The change in focus was shaped by her deep involvement in Associated Students, Inc., where she serves as the chair and chief of staff of CSUSM’s student government. Through ASI, Chavez joined Lobby Corps, an advocacy-focused volunteer group, and later traveled to Sacramento for the California Higher Education Student Summit, where she met with state legislators alongside students from across the CSU system.

But the final realization of where her career was headed came from an internship opportunity. It was through ASI that Chavez met Zach Bunshaft, CSUSM’s director of government relations at the time.

“Interning with Zach and seeing how higher education policies at the state level affected our campus was so impactful,” Chavez said. “These opportunities, being part of ASI and interning with Zach, changed the trajectory of my life and what I want to do.”

CSUSM’s emphasis on internships proved transformational for Chavez. It not only prepared her for the professional world, it helped her discover the type of work that she’s truly passionate about.

During her time as a government relations intern last spring, Chavez researched legislative officials to strengthen CSUSM’s advocacy efforts, engaged with policymakers at key events and explored ways to enhance student support across the region.

As the internship was nearing its end, Bunshaft met with Chavez to review the experience. When Bunshaft asked about Chavez’s future goals, she told him how much she enjoyed the internship and how the experiences she had were the types of spaces she wanted to be in.

The timing was perfect. Bunshaft had just learned about another internship opportunity with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office. Bunshaft mentored Chavez throughout the hiring process, and she was hired as an external affairs intern for Newsom’s San Diego regional office. Her responsibilities included everything from supporting outreach efforts to drafting briefs and assisting with newsletters.

“Illeana is a thoughtful, driven and reliable leader with an incredibly bright future,” said Bunshaft, who left CSUSM in December to become Newsom’s Southern California regional director of external affairs. “She has the innate ability to see the big picture and work together with others to inspire and achieve common goals.

“I’ve had the pleasure of watching her confidence and skills grow with each new opportunity she enthusiastically embraces. I’m excited to see all that she will continue to accomplish in her academics, career and public service journey.”

Chavez completed the internship with Newsom’s office in December. As she begins her final semester at CSUSM, she’s already looking ahead to the fall. She’s in the process of applying for graduate school to pursue a master’s in public policy or public administration (Cal State Fullerton, Sacramento State and San Diego State are her top choices).

She’ll take the lessons she learned in her internships with her to grad school and beyond. She knows the internship process can be intimidating for students, but she has seen firsthand how it pays off.

“The connections that we make in these internships, you never know where they're going to lead you,” she said. “I never imagined that doing an unpaid internship with Zach was going to lead me to the governor's office.

“Whether it's paid or unpaid, there are so many opportunities. No matter what, even if it seems like you are the most unqualified person in the room to do that job, just go for it. You never know what can come of that opportunity.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

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

Cal State San Marcos students who receive benefits through CalFresh, California’s version of SNAP, could experience delays in receiving those funds and potential decreases to the amount in November. According to a recent article from the California State University Chancellor’s Office, an estimated total of more than 85,000 students may be impacted by the CalFresh delays.

In light of this disruption to students’ basic needs, CSUSM is doing all it can to offer assistance to help fill the gap and keep students on the path to success.

“At CSUSM, we understand that when students experience unexpected disruptions, like the recent delays in CalFresh benefits, their ability to remain focused on their academics is impacted,” said Viridiana Diaz, CSUSM's vice president for Student Affairs. "I’m proud that our campus community is responding with care and action through expanded food pantry hours, emergency funding and community food distributions. No student should ever have to worry about where their next meal will come from. Our commitment to the holistic well-being of our students remains a priority."

Here is a list of resources that are available during this time:

Emergency Food Distribution

Associated Students, Inc., is teaming up with Feeding San Diego to host an emergency drive-through food distribution for the campus as well as the local community.

The event will take place Saturday from 10 a.m.-noon in Lot N (next to Parking Structure 1). ASI is seeking students, employees and community members to volunteer to make the distribution happen – setup begins at 8 a.m. and cleanup starts at noon.

You can register to volunteer at SignUpGenius.

ASI Cougar Pantry

The ASI Cougar Pantry serves all CSUSM students to decrease food insecurity on campus. The pantry offers dry and canned goods, produce, milk, toiletries and diapers – free of charge.

Location: University Commons 104
Hours: Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (extended hours from Nov. 12-19 and open until 6 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays) 
Email: cougarpantry@csusm.edu

Each currently enrolled CSUSM student can shop once per week for free groceries.

ASI Fresh Market Monday

Biweekly food distribution of free fruits and vegetables for CSUSM students thanks to generous partner Feeding San Diego. Don't forget to bring your student ID and a reusable bag.

• Location: Cesar Chavez Plaza
• Hours: 11 a.m.-1 p.m., first and third Monday of the month
• Upcoming dates: Nov. 17, Dec. 1

ASI Cougar Pantry On-the-Go
Additional snacks and produce are available in 10 locations across campus:

• ACE Scholars Services office (Administrative Building 3400)
• ASI office (University Student Union 3700)
• Clarke Field House
• COMPASS Center (Kellogg Library 1103)
• EOP/TRIO (Admin Building 4100)
• Kellogg Library (second floor)
• Social and Behavioral Sciences Building (first floor)
• STEM Success Center (Extended Learning Building, Room 251)
• Student Health & Counseling Services Building (lobby)
• Veterans Center

Swipe Out Hunger 

The Swipe Out Hunger program provides up to 10 well-balanced, on-campus meals per semester to students experiencing food insecurity and/or an emergency. Eligible students can dine at Campus Way Cafe or Kalamata Mediterranean Hilltop Grille (limited lunch menu) in the USU. 

ASI Student Emergency Fund 

The ASI Student Emergency Fund provides $350 to currently enrolled CSUSM students who encounter an unexpected financial emergency or catastrophic event in which their basic needs and/or ability to function as a student are impacted.  

San Diego Food Bank

The San Diego Food Bank offers a wide variety of food and non-food related programs designed to help San Diegans in need.

Feeding San Diego

Feeding San Diego offers food assistance at sites throughout San Diego County. Use the “Find Help" map to search for free food distributions near you by entering your zip code.  

211 San Diego

211 San Diego offers real-time updates on food distribution schedules, eligibility and local resources. Visit the website or dial 2-1-1 for immediate support.

If you need help navigating available options, reach out to the Cougar Care Network at ccn@csusm.edu or visit www.csusm.edu/ccn.

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

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

In August 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lizarraga was coming from Rosarito, Mexico, where she lived with her parents and two younger brothers, to Cal State San Marcos' University Village Apartments.

