A total of 4,352 students graduated as part of this year’s class. Spring commencement, with 3,312 graduates, follows on the heels of CSUSM holding its annual fall commencement in December. Those ceremonies drew 1,040 graduates.

CSUSM’s spring commencement took place on Friday, May 15 and Saturday, May 16 at Mangrum Track & Field on campus, with five different ceremonies stretched across the two days.  

“Class of 2026, today you join a distinguished group of more than 75,000 CSUSM alumni,” CSUSM President Ellen Neufeldt said. “You are the leaders of tomorrow. Leaders who will bring to our communities and our world the ability to listen and understand multiple perspectives, to find creative solutions to the most pressing problems, and to help make our society a more just and equitable place for all. Something I say often is that our students are the change we so desperately need to see in the world. And now more than ever we need your passion, your intellect, your spirit of resilience.”

CSUSM’s commencement featured a notable guest this year as Adam Schiff, one of the two U.S. senators from California, addressed graduates and the assembled crowd Friday afternoon at the first of two ceremonies for the College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences.

In the Class of 2026, 52% of the graduates are the first in their families to earn a bachelor’s degree. More than 43% come from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds. Here are some other facts:

• 87% are graduating from bachelor’s degree programs, while 13% are completing master's degree programs.
• 61% of graduates are women and 39% are male.
• The ages of those graduating with a bachelor's degree range from 20 to 68.

For the Class of 2026, the top 10 bachelor’s degree majors are:

• business administration (664)
• psychology (344)
• kinesiology (311)
• nursing (242)
• criminology and justice studies (227)
• sociology (211)
• computer science (201)
• biology (160)
• liberal studies (150)
• fine and creative arts (134)

CSUSM awarded one honorary degree during commencement, with Theresa Mendoza Rios accepting a Doctor of Fine Arts degree on behalf of her late husband, Dan Rios, who died in 2023 at age 84.

Rios was a photographer who worked for the Escondido Times-Advocate and North County Times newspapers from 1968 to 2001. By the time he retired, he had amassed a collection of about one million photo negatives that he stashed in more than 40,000 envelopes and almost 200 boxes.

Nearly two decades later, Rios was connected with the CSUSM library, and in 2018 he donated his life’s work to the library’s Special Collections department. The Dan Rios Papers, as the collection is called, consists of not only the vast cache of images, but also large- and medium-format prints, contact sheets and hundreds of letters that Rios received over the years from readers who were affected by his photos.

Before his death, the library hosted a ceremony to honor his legacy as a photographer who chronicled people and events in San Diego's North County for decades. Rios said of his collection: “I can’t even express my feelings because it’s so overwhelming that they’re going to find a use for my photos and help students and researchers and people who are interested in history.”

Visit the commencement live website to rewatch the 2025 commencement ceremonies.

A total of 1,040 graduates crossed the commencement stage as the event moved from the Sports Center on campus to Frontwave Arena in Oceanside. Fall commencement has doubled in size since it debuted in 2023, as CSUSM remains the only public university in San Diego County to hold graduation at the midpoint of the academic year.

The event Monday was divided into two ceremonies. The afternoon ceremony featured 604 graduates from the College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences, and the College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. The evening ceremony included 436 graduates from the College of Education, Health and Human Services, and the College of Business Administration.

“I always say that I learn from our students more than I could ever teach them,” CSUSM President Ellen Neufeldt told the graduates. “I know without a doubt that our world needs your perspectives, your ideas, your passion and intellect, and your spirit of resilience. As you move forward, know that you are equipped and destined for greatness. Hold on to the feeling of this moment and take it with you wherever you go next.”

CSUSM holds fall commencement to offer students who are graduating in December the opportunity to celebrate their accomplishments with their families without having to wait until spring. Commencement is an especially important milestone for the more than half of graduates at CSUSM who are the very first in their families to earn a bachelor’s degree.

The new graduates join a distinguished group of more than 72,000 CSUSM alumni and more than 4 million California State University alumni. Nearly half of all bachelor’s degrees in California are awarded by the CSU. At CSUSM, students are prepared for in-demand careers in health care, education, business, biotechnology and public service – fields that power the region and state. Learn more about CSUSM’s economic impact.

A total of 4,041 students graduated as part of this year’s class. Spring commencement follows on the heels of CSUSM holding its second-ever fall commencement in December. Those ceremonies drew more than 700 graduates.

CSUSM’s spring commencement took place on Friday, May 16 and Saturday, May 17 at Mangrum Track & Field on campus, with six different ceremonies stretched across the two days.  

“When I think about our graduates' success, I also think about how many of them are first in their families to graduate college or earn a master’s degree,” CSUSM President Ellen Neufeldt said. "The significance of what that means not only for their own lives and social mobility, but their families and their communities, should never be underestimated. Commencement is such a proud day, because it is the culmination of the efforts of our entire campus community: our students, their loved ones, our faculty and staff, and our partners, all working together toward this major milestone and achievement. Congratulations, Class of 2025!"

