlisted in the Marines in 1993, five years after she finished high school. She received just the assignment she was seeking by being dispatched to Defense Information School, the U.S. Department of Defense’s version of journalism school, where she learned all aspects of being a public affairs professional in the military – from print, broadcast and radio journalism to community engagement and media relations. After initially being stationed at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, she got orders to go to Camp Pendleton in 1995. Over the next several years, she wore multiple hats, including content producer for the base TV show and reporter for the base newspaper, the Scout.

Forsythe left active duty in 2000 to enroll at Palomar College, but everything about her planned life path changed the following year after 9/11 happened. Though she managed to complete her higher education, earning a bachelor’s degree from CSUSM in 2005 and a master’s in global leadership from the University of San Diego in 2009, her status as a combat correspondent came to be dominated by three tours of duty in Afghanistan and two in Iraq over a period of 16 years.

As a staff sergeant who gave herself the title of visual information chief, Forsythe led a staff of troops whose task was to collect video footage, interview Marines and assist the media in their reporting. In 2006, for example, she was in charge of the satellite dish that would be transported to Iraqi war zones like Fallujah and Ramadi and be used to connect military leaders with news outlets in America, or to link Marines with the TV stations in their hometowns.

It was a great experience for Forsythe, knowing that she was helping to craft the narrative that was being beamed back to the U.S. But it was also a profoundly dangerous one. In December 2006, Megan McClung, a public affairs officer and Forsythe’s boss at the time, was killed when the Humvee in which she was escorting journalists around Ramadi was blown up by an IED. McClung became the first female Marine Corps officer to die in combat during the Iraq War.

“I wasn't on the convoy that she was with, but we had been at the same camp,” Forsythe said. “It could have been me, it could have been any one of us. Her death really changed the dynamic, especially about women and public affairs. It's not just the infantry who’s at risk anymore. It's not just young, enlisted combat troops. It's everybody.”

After another deployment to the exact same location in 2008, Forsythe left the Marines and accepted an officer commission in the Navy Reserve. (“It was the best decision I ever made,” she said. “I love the Marine Corps, but the opportunities in the Navy are so much wider.”) With the Navy, she was sent to Afghanistan two more times, but she also went to such diverse places as Romania (where she met her husband), Poland, Germany, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Guam. For her final stint in the Middle East, in 2018, she served as the public affairs officer for an Army Special Forces (think Rangers and Green Berets) task force that was charged with training and doing missions with Afghan commandos.

“That was a great mission, the height of anything I could have asked for,” she said. “It was surreal for me.”

Throughout her illustrious career, whether on dusty battlefields thousands of miles from home or the relative safety of Camp Pendleton, Forsythe has been guided by wisdom best summarized by a colonel she worked under at the peak of the fighting in Iraq in 2006. When communicating to the public about what’s happening in the military, he said, don’t focus on the technology or the equipment or the weapons.

Focus on the bravery.

“It's pretty scary to step foot in Iraq and Afghanistan, not knowing what's going to happen,” Forsythe said. “It takes a bit of courage that other people don't have, so zero in on those aspects of storytelling. When I’m at a loss for what's unique about a story, I remind myself to find and share the courage. People can relate to that.”

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

After graduating from the university in December 2013, Anderson was scheduled to walk the following spring, but her husband’s military assignment to Japan combined with the Cocos Fire to scuttle her plan.

Anderson will have not one, not two, but three chances to rectify that disappointment in the near future. All three of her children followed in her footsteps and are on track to join her as CSUSM alumni within the next 18 months.

Ian Anderson, the middle child at 22, is a senior who will graduate with an electrical engineering degree in May.

Mason Anderson, the oldest at 23, is a second-semester junior who’s set to earn a degree in management information systems in December 2024.

And Miah Anderson, the youngest at 20, is in her first semester at CSUSM after transferring from Vanguard University. A kinesiology major, she’s due to graduate in May 2025.

“It feels surreal,” Bridget said. “I am so incredibly proud of my kids. I can’t believe that they’re all going to the same university that I went to.”

Bridget enrolled at CSUSM in 2009, when all three of her children were in elementary school and she finally had time to devote to her education. But the challenges were many. Soon after she started, the family moved from Camp Pendleton to Murrieta, and not only did she have to make the hour-long commute to San Marcos, but she had to squeeze all her classes into the periods between when she dropped the kids off in the morning and picked them up in the afternoon.

“It was a lot,” she said. “Sometimes I was on campus every day, Monday through Friday, because I didn't have the option of taking an evening class. There were many late nights and sleepless nights.”

Making the situation even more trying was that Bridget’s husband, Jason, served multiple Marine deployments in the Middle East, leaving her as the sole parent and without a ready outlet to vent her frustrations and emotional struggles. If she felt overtaxed, however, she did an exemplary job of shielding it from her kids.