Born in the United States and raised in Mexico, Lizarraga has always prioritized her education. In high school, she crossed the border every day to attend high school in Chula Vista, drawn to the learning environment and opportunities in the U.S. It meant early mornings and long days, but she remained committed, and that drive continued when she enrolled at CSUSM.

Lizarraga embraced life on campus, even in a time when many classes were still virtual. But her college experience soon expanded beyond academics. At 19, she became the legal guardian of her younger brother, Evaristo, to help him pursue a high school education in the U.S., an opportunity she knew could open doors for him just as it had for her. A few years later, she welcomed her youngest brother, Esteban, who is now thriving as a high school junior at San Marcos High.

In a few weeks, Evaristo and Esteban will join their parents at Mangrum Track & Field to watch their sister cross the CSUSM commencement stage and become the first family member to earn a college degree.

“I feel like my professors and the friends I have made at school have all helped me so much,” said Lizarraga, who is double majoring in finance and political science. “I really felt that this is my community, and I felt so supported by everyone. All of that has made my journey here so much easier.”

It hasn’t always been an easy journey. Lizarraga was working three jobs before an internship with the San Diego Diplomacy Council ended. She still works at a local restaurant and on campus for Associated Students, Inc., as the vice president of finance and operations where she manages a $2.1 million student-driven budget and leads initiatives that directly support students.

Caring for her brothers, working multiple jobs and studying doesn’t leave much free time, but Lizarraga is grateful to mentors like Ashley Fennell, ASI’s associate executive director, for providing a strong support system.

“She’s been a caring supervisor who looks out for me not just as a student, but as a person,” Lizarraga said. 

As Lizarraga’s undergraduate career winds down, she is looking ahead to the next chapter. She has been accepted to several master's programs in finance and hopes to stay close to San Marcos to continue supporting her family while advancing her academic and career goals.

As the first in her family to graduate from college, she’s proud to be setting an example and grateful for the support that helped her get to this point.

“I’m deeply grateful to my family and to everyone who supported me along the way,” Lizarraga said. “I truly couldn’t have done it without them. This is just the beginning.”

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

Ragland served as class president at El Camino High in Oceanside as a senior and a junior, and he also was selected by his history teacher to attend an American government seminar in Washington, D.C. At CSUSM, not only did he major in political science, but one of the ways he connected with the administration was through chats about politics with Bill Stacy, the university’s first president.

And when Ragland chose to attend the University of Texas School of Law, it was with political – not legal – aspirations in mind. Austin, after all, is the home of the presidential library and museum of Lyndon B. Johnson, and Ragland had devoured multiple biographies of LBJ as a student.

Two developments changed his life course, and are the reason why today Ragland is one of the foremost attorneys in San Diego – as well as one of CSUSM’s most decorated alumni. The first was the Monica Lewinsky scandal that roiled the nation in the late ’90s and caused Ragland to grow disillusioned about politics as a noble calling.

“It all just seemed really dumb, to be quite honest,” he said.

The second was his introduction to moot court, a law school staple that simulates the experience of arguing a case at the appellate, rather than trial, level. During his second year, as a visiting student at the University of San Diego’s law school, he won first place in a big moot court competition and was named best oralist to boot.

Ragland had caught the bug. Goodbye, politics. Hello, law.

About 25 years later, he’s in a position to combine the skills he first honed in moot court with the leadership he would have employed as a politician, and that he displayed as president of Associated Students, Inc., during the 1995-96 school year. Ragland last year was appointed senior assistant attorney general, overseeing the Appeals, Writs and Trials section of the Criminal Law Division of the California Attorney General’s Office in San Diego. The office covers six counties in Southern California, and he supervises about 70 lawyers who essentially act as prosecutors for the state.  

“There’s a leadership component that is a much bigger part of the job because I’m leading the entire section in San Diego rather than one team,” said Ragland, who was a supervising deputy attorney general for nine years before his promotion in February 2022. “That’s something that I've enjoyed a lot. It harkens back to my days as ASI president at Cal State San Marcos. A lot of those skills you just carry with you. The big part is having good relationships with people and making sure each person in the office feels valued, appreciated, respected and supported.”

One of Ragland’s longtime colleagues describes a “subtle but profound cultural shift” that has occurred in the 20 months since he rose to his new post.

“He has energized and motivated the attorneys and created an environment where everyone can thrive,” said Melissa Mandel, one of the 10 supervising deputy attorney generals under Ragland’s direction. “I would describe his style as holistic, inclusive and integrated. … Charles is a great leader, and I am proud and honored to work for him.”

Ragland acknowledges that leadership is something that always has come naturally to him. Born on Camp Pendleton as the son of a Marine, he grew up in Oceanside and became the first person in his family to attend college.

He started at CSUSM in the fall of 1994 when the university still only accepted transfer students (he came over from MiraCosta College). Like most classmates of the era, he assumed that his experience would be a two-year sprint to graduation with little in the way of campus activity. But he discovered fraternity life during his first year, and that proved to be a smooth segue into student government.

Through multiple social circles – rival fraternities, political science classes and ASI – Ragland became friends with George Marquez, who also went on to become a lawyer and is now the district attorney for Imperial County.

“Charles was someone who was very focused and had tremendous talent,” Marquez said. “I knew he was going to be successful back then because I observed him become a successful leader as the president of ASI. He was naturally intelligent and hard-working. I am not at all surprised by his success, and I expect more.”

As the head of the student body during a formative year for the still-young university, Ragland was at the forefront of some foundational accomplishments. Seeking to improve student life at what was widely regarded as a commuter school, he and his fellow leaders introduced intramural sports. They also brought back the student newspaper (which had folded before he became president) and initiated the funding that precipitated the building of the Center for Children and Families years later.

“We were doing really big things to establish the university because it was so new,” Ragland said. “It was all exciting and important stuff.”

After graduating from CSUSM, Ragland moved on to law school in Austin, where he excelled. He returned to San Diego, passed the bar exam and set about achieving his goal of working in the attorney general’s office, where he had served as a law clerk the previous summer. A hiring freeze delayed his ambition before he was hired in March 2001. He has never left.

On his way to becoming a supervisor, Ragland mostly did trial and appellate work for the state, and a highlight from that era was his lead prosecution in Operation Gangland, a gang case that involved an investigation with multiple federal and state agencies and ultimately netted the convictions of 31 members of a gang conspiracy. For his work on that case, which took three years, he received an award as the state’s top prosecutor for 2008 from then-Attorney General (and twice former California governor) Jerry Brown. (That same year, Ragland married his wife, Christy; the couple has four adult children and lives in San Diego.)

As his career has progressed, Ragland has shifted to overseeing cases – making sure his attorneys have the support they need – rather than handling them directly. The appeal of his profession, however, remains the same.