In the Class of 2025, 54% of the graduates are the first in their families to earn a bachelor’s degree. More than 47% come from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds. Here are some other facts:

• 88% are graduating from bachelor’s degree programs, while 12% are completing master's degree programs.
• 62% of graduates are female and 37% are male.
• The ages of those graduating with a bachelor's degree range from 19 to 67.

For the Class of 2025, the top 10 bachelor’s degree majors are:

• business administration (642)
• psychology (321)
• nursing (273)
• kinesiology (244)
• sociology (214)
• criminology and justice studies (209) 
• liberal studies (168)
• computer science (169)
• biology (162)
• communication (156)
• child and adolescent development (106)

CSUSM awarded two honorary degrees during commencement, with Allison Price and Mark Cafferty receiving Doctor of Humane Letters degrees.

Price serves on the board of directors of the Allison and Robert Price Family Foundation and the Price Philanthropies Foundation. It’s through the latter organization that she played a pivotal role in supporting an innovative, accelerated three-year bachelor’s program in the field of behavioral health at CSUSM. Price, a San Diego native and San Diego State graduate, also is on the board of the Aaron Price Fellows Program, which positively impacts San Diego public high school students. It was established in 1989 after Allison and her husband, Robert, lost their oldest of four children, Aaron, to an illness at age 15.

Cafferty is president and CEO of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation. He has spent over 25 years designing systems to support career advancement and economic opportunity for American workers. He has served in numerous public-sector leadership positions and has been sought as a consultant on workforce development efforts throughout the country.

CSUSM also awarded a Presidential Medal of Honor to Maj. Gen. Anthony (Tony) Jackson. This recognition celebrates individuals who exemplify the highest standards of leadership, service and unwavering commitment to the values of the university. 

Jackson is a longtime Marine Corps officer whose military career ended in 2012, the same year he joined the CSUSM’s Foundation Board. He has served in a variety of capacities, including director, chair and adviser. A passionate advocate for veterans, he was the inaugural chair of President Ellen Neufeldt’s Military Advisory Council and established an endowed scholarship with his wife, Sue, to support veterans.

Visit the commencement live website to rewatch the 2025 commencement ceremonies.

Jonathan Jennings, one of those hundreds of fall 2024 graduates, likes to call himself a “nontraditional nontraditional” student. Not only is he 37 years old and pursuing his second degree, but unlike nearly all of the 50-odd students in his Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program cohort, he does not have an educational background in science.

Jennings, rather, graduated from UCLA 15 years ago with a degree in world arts and cultures, which is one of the only academic programs of its type in U.S. higher education. He describes it as a unorthodox fusion of dance and anthropology.

“I took everything from ballet to postmodern to African war dances to tai chi – you name it,” Jennings said. “If a culture moves in a certain way, I studied why they move that way, how it affects the way they interact with other people in their culture and how you can respectfully create your own work as an artist without disrespecting the culture.”

It's how Jennings applied his first bachelor’s and the path he took toward this second one, however, that elevates his story beyond a mere curiosity. After leaving UCLA, he fulfilled his lifelong ambition of becoming a professional dancer. One of his first jobs was as a performer on a Disney cruise ship for nine months, providing on-board entertainment through a medley of shows.

Jennings parlayed that opportunity into one that was significantly longer and somehow even more exotic. He worked for much of the next eight years as a dancer at Tokyo Disneyland. Assigned to the wildly popular, Tokyo-specific stage show “One Man’s Dream II: The Magic Lives On,” which featured humans performing alongside Mickey Mouse and many other classic Disney characters, Jennings danced five times a day, five days a week for a total of more than 8,000 shows.

“It made for a great icebreaker in the ABSN program,” he said. “Day one of orientation, tell us something interesting about yourself: ‘I used to perform with Mickey and his friends in a show called “One Man’s Dream II.” ’ It’s a unique experience. Not many people have gotten the opportunity to do that.”

During his tenure at the theme park, Jennings earned a promotion to line captain, a role that’s responsible for leading rehearsals on days when the director and production team aren’t available, as well as mitigating conflicts between cast members. Away from the job, he enjoyed the minor celebrity status that accompanied being a Disney performer in Japan, while finding time to travel to countries throughout Asia.

Asked if he still misses that chapter of his life, Jennings said: “Every day, though I think it’s mostly nostalgia now. I was young. I was making good money. The world was my oyster.”

Dancing is often a young person’s profession, and when Jennings reached his early 30s, he realized that he would need to discover his second act. In December 2019, he took part in the final staging ever of “One Man’s Dream,” returned to his hometown of Spring Valley and retired as a dancer.