“She’s such a strong woman,” Miah said. “She put on a brave face, and I never really felt when she was stressed out. I felt just like a normal kid.”

Bridget earned a degree in liberal studies with a focus on elementary education. After teaching for a few years, she decided to change her career path during the pandemic, taking advantage of the explosion of online learning to pursue a master’s in social work from Arizona State. She finished the program in August 2022, and after serving as a social work intern in the Borrego Springs school district, she accepted a job last summer as a behavioral health clinician with Indian Health Council. She now does therapy for members of the nine federally recognized American Indian tribes in the North County region.

It's a particularly meaningful role for Bridget, who is half Navajo and was born and raised in Flagstaff, Ariz., just southwest of the enormous Navajo Nation that encompasses parts of three states. Her mother grew up in Navajo Nation and was sent to Indian boarding school, and Bridget remembers going to powwows and visiting relatives on the reservation.

“We were always involved,” she said.

Her children had a different experience, though, as the itinerant nature of military life caused the family’s ties to American Indian culture to unravel. Bridget made a concerted effort to reconnect with her roots at CSUSM by taking several courses taught by Joely Proudfit, the chair of American Indian studies and the director of the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center (CICSC) at the university.

Now Bridget is encouraging her kids to tap into their heritage as well. Along with their mom, all three of the siblings this fall attended a community welcome for the CICSC, where they spoke with Proudfit and Ilianna Ramirez, the new American Indian student success coordinator. They also either have joined or shown interest in joining the American Indian Student Alliance (AISA).

“I identify as a Native American, but it’s not anything I’ve put a lot of effort into being connected to,” Ian said. “That’s something I’m trying to change.”

Said Miah: “AISA is a really good community to be aligned with because they’re so accepting. They understand that everyone comes from a different background and that being connected with your culture is important. They try to create a comfortable and safe space for students to come into.”

While they go through the process of securing their American Indian census numbers, Mason, Ian and Miah are enjoying their time as students at CSUSM. Mason is a Marine Corps reservist who aims to enter the field of cybersecurity. Ian is part of the university’s first cohort of electrical engineering students (president of the electrical engineering club, to boot), and he plans to pursue a master’s in the discipline. Miah, who transferred to CSUSM because she liked its size and sense of community, wants to become a physical therapist.

All three are commuting from the family home in Murrieta, though Bridget jokes that she wishes they would carpool more. Their divergent schedules mean that their on-campus interactions sometimes consist of little more than high-fiving each other on the way to or from the parking lot.

“But all being at CSUSM does bring us closer together,” Mason said. “When we’re home now, we know what each other are going through, and we can see each other thrive in different ways. We’re all going to be doing our own thing soon, so it’s nice to be able to soak in our last hurrah as siblings living together and going to college together.”

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

“I absolutely hated it,” Wyndham recalled. “I seriously thought about transferring to San Diego State or Long Beach State.”

Everything felt wrong. She was separated from her high school friends, her biology classes were rigorous, and her parents (who hadn’t gone to college) couldn’t relate to what she was going through. The overarching theme was disconnection.

The dark veil began to lift when Wyndham (who then went by Jocelyn Brown) joined Associated Students, Inc., as an undergraduate representative at the start of her sophomore year. As her courage and confidence grew, so did her standing in ASI – corporate secretary in her third year, followed by vice president of external relations and, finally, president for the 2002-03 school year.

Terrified of public speaking, Wyndham forced herself to go through the Toastmasters program in preparation for the ASI election process.

“I really found a passion for service,” she said. “The calling was greater than my fear and my shyness.”

The calling continues. Wyndham returned to her alma mater as an employee a decade after she graduated, and she has risen to become associate vice president of philanthropy. She leads CSUSM’s development team, which builds and cultivates relationships with donors, particularly people and organizations who have the capacity to give at a high level.

“I love that every day I feel like I'm making a difference to the campus,” Wyndham said. “I love being out in the community and meeting people and acting as that facilitator between people and their passions and what the campus is doing, bringing those two together to make change for the region. It's fulfilling work.”

During her year as ASI president, Wyndham also did fulfilling work as a facilitator, between the administration and student body of a still-young university. She remembers priorities that centered on increasing communication and connection at CSUSM. She accomplished the former by instituting the first “state of the campus” address by then-President Alexander Gonzalez to the students; the latter by creating a masquerade ball that she was pleased to see still existed when she came back as a staff member in 2013.

Wyndham also led advocacy around tuition and campus fees, which included a bus trip to Long Beach to take part in a demonstration in front of the CSU chancellor’s office.

Sticking it out at CSUSM had rewards she never could have imagined – as a student, she even met her future husband, fellow alumnus Pete Wyndham (the couple has two young daughters together).

“The environment that I ended up thriving in here and everything that I came to love about Cal State San Marcos,” she said, "that same feeling is what exists today.”

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306