“The thing I like the most about the work I do, and it’s been this way since I started back in 2001, is that the mission in our office is to see that justice is done in a case,” he said. “Waking up where your job is in the Department of Justice, it’s a rewarding feeling. You know that you’re doing something good.”

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

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

A few months earlier, Tran had been living at home in Mira Mesa, trying  to find a job after graduating from Cal State San Marcos the previous spring. Now here he was, dressed to the nines and walking a red carpet outside of the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas in April 2022, with the South Korean boy band BTS in front of him and, whoa, was that Dua Lipa who just walked by?

At the star-studded Grammy Awards, the biggest night in music, Tran might have felt like an imposter. But he belonged, having been hired that February by the Recording Academy, the Los Angeles-based company that stages the Grammys and supports musical artists year-round.

“It was so surreal,” Tran said. “It was a great experience, and being thrown into any environment for the first time is the best way to learn. You have to be quick on your feet and adjust.”

Putting to good use both his CSUSM marketing degree and his stint as president of Associated Students, Inc., during the 2019-20 school year, Tran is partnerships coordinator for the Recording Academy. In that role, he works with businesses that have interest in teaming up with the academy. At the 2022 Grammys, for instance, he sat in a suite with representatives from Hilton and Roblox, the online game platform.

“My team likes to think about true partnerships,” Tran said. “Not just a sponsorship or throwing a logo on, but trying to come up with something meaningful and innovative.”

Tran first got a taste for live music events, and for ASI, during his first two years at CSUSM. As a member of the campus activities board, he was part of the team that inaugurated Festival 78 on campus. That sampling of student government made him want more, and by his senior year he was elected president.

It was already going to be a momentous year with the summer hiring of new university president Ellen Neufeldt. Then, in March 2020, soon after Tran returned from Sacramento for a trip to lobby for financial aid reform, a virus called COVID-19 reared its ugly head.

The nascent virus meant that he couldn’t check off all his goals, but he’s still proud about what he and his fellow ASI executives did accomplish, including advancing student holistic wellness as an institutional priority and helping make the distribution of COVID relief funds more equitable.

“Being in ASI, going from a volunteer to president, really transformed my college experience,” Tran said. “The way I lead now is directly attributable to my experience as a leader at CSUSM.”

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

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

The trip was a way of getting young students to think about their educational futures. But for Glorioso, this was a trip to remember. A photo of Glorioso with other students on CSUSM’s Mangrum Track & Field during the visit even made it into the local Valley Center newspaper.

The experience certainly had a lasting impact. A decade later, Glorioso made her way back to campus, this time as a university student.

“Cal State San Marcos has provided me more than I could have ever thought possible,” said Glorioso, a political science student who will graduate next May. “All the opportunities that I've been able to be a part of, I don't think it would have been the same if I went to another university.” 

Glorioso has certainly made the most of those opportunities. As the fall semester approaches, she is preparing to serve the CSUSM student body as the president of Associated Students, Inc. 

As ASI president, Glorioso had the opportunity this summer to be a student representative at the Panetta Institute for Public Policy where she met state legislators, politicians and members of Congress. Glorioso was encouraged by Ann Elisabeth Rondeau, the president of the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, to direct the upcoming goals for the school year toward connecting, communicating and focusing on ways to reach students. 

Glorioso never could have imagined in high school that she would be in a position that seemed to be made for extroverts. As a teenager, Glorioso didn’t find herself to be involved and mostly kept to herself. 

“I was a more introverted person in high school,” Glorioso said. “I really wanted to be like the other students that were involved in ASB, but I felt like in high school you have your cliques. It’s just a much different environment, and I couldn’t really find my place. After graduating high school, I really regretted not just getting out of my comfort zone more and taking advantage of opportunities. I told myself, ‘When I get to college, I’m not going to do that. I’m not gonna let myself be held back by anything. It’s a new, fresh start.’ ” 

Glorioso wasted no time, talking to all the student organizations at her freshman orientation to see how she could get involved. She learned about ASI’s volunteer groups and decided to try Lobby Corps, which is dedicated to advocacy in higher education policy.  

Joining Lobby Corps was the push Glorioso needed to get comfortable sharing her thoughts and opinions. Glorioso had the opportunity to speak in front of state legislators when she attended a lobbying trip at the Sacramento Capitol, which was something she wouldn’t have thought of trying in high school.   

“I’m going to be in ASI for my whole four years, and that was my favorite experience that I’ve had because it did exactly what I wanted it to do,” Glorioso said. “I was able to completely get out of my comfort zone. And I think I just learned from that experience that I really do enjoy public speaking. I just needed to build my confidence in that, and I think that ASI is a perfect opportunity to continue doing that.”

Glorioso saw firsthand what it was like to be an ASI officer as a member of Lobby Corps. She always kept in mind how she would one day like to run for a position. 

Michelle Tran, the former ASI vice president of student and university affairs, encouraged Glorioso to apply to be the College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences (CHABSS) representative. Glorioso took Tran’s encouragement as a sign, and she made the application deadline the same day it was due. As the CHABSS representative, Glorioso advocated for students in the college.

Last year, Glorioso was elected vice president of student and university affairs where she led Lobby Corps, represented CSUSM at a systemwide level and led civic engagement.

Now, as ASI president, Glorioso has another opportunity to help students before graduating next May.

“I’ve seen Julia become an exceptional leader to ASI over the past year that I’ve gotten to work with her, and am so excited to grow professionally with her leadership,” said Ernest Cisneros, vice president of student and university affairs.

When Glorioso is not fulfilling her duties as ASI president, she is working at the district attorney office in North County where she reviews restitution cases and reaches out to victims. Glorioso is also studying for the Law School Admission Test, commonly known as the LSAT, with plans to attend law school.

Glorioso’s busy schedule calls for significant drive and determination, and she credits much of that tenacity to her grandparents. 

“My grandparents were both Italian immigrants, and I think their values really influenced me,” Glorioso said. “They were very hard workers who started from the bottom up. That always really impacted me and impacted my work ethic.

“They always put a large emphasis on education. They were not able to get an education. They stopped at third or fourth grade. So it will be really exciting to be the first to pursue a law degree in my family. And I think my mom and my dad are already excited for me.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

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

Ramirez planned to continue working toward a career that allowed her to pursue that interest after enrolling at Cal State San Marcos, where she is majoring in business administration with an emphasis in finance and minoring in economics.

But seeing the impact the ASI Cougar Pantry has on CSUSM students has put her on a new path.

“I always thought I was going to go to work for a financial firm or something like that,” said Ramirez, who will graduate in December 2022. “But after joining this job, I actually think I'm going to go work for a nonprofit.”