As he began to contemplate what would come next, he thought about things that brought him joy. He thought about his love of babies, shaped by a formative experience helping to care for a newborn cousin who lived with his family when he was just 10 years old. He thought about his exposure to caretaking through poor health suffered by his stepfather and grandfather.

He thought, in other words, that nursing – especially pediatric nursing – might be a good fit. So early in the pandemic, he spent a year at Cuyamaca College knocking out the science prerequisites required for him to attend nursing school. Once those were complete, he applied to CSUSM and began studying in its ABSN program in spring 2023.

While he battled feelings of imposter syndrome in the classroom from his lack of science training, Jennings sought out any and all chances he could uncover to gain nursing-adjacent seasoning. One such opportunity came through CSUSM’s Mobile Wellness Initiative, which engages students from the seven disciplines of the College of Education, Health and Human Services (including nursing) in community-based health education and promotion events. Starting in February, Jennings volunteered for about seven events in the community, doing things like blood pressure screenings for adults and healthy eating activities for kids.

“Recognizing my own ignorance, the fact that I don't have health care experience, I wanted to expose myself to as many scenarios where health care is provided and communities to which is provided as possible,” he said. “It put a very human face on health care for me, in a way that's not in a hospital room where everything's beeping.”

Matt Mincey, a nursing lecturer who established the Mobile Wellness Initiative, has witnessed Jennings in action at several community health events and seen how the outsized personality and stage presence that Jennings brought to his dancing career translate to the field of nursing.

“One of the things that nursing students struggle with is confidence, especially when it comes to speaking with others,” Mincey said. “Most students find a way to break through that barrier, but it comes at different times for everyone. Jonathan just had this ability from the get-go. He is humble, but he is also confident in what he knows and he is eager to share with anyone who will listen.

“I am excited to see where he goes after graduation but already feel the loss in our operations that will be hard to replace.” 

For his final semester this fall, Jennings worked an externship in the cardiothoracic ICU at Rady Children’s Hospital (one of the top such units in the country) and also did clinical rotations in telehealth at UC San Diego and as a school nurse. He has interviewed for a full-time job at Rady and hopes to have received a job offer by early next year.

If he gets the position, he won’t be dressing up in costumes and dancing for patients. But he perceives almost daily the ways in which his previous life benefits him in his new life.

“Other than actual textbook content, I don't think there's a corner of nursing that my old career doesn't apply to, which was surprising to me,” he said. “It's being versed in a lot of soft skills that I didn't recognize were skills until I had to apply them in a field where that's not the dominant thing that we're using to create value. If something's going wrong and the doctor has to run out and get a new piece of equipment, I can stand in that room and hold the audience and distract them from pain or whatever they're feeling, as opposed to freezing and standing there awkwardly or leaving the room. I didn't see that as a marketable skill in nursing, but now I do.”

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

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

CSUSM will host its second fall commencement on Sunday, Dec. 15 in the Sports Center on campus. More than 700 students are expected to cross the stage across four ceremonies, and more than 5,500 guests have registered to attend.  

Since the inaugural occasion last year, fall commencement has grown to the point that CSUSM expanded the number of ceremonies from three to four. There were more than 500 graduates in 2023.

CSUSM holds fall commencement to offer students who are graduating in December the opportunity to celebrate their accomplishments with their families without having to wait until spring.  Commencement is an especially important milestone for the more than half of graduates at CSUSM who are the very first in their families to earn a bachelor’s degree.

Each of the four ceremonies will be streamed live on the CSUSM commencement website and mobile app to allow viewing by family members and friends who can’t attend. 

More information on CSUSM’s commencement ceremonies is available online.  

What: CSUSM hosts its second annual fall commencement

When: Sunday, Dec. 15

9 a.m. – College of Business Administration

Noon – College of Education, Health and Human Services; College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics  

3 p.m. – College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences (Session 1)

6 p.m. – College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences (Session 2)

Where: The Sports Center, Cal State San Marcos, 333 South Twin Oaks Valley Road, San Marcos  

Media: Members of the media who wish to attend any of the commencement ceremonies are asked to contact Jerry McCormick, director of strategic communications, in advance at JMcCormick@csusm.edu or 619-549-9438. For easy access to the ceremony site, media are asked to park in Lot O or Parking Structure 2. 

A total of 4,406 students will graduate as part of the Class of 2022, with more than three-quarters of them having registered to attend one of the on-campus ceremonies. CSUSM’s commencement will take place on Friday, May 20 and Saturday, May 21 at Mangrum Track and Field, with six different ceremonies stretched across the two days.  

CSUSM will host commencement without public health restrictions after the 2020 ceremony was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic and last year’s event featured numerous restrictions, including social distancing and a facemask requirement. Each graduate could register up to 8 guests in advance. Nearly 30,000 guests are expected among the six ceremonies.  