Ramirez works with the ASI Cougar Pantry as a CalFresh specialist, helping students navigate the application process for receiving food benefits from the state. For the first time in her two-plus years on the job, she has been able to do so in a much-needed office space thanks to the ASI Cougar Pantry’s relocation to a bigger area in Commons 104 near the University Bookstore. Though the new location officially welcomed students on the first day of the fall semester, a ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at 5 p.m. Thursday to celebrate the opening.

“It’s a lot easier for us to serve students, and we're able to provide a lot more food options with this larger space,” said Alondra Gutierrez, the ASI Cougar Pantry coordinator and a CSUSM alumna. “All of the students who come in are super excited to see the amount of food that's in the new pantry space. They get really happy when they see our fridge is full and produce is there.”

A 2016 survey showed more than half of CSUSM students reporting food insecurity, meaning they didn’t know when or where they would get their next healthy meal or they skipped meals because of cost concerns. ASI passed a resolution that year in support of creating a food pantry on campus to help students, and the pantry opened two years later in a small space in the USU.

The ASI Cougar Pantry is open to all enrolled students, who can visit once each week to pick up an array of free groceries. The pantry is open 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Thursday, and no appointment is needed to visit.

The new space has the look and feel of a grocery store, with shopping carts available for students to walk the aisles.

Before the pandemic, the ASI Cougar Pantry offered fresh produce pickups every Monday outside the USU because of space and refrigeration limitations. That’s no longer necessary thanks to the additional space.

“One of the biggest changes is being able to offer produce regularly because now we have more refrigeration space,” said Ashley Fennell, ASI’s associate director of government affairs and initiatives.

In addition to food, the new location includes toiletries and a diaper bank for students with young children. Menstrual products are expected to be available before the end of the semester.

Fennell and Gutierrez said they have other long-term goals for the pantry, including workshops on budgeting, healthy eating and food preparation, among others. But the biggest goal centers around a wellness and recreation center. ASI passed a resolution in 2019 in support of such a facility, and a feasibility report has been completed.

“Hopefully, we can have a one-stop shop for students’ holistic wellness,” Fennell said. “We're hoping to have that on campus in the next few years, and that will be the next big dream for the pantry. We would obviously move into that space and expand our operations to have a demonstration kitchen and a much larger space. Right now, we don't have freezers, so we’d like to be able to offer meats and other foods to support well-rounded, healthy, nutritious meals.”

Ramirez is working to help students access healthy foods through her work with CalFresh. Students need to meet one of six criteria to be eligible for CalFresh benefits, which include up to $250 per month for groceries for a student. Ramirez encourages all students to apply for CalFresh and points out that even if they’re not eligible, they still have access to the ASI Cougar Pantry.

“The new space is amazing,” Ramirez said. “Before, we didn't have an office space for CalFresh. I really advocated for a space with a closed door. I know that sounds very simple, but I really wanted students to know that they had confidentiality and felt they were in a safe space. So it’s great that we have this space now for CalFresh.

“But I'm also glad that we have the Cougar Pantry in general and that it feels like a shopping experience. Sometimes students just need help stretching their food budget or just need a little help in a week, so we really want to make it a nice experience.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

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

Associated Students, Inc., which operates the pantry, will hold a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new space on Thursday, Nov. 18 at 5 p.m. in the University Commons building on campus.  

At 1,200 square feet, the new Cougar Pantry is six times as big as the previous version, which was located in the University Student Union. The additional space will allow the pantry to serve extra food items as well as mensuration products, hygiene products, diapers and school supplies. 

“If students are worried about meeting their basic needs, then they most likely will not be able to focus on their studies and complete their path to graduation,” said Alondra Gutierrez, Cougar Pantry coordinator. “We are here to help ease those concerns and support their holistic wellness so they can focus on just being a student and a human.”  

The Cougar Pantry offers a variety of free food options, both nonperishable and refrigerated. The food is supplied by community partners like the San Diego Food Bank and Feeding San Diego, and the pantry also receives donations from local grocery stores such as Albertsons, Ralphs and Sprouts.  

Shoppers must be currently enrolled CSUSM students and can visit the space once a week. The pantry serves an average of 250-300 students per week. It’s run by a team of more than a dozen professional staff, students and interns. 

Funding for the expanded Cougar Pantry came via a grant from the California State University Basic Needs Initiative as well as ASI reserve funds.  

Founded in 2017, the Cougar Pantry grew out of a campus survey that revealed that more than half of CSUSM students are affected by food insecurity. That 2016 finding was more than double the percentage of students affected by food insecurity across the 23-campus CSU system. 

What: Grand opening of expanded ASI Cougar Pantry at CSUSM 

When: 5 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 18 

Where: University Commons building, Room 104 

ASI invites alumni, current students, faculty, staff and community members to submit photos, which will be shared at a 30th anniversary celebration in February.

“This year, we are celebrating 30 years of Associated Students, Inc., serving, engaging and empowering CSUSM students and the campus community,” ASI President Dylan Crivello said. “That’s 30 years of representing and amplifying student voices to enact change and leave a legacy here on campus. Join us as we celebrate ASI milestones, traditional events and highlighting the work of students. A celebration event will take place on Feb. 19, and we look forward to seeing you there, Cougars!”

Fall semester events include:

CougarFest 

Oct. 13, 4 p.m., Forum Plaza

Come celebrate Cougar pride at this annual event that features crafts, games, space to relax and an inflatable obstacle course. Contests and giveaways will be part of the program for current students. 

Love Your Body Day

Oct. 21, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Forum Plaza

ASI is collaborating with the Gender Equity Center, which was established by ASI as the Women’s Center in 2006, to celebrate body diversity and create a body-positive culture at CSUSM.

ASI Cougar Pantry Ribbon Cutting

Nov. 18, 5 p.m., Commons 104

The ASI Cougar Pantry has been serving all CSUSM students since 2019 in an effort to decrease food insecurity on campus. After two years in a 700-square-foot location in the USU, ASI is celebrating the opening of a new 1,400-square-foot home for the pantry in Commons 104.

CSUSM Giving Day 

Nov. 30

CSUSM Giving Day, which is held each year in conjunction with the international effort known as Giving Tuesday, is a unique opportunity for the campus community and our region to support what they love about CSUSM. ASI aims to raise money for the ASI Cougar Pantry to serve even more students and continue to fight food insecurity. 

Visit the ASI 30-year celebration events calendar for more information and a list of events for spring 2022.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

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

Not only did the COVID-19 pandemic dictate a shift to virtual learning for the 2020-21 academic year, but it curtailed the work and impact of the leadership team of Associated Students, Inc. 

This year, the ASI executives – Dylan Crivello and Andrew Gamboa are back from last year’s team – plan to make up for lost time. Here’s the quartet that will try to make the return to campus as smooth and memorable as possible for students.  

Dylan Crivello, president and CEO 

Graduating year: 2022 

Major: Political science 

Career ambition: Serving my community in local or state government, hopefully as a legislator 

Why did you join ASI? I joined through the volunteer group Lobby Corps, which focuses on advocacy on a campus and statewide level. I have always been passionate about serving students and amplifying their voices, and joining ASI has allowed me to do just that. 

What are your goals for the upcoming school year? My goal this year is to make sure that students can return to a safe and welcoming campus environment. I found my place in the CSUSM family when I first came here in 2019, and it is vital that other students are able to have access to resources, experiences and a community where they can excel in and out of the classroom. 

What most excites you about returning to campus as the pandemic recedes? I am most excited to go back and see our beautiful campus full of life again. I am also very excited for the late-night study sessions in the library, U-Hour in the USU and the many events put on by our centers and student organizations that were all put on hold during the pandemic. 

What do you like to do outside of work and school? I really enjoy listening to music, going on road trips, going out to eat and trying new restaurants, and playing volleyball. 

Which leader do you most admire and why? Barack Obama. He is undoubtedly one of the most profound orators of our time, using his speeches to inspire hope and provide assurance to a whole nation. 

Andrew Gamboa, executive vice president 

Graduating year: 2023 

Major: Political science with a minor in business 

Career ambition: Teacher 

Why did you join ASI? Because I love to assist students and be involved with my campus and community. I wish to support everyone in their journey through CSUSM in whatever capacity that may look like.  

What are your goals for the upcoming school year? To get students involved, engaged and active as we go back to campus. 

What most excites you about returning to campus as the pandemic recedes? To be back in the campus environment and seeing everyone get to enjoy and use the campus they put so much energy and effort into. 

What do you like to do outside of work and school? I love to travel, I love cars, I love the outdoors, and I love spending time with family and friends. 

Which leader do you admire and why? Stephen Hawking, because he was a brilliant physicist who proved that determination and positive thinking can triumph over even the most severe limitations.  

Julia Glorioso, vice president of student and university affairs 

Graduating year: 2023 

Major: Political science  

Career ambition: Lawyer or legislator  

Why did you join ASI? Because I care deeply about student issues and am passionate about advocacy, politics and governmental systems. Being a part of the ASI Board of Directors allows me to further explore these interests and become a better leader for my community. I want to make a positive impact on every student's experience here at CSUSM, and ASI gives me the opportunity to do exactly that.  

What are your goals for the upcoming school year? Better transparency and strengthened relationships with the student body. With that, I hope to create more effective pathways for communication, feedback and engagement. I also hope to get the student body civically engaged and excited about participating in civic opportunities not only on campus but out in the community as well. Lastly, I hope to get more students registered to vote on our campus. 

What most excites you about returning to campus as the pandemic recedes? I am most excited to start engaging with students in person through my ASI position, whether it be through events, at meetings or even just as I stroll around campus. 

What do you like to do outside of work and school? I like to binge watch TV shows on Netflix and Hulu, spend time with friends and family, play with my dog Daisy, paint occasionally, and travel to new places and explore new restaurants or fun things to do in San Diego.  

Which leader do you most admire and why? Late Arizona Sen. John McCain, because he took a bipartisan approach when making many of his political decisions, something that is so rare in politics today. He saw the value in making compromises for the betterment of the country, and he put his constituents’ interests first before his own. I really admire the approach he had toward leadership and governance, and I aspire to embody the same attitude. 

Mariano Santana, chair and chief of staff 

Graduating year: 2022 

Major: Biotechnology

Career ambition: Pharmacist 

Why did you join ASI? Because I wanted to make a bigger impact on our campus. I was previously involved in the orientation team, but I felt like I could help students year-round rather than just during the summer. 

What are your goals for the upcoming school year? To try to get students involved as much as we can and just have an overall good year as we transition to in-person settings. 

What most excites you about returning to campus as the pandemic recedes? I am most excited to go back and see everyone hanging out at the USU during U-Hour, going to events put on by all the different centers, and just seeing everyone in person again. 

What do you like to do outside of work and school? I enjoy listening to music and hanging out with friends, whether it be hanging out at the beach or going on a hike. 

Which leader do you most admire and why? Bill Gates, due to his focus shifting to education initiatives and health care in recent years. 

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

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

Eventually, talk turned to the idea of a podcast, which would offer another avenue to engage with students and ensure that they were aware of the resources available through ASI.

Little did MCT members know that another on-campus group, USU Live!, had a similar thought.

“It was something we were both working on without realizing the other group was doing it,” said Julianna Castro, an MCT member majoring in business administration with an emphasis in marketing.

“The podcasts have a very different feel in general, but it’s great that we’re both doing it and hopefully reaching more students.”

ASI’s podcast, “Amplify,” dropped its first episode on Oct. 14 and plans to release episodes monthly. USU Live! has released three episodes of “USU Rewind” since Sept. 23 and is moving toward a biweekly schedule.

While “Amplify” focuses on helping students learn about available resources and initiatives, “USU Rewind” is geared more toward the college experience and pop culture.

“With everything that’s going on, a lot of people can feel isolated and kind of miss that college life and what it’s like to be at CSUSM,” said Annie Fenton, a USU outreach specialist majoring in communication. “I hope our podcast can help them feel that sense of life on campus, especially the friendship part and the social part. We all miss being on campus. I just really hope students know that if they're having a bad day or just need to relax and have some entertainment, they can come to our podcast.”

It’s a sentiment echoed by Carolina Gil, another member of the USU Live! team.

“It's pretty difficult now that the semester started and it's all virtual,” said Gil, a business administration major. “My hope with this podcast is that students feel a connection to campus and to the student body in general.”

The idea for “USU Rewind” was first broached almost as a joke. During the summer, Fenton and Gil were talking while waiting for a meeting to begin. They didn’t realize that one of their supervisors was also on the line until, listening to them casually chatting, he said they should start a podcast. Later, another acquaintance made a similar remark.

“It’s funny how two small little comments got the ball rolling,” Gil said. “And then we just started planning from there.”

Though the pandemic waylaid hopes to do segments on group activities, Fenton and Gil said “USU Rewind” will explore ways to remain connected during such a challenging time.

The USU Live! team works collaboratively to generate episode topics and then compiles a broad outline that still allows hosts to be spontaneous.

“We meet and get an idea of what direction we want to go, but we want it to be more conversation based, like you're just sitting with your friends at lunch talking,” Fenton said.

Similarly, Castro said during the MCT’s initial brainstorming process, team member Brian Leonardo suggested “Amplify” should have a feel of “we’re just here and we’re talking.” It morphed into the podcast’s slogan: “So we're here. We're talking.”

“It’s something that we say in the podcasts,” said Castro, who serves as the producer of “Amplify.” “I feel like it represents it well. We’re here to bring attention to things. We're doing our best to adapt to the needs of the students, especially during this virtual environment, and we hope that this podcast can be a way where they can find out about the things they need in a different way than what they're used to.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

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

The reallocation was approved at the ASI Board of Directors’ Sept. 4 meeting.

“Our mission is to serve, engage and empower students, and we hope to embody our statement through these funds,” said Tim Pelayo, ASI’s executive vice president.

Pelayo said the board identified areas for increased funding through Student Emergency Fund applications, surveys, social media and board recommendations.

Areas approved for additional funding include:

• ASI Student Emergency Fund: $350,000 was allocated for the 2020-21 academic year, and the individual student award amount was increased from $250 to $350.
• ASI Student Technology Fund: This is a new fund in development to support students’ technology needs as they navigate a virtual learning environment. The board is in the process of meeting with campus partners and students to develop protocols for using these funds.
• ASI Cougar Pantry: The pantry will be moving to a new, larger location in the University Commons building near Craven Hall. Allocated funds will pay for construction to make the space functional for the pantry’s needs.
• Refrigerated lockers: ASI is working with the University Student Union to install lockers with refrigeration, which will provide students with storage space for perishables and medications while on campus. Pelayo said the lockers will be especially helpful for commuter students.
• Cougar Care Network partnership: ASI has allocated $80,000 to support a staff position within the Cougar Care Network. The individual in this position will support some of CSUSM’s most vulnerable students during the pandemic.
• ASI working capital: The remaining balance of $200,000 will fund the ASI working capital per the ASI Reserve Policy.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

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

In late June, there was a surprise Zoom party to celebrate the housewarming of Jeremy Puckett, a Sacramento man who was exonerated and freed in March after serving 18 years of a life sentence for a crime he didn’t commit. Ordinarily, exonerees face severe challenges in finding a place to live, but Puckett was able to move into a new home thanks to Assembly Bill 701, which took effect on Jan. 1 and requires California to pay housing costs for exonerees for up to four years. 

Among those toasting Puckett on the call were Shirley Weber, the State Assembly member from San Diego who authored the bill; the founder of the national nonprofit Exonerated Nation; and Puckett’s legal team from the Northern California Innocence Project. Less prominent, but no less important, was Boyd, a Cal State San Marcos alumna and legislative aide to Weber who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to help push the bill across the finish line. 

“He was the first person to get AB 701 housing. He didn’t have any job history, any credit, and this is the first place he’s ever owned,” Boyd said. “It was such a fight to get that bill passed, and there was a lot of fine-tuning involved in implementing it. And then to see someone benefiting from it is really meaningful. I enjoy this work because you are able to see the impact firsthand.” 

Boyd, a former CSUSM student body president, has been doing a wealth of vital social justice work since she moved to Sacramento to work for Weber in 2017, a year after becoming the first person in her family to graduate from college. Last year, Boyd was among many members of Weber’s staff who were integral to the passage of AB 392 (also known as the California Act to Save Lives), which updated legislative language from 1872 on police officer use of deadly force to include the “necessity” of that force. That bill was in response to the 2018 fatal shooting of Stephon Clark, a 22-year-old Black man killed by Sacramento police.  

AB 392 held great personal relevance to Boyd, who says she has been participating in protests of racial inequality since the advent of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2013 and who was part of a large protest of the Clark shooting two years ago before a Sacramento Kings game that forced the temporary closing of the arena.  

This year, Boyd – with a primary focus on higher education – is the point person on two high-profile Weber initiatives. One is Assembly Constitutional Amendment No. 5, which passed the Assembly on June 10 and the Senate two weeks later. It places on the November ballot a proposition that asks California voters to repeal Proposition 209, which banned the consideration of race and gender in admissions decisions a quarter-century ago.  

The other is AB 1460, requiring California students to take a three-unit class in ethnic studies in order to graduate. That bill has passed the state Legislature and can be signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom. It also could overrule a similar action by the California State University Board of Trustees, which recently approved the addition of ethnic and social justice studies to its general education curriculum.  

“Working for Dr. Weber is perfect for me,” Boyd said. “We align in our values. She’s very much value-driven, and isn’t in office to try to get another position but really just to give back, both in education and public safety so that folks can move forward in life.”

Before being hired as a permanent legislative aide, Boyd first worked for Weber through the Capital Fellows Program, a public policy fellowship offered by Sacramento State University that pairs recent college graduates with a legislative, executive or judicial branch office for 11 months. Boyd’s assignment was no coincidence. In the fall of her final year at CSUSM, newly elected as president of Associated Students, Inc., she heard Weber speak about racial justice at the annual All Peoples Luncheon and came away awed.

“She’s a great orator,” Boyd said. “I was very inspired and said to myself, ‘I want to work for her.’ ”

When it came time to match new Capital Fellows with state offices, Boyd told the program director, half-jokingly, “If you don’t give me Dr. Weber, there are going to be some problems.”

Boyd’s colleagues on Weber’s staff would say she is as good a fit for the assemblymember as Weber is for her.

“Tiffaney cares deeply about social justice and helping people,” said Anthony DiMartino, a former legislative director for Weber and a San Marcos native whose father works at CSUSM as a laborer in Facility Services. “She was working on these issues prior to this moment of racial reckoning, and if this moment passes – which I hope it is a movement, not a moment – she will remain working toward justice.”

It is a worldview that dates back to her time at CSUSM. Growing up in Hemet, Boyd had never heard of the university and chose to go there because she was following her best friend. She didn’t see the campus until the summer before she enrolled, and her first impressions didn’t match her expectations.

“What I envisioned in college was not what CSUSM had,” she said. “No NPHC (National Pan-Hellenic Council) sororities or fraternities, very few Black people. The Black Student Union wasn’t super strong.”

Boyd could have transferred or simply concentrated on academics. Instead, she threw herself into campus life, deciding to try to change it instead of accepting it as it was. A communication and social sciences major, she worked for the communication department during her first year (all five years at CSUSM, in fact), then added resident adviser duties as a sophomore.

The next year, dismayed by the lack of female voices in ASI, Boyd joined the board as the representative from the College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences. In that role, she took the first plane flight of her life; in a bit of foreshadowing, it was to Sacramento to lobby for higher education.

Her involvement only grew from there. As a fourth-year student, Boyd served as ASI vice president of operations and also president of the Lambda Pi Eta honor society. And in her CSUSM swan song, she took on an almost crazy workload: ASI presidency, communication department job, internship at the San Diego County District Attorney’s office in Vista and UCLA School of Law fellowship in the spring semester.

Growing commensurately with the demands on her time was her interest in activism and advocacy.

“We got a front-seat ticket to Tiffaney’s growth as an intellectual and an advocate,” said Dreama Moon, a longtime communication professor whom Boyd counts as a major influence. “It was obvious from the beginning that she is a go-getter, destined to do amazing things, and she already has.”

With two years under her belt, Boyd knew the ins and outs of ASI by the time she became president, which allowed her to zero in on her agenda with laser focus. The achievements that she’s most proud of include setting in motion the creation of the Cougar Pantry, the Black Student Center and Sigma Gamma Rho, an NPHC sorority.

“I’m super excited that I got to be a part of those legacies,” Boyd said. “I feel like I left a little mark.”

Now she’s doing the same at the statewide level. Boyd doesn’t envision leaving her current job as long as Weber is in office, but she does hold higher aspirations that include jumping up to a legislative director or even going to law school and becoming a civil rights attorney.

Activism, though, is in her blood for good.

“I definitely feel like we’re on the right side of history and almost ahead of the curve in some ways,” she said of her work with Weber. “We have a little wind at our backs, and that makes me so excited.”

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

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

The award was for a collaboration with Cal State Northridge on a project titled “Sustainable Menstruation: Making Periods Zero Waste and Accessible to All.” CSUSM was recognized last year for its creation of an environmental justice internship program.

“This recognition demonstrates how sustainability at CSUSM is working toward student success through the lens of equity, inclusion, access and affordability,” said Juliana Goodlaw-Morris, CSUSM’s sustainability manager. “By receiving this award for the past two years, I am proud to say that CSUSM is leading the way across the CSU with our efforts to connect social justice, equity and inclusion with sustainability.”

Recent CSUSM graduate Marina Flowers received a $2,500 grant from ASI's Sustainability Projects Fund through ASI for the project. Flowers’ aim was to reduce stigmas around menstruation, make sustainable menstruation accessible to those who want it, and to help CSUSM reach its “Zero Waste by 2025” goal.

Goodlaw-Morris said the project was a success, with students receiving sustainable menstruation products and saving money at the same time. She noted that a person who menstruates spends an average of $12,800 on menstrual care products and disposes over 10,000 products into landfills during their lifetime. Goodlaw-Morris said sustainable products reduce this significantly, with no disposal needs and only a one-time purchase (average cost $25) about every 10 years.

CSUSM will offer 200 sustainable menstruation items to students this fall through a collaboration with the company OrganiCup and its Campus Cup program. Students can follow CSUSM’s sustainability Instagram account (@sustaincsusm) to participate in the free giveaway, which will occur in late September and early October.

“The ‘Sustainable Menstruation’ is a great example of how sustainability intersects with access, affordability and health,” Goodlaw-Morris said. “I recognize that this is a unique project, but one that benefits our students immensely. For many, becoming more sustainable is seen as costing more money. However, this project demonstrates that sustainability can be good for your pocketbook, for your health and for the environment – a win-win-win.”

Students can apply for grant funding through the Sustainable Projects Fund online. Applications are open until Oct. 2.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

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

But Louis laughs off his hectic schedule.

“At the end of the day, I’m a student first,” he said. “I’m doing things I love. When I’m in class, I’m thinking how I can apply what I’m learning to real life.”

Louis certainly didn’t imagine his current calendar and responsibilities when he was growing up.

Louis was born in South Los Angeles, the youngest of six children. His mother died when he was 5 years old, and he and his siblings moved in with his aunt, who then relocated to Moreno Valley. Louis credits his childhood with teaching him independence, and he began to think about the future.

“It was cool to think about college, but I didn’t know for certain if I was going to go,” Louis said.

He was initially accepted to CSUSM, but after meeting a National Guard recruiter in high school he realized that the discipline of the military would help him prepare for college and beyond. He put his university plans on hold for a year and enlisted.

Just a few weeks after he graduated high school, Louis arrived at Fort Benning, Georgia, for boot camp, followed by ordinance school in Fort Lee, Virginia, where he trained as a mechanic.

“That’s where I got the best training of my life,” he said. “I was with such a diverse group of guys from different ages, socioeconomic classes and ethnicities. My military experience exposed me to different perspectives, which taught me a lot.”

Louis applied to CSUSM again, this time a little more prepared for the process, and moved to San Diego to begin connecting with resource offices and support services on campus while continuing to serve as a National Guard reservist. It wasn’t easy. Louis took a three-hour bus ride to get to CSUSM over the summer to complete math requirements and to get to know his campus advisers in Veteran Services and the Educational Opportunity Program.

Although Louis originally declared a pre-nursing major, introductory courses in the humanities led him to find his passion for Communication – one that bled outside of his academic interests to many other areas of his campus life.

Louis moved into campus housing, making friends and campus connections everywhere he went. As one of the first Jamba Juice employees in the newly opened University Student Union(USU), he got to know peers involved in leadership in the many centers and organization housed in the USU. These connections opened his eyes to the opportunity for leadership and involvement.

In Louis’ junior year, a close friend recruited him to help bring a historically black fraternity, Omega Psi Phi, to campus. Though he didn’t think Greek life was for him, he began to volunteer with the organization.

“You don’t need letters to help people who need it,” he said. “But when I saw what brothers were doing, I knew that’s what I wanted to do. And I knew we could make a bigger impact together.”

This same time, his good friend Tiffaney Boyd, then-president of Associated Students, Inc. (ASI), encouraged Louis to find an involvement opportunity, but he resisted.

“I’m just here to get my degree,” he said.

His friends were persistent, and he decided to run as the College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences (CHABSS) representative for ASI. Once elected, he sought ways to represent diverse student voices.

Louis was called on to serve and sit on committees across campus as a student representative – and the list is long: Graduation Initiative, Chief Diversity Officer hiring committee, Student Philanthropy Council, Black Faculty Staff Association, Peer Mentoring Program (as mentee and mentor), helping to host the TEDx event and speaking to the Board of Trustees.

As CHABSS representative, Louis had a front-row seat to see how ASI worked and realized he could serve this campus in an even greater way as ASI president.

“As ASI president, you really have to stop thinking about just yourself and really think of the best interest of the whole student body,” said Louis, who was elected to serve the 2017-2018 term as ASI president.

It has been a busy year for ASI, opening the 24/5 space in partnership with the Library, increasing the distribution and growing the Cougar Pantry program, passing a resolution for Project Rebound, as well as working on sustainability projects. Of all his accomplishments, one that he’s most proud of is making inclusive changes that allowed more student access to leadership positions.

“Everything I do is because it’s a passion,” he said.

His warm demeanor and endearing smile makes him friends wherever he goes.

“As ASI President, Louis is very thoughtful on how decisions will affect all students and very open to understanding differing views and opinions,” said Annie Macias, Interim Executive Director of ASI. “But the first thing you notice about Louis is his great smile and warm demeanor. You can often find him walking across campus, shaking hands with almost every student, calling them by name and listening to some shared personal or academic issue.”

Louis stays on top of it all through personal discipline, which he credits to both his military experience and the guidance he has received from his mentors in Omega Psi Phi.

So what’s next after he graduates this spring?

“I think first, I’m going to take a nap,” he said, laughing. “Going to officer candidacy school is an option, as well as getting another degree. I know I want to end up back in school, I want to help historically underrepresented students – especially young African American men – and I want to find success, so I can put myself in a position to continue to help others.”

Media Contact

Katie Chappell, Digital Communications Specialist

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

“The focus for Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month at CSUSM this year is Breaking the Mold: Myths, History and Identity,” said Floyd Lai, associate director of multicultural programs for Student Life and Leadership. “The various events throughout April will explore and recognize the fastest growing population in the United States and the issues that affect this diverse group.”

The series of events are intended to challenge stereotypical myths, discuss representation of Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in the media, celebrate culture through food and performance, and share intriguing stories about the intersections of sports, community and culture.

For more information, contact Floyd Lai at flai@csusm.edu. A full list of events can be found by visiting their website.

Civility T-shirt Day & Asian Pacific Islander Celebration

Tuesday, April 5 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

University Student Union, Arcade and Amphitheater

Stop by educational tables to learn more about Asian Pacific Islander heritage from activists, enjoy special performances and food. Support the Civility Campaign by wearing green or a Civility T-shirt.

Presented by the Cross-Cultural Center, Civility Campaign, USUAB, alpha Kappa Delta Phi, Alpha Psi Rho, Kamalayan Alliance (KA), Movimiento Estudiantil Chican@ de Aztlán (MEChA), and the Black Student Union (BSU).

Cross-Cultural Center Discussion: Asian Pacific Islander (Mis)Representation

Tuesday, April 12 from 12 to 1 p.m.

University Student Union, 3400

Join in on a discussion at the Cross-Cultural Center to your share thoughts and opinions about the misrepresentations of Asian Pacific Islanders in the media.

Sponsored by the Cross-Cultural Center.

Cougar Eats

Tuesday, April 12 from 7 to 9 p.m.

Clarke Field House, 113

Learn to make simple and healthy recipes by following step-by-step instructions with other participants. The menu features spring rolls with locally sourced ingredients, phở, and Thai tea for Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month. First come first serve. Supplies are limited.

Sponsored by Campus Recreation, Student Health & Counseling Services, Sodexo, and University Student Union Activities Board.

Human Trafficking Panel

Thursday, April 15 from 6 to 7 p.m.

Markstein Hall, 106

Human trafficking is a serious crime and a grave violation of human rights that is happening all over the world. In partnership with Sexual Assault Awareness Month, a discussion will take place with a San Diego district attorney and community members who work with teens and adults that have been trafficked in San Diego. Refreshments will be served.

Sponsored by Student Health & Counseling Services.

Maligayang Pagdating: ‘Welcome Home’ Pilipino Cultural Showcase

Saturday, April 16 at 5 p.m.

San Marcos Civic Center3 Civic Center Dr., San Marcos, CA 92069

Join the Kamalyan Alliance for a performance about Hazel Dela Cruz. After moving away to the United States as an infant, Hazel lost touch with her Filipino roots and has no knowledge of the language and mannerisms that are part of the culture. In the summer following her high school graduation, the Dela Cruz family decided to visit their hometown of Kalibo, which is a small town in the Visayan province of Aklan. Hazel struggled with her identity as a Filipino-American and used her time in the Philippines to reconnect with her family and culture. Parking is free.

Presented by the CSUSM Kamalayan Alliance.

Conversations That Matter: No, I'm Not Good at Math! Looking Beyond the Stereotype

Tuesday, April 26 from 12 to 1:30 p.m.

University Student Union, Ballroom

Join a conversation to explore the minority myths and hardships faced by different Asian ethnic groups and the future implications of an increasing population of Asian Americans in the United States.

Sponsored by the Office of Diversity, Educational Equity, Inclusion & Ombud Services in partnership with the Asian Pacific Islander Faculty & Staff Association.

Screening and Discussion: In Football We Trust

Wednesday, April 27 from 6 to 8 p.m.

University Student Union, Ballroom

In Football We Trust is an insightful and moving documentary feature film exploring in rich detail the remarkable story behind the Polynesian Pipeline to the National Football League (NFL). With unprecedented access and filmed over a four-year time period, the documentary intimately portrays four young Polynesian men striving to overcome gang violence and poverty through the promise of American football. A discussion will follow.

Sponsored by the Cross-Cultural Center and CSUSM Athletic Department.

The word “herstory” was coined in the 1960s as a feminist critique of conventional historiography – that history focuses primarily on the contributions of men. Herstory emphasizes the role of women in history and comes from a female point of view.

ASI’s Gender Equity Center, the department of Women’s Studies, the Civility Campaign and the H.O.P.E. and Wellness Center have partnered to bring over two dozen events to campus in March including lectures, movie screenings, performances, health training and round-table discussions on the topics of women and gender issues.

“This is one month that nationally recognizes the contributions of women, but women and femme-identified people are contributing to society every day and they should be celebrated every day,” said Abrahán Monzón, Assistant Director of the ASI Community Centers.

Some of the month’s events include:

• Performance: CSUSM students present Eve Ensler’s Vagina Monologues, a compilation of women's stories that are performed to bring awareness of the different forms of violence women face. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for staff, faculty or community members. All proceeds from the performance will benefit the Center for Community Solutions, a non-profit in San Diego that provides education, prevention and resources for survivors of domestic violence. March 13-14, 2015. ARTS 111.
• Discussion: Gender Cafes, an ongoing project by the Gender Equity Center to promote healthy discussion of gender topics, are being held during the noon hour throughout the month with a special focus on feminism. Various dates in March, view calendar.
• Film Screening: The Mask You Live In is a documentary that examines how kids are influenced by the education system, sports culture and mass media, creating identity issues boys and young men must navigate to become “real” men. March 12, 2015, 5:30p.m., USU Ballroom.

To view the full schedule of events, visit Women’s Herstory Month.