In the Class of 2022, 58% of the graduates are the first in their families to earn a bachelor’s degree, and 34% are the first to attend college. More than 45% come from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds, and 57% are non-white. The ages of the graduates range from 19 to 69.  

Each of the commencement ceremonies will be streamed live on the CSUSM website and mobile app to allow viewing by family members and friends who can’t attend.  

CSUSM will award two honorary degrees during commencement:  

• Juanita Page Cooke will receive a Doctor of Science degree during the College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics ceremony on May 20 at 9 a.m.  
• Carol Lazier will receive a Doctor of Humane Letters degree in the College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences ceremony on May 20 at 6 p.m. 

 Cooke, who died last year at 89, was part of the team of National Institutes of Health researchers, led by Christian B. Anfinsen, who conducted groundbreaking and seminal research on protein folding in the 1950s and ’60s. Anfinsen went on to win the 1972 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the findings. Cooke contributed significantly to Anfinsen’s work while in his lab at NIH and was a co-author on two of the publications cited in his Nobel Prize acceptance lecture. 

Lazier, a Poway resident, is the co-founder of Explore Solutions, a 501c3 that has provided comprehensive college and career information to high school students since 2006. She is also a philanthropist who has received national recognition for her giving and supports CSUSM programs like ACE Scholars Services and the School of Arts. 

More information on CSUSM’s commencement ceremonies is available online.  

What: CSUSM hosts commencement for the Class of 2022  

Who: More than 3,000 students are expected to participate in the ceremonies  

When:  

Friday, May 20  

9 a.m. – College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics  

1:30 p.m. – College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences  

6 p.m. – College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences  

Saturday, May 21  

9 a.m. – College of Business Administration  

1:30 p.m. – College of Education, Health and Human Services 

6 p.m. – College of Education, Health and Human Services  

Where: Mangrum Track and Field, Cal State San Marcos, 333 South Twin Oaks Valley Road, San Marcos  

Media: Members of the media who wish to attend any of the commencement ceremonies are asked to contact communications specialist Brian Hiro in advance at bhiro@csusm.edu or 760-759-0564.  

For easy access to the ceremony site, media are asked to park in Lot Z, which is located at South Twin Oaks Valley Road and Campus Marketplace.  

More than 3,000 graduates were in attendance last Saturday and Sunday as CSUSM welcomed back in-person commencement for the first time in two years. The university hosted three ceremonies on Saturday and two more on Sunday, with an estimated total of almost 10,000 people on hand for the festivities.

The commencement saluted the graduating classes of both 2021 (which numbered 4,592 students) and 2020 (4,618). The latter group of students saw their in-person celebration postponed last year because of the coronavirus pandemic. At the time, President Ellen Neufeldt promised the Class of 2020 that CSUSM would recognize them and their accomplishments as soon as it was deemed safe to do so.

That’s exactly what happened last weekend, as each ceremony featured not only a mix of students from both graduating classes, but also a public speaker from each of the classes.

It also marked the first commencement for Neufeldt, who arrived at CSUSM a couple of months after the graduation ceremonies of 2019.

Public health guidelines were in place last weekend. Each graduate was limited to bringing two guests, and seats within the venue were separated by 6 feet. All attendees were required to wear a face covering while on the campus property.

Multiple media outlets covered the festivities, including the San Diego Union-Tribune and CBS News 8.

The weekend commencement ceremonies were preceded Friday morning by a different, but no less spirited, celebration of graduates. For the second year in a row, CSUSM hosted Graduates on Parade, a special event in which graduates decorate their car and join members of their immediate household to parade the streets of campus in a route lined by faculty and staff. Almost 800 students participated this year.

CSUSM awarded three honorary degrees during commencement. Daniel J. Epstein, Robert “Bob” McElroy and Steven P. Wagner all received the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters on Saturday.

Epstein is the founder of The ConAm Group, one of the top apartment management/ownership firms in the country, and a longtime supporter of CSUSM who has made multiple transformational gifts to the university. In recognition of the $1 million gift that the Epstein Family Foundation made to CSUSM’s Veterans Center in 2017, the building was renamed the Epstein Family Veterans Center.

McElroy is the founder and president of Alpha Project, an organization with more than three decades of service to people in need. Aiming to break the cycle of homelessness, Alpha Project offers more than two dozen programs throughout San Diego County and beyond, with more than 250 employees who collectively serve in excess of 4,000 people each day.

Wagner is co-founder and president of Stone Brewing Co., one of the biggest craft beer companies in America. He has been an annual supporter of the university’s Student Philanthropy Council since its inception in 2011, and he and his wife, Laura, have helped build a culture of philanthropy on campus through their support of CSUSM Giving Day.

Friday, May 21

Graduates on Parade photos and live stream replay

Saturday, May 22

College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (CSTEM) ceremony photos and live stream replay
Ceremony A College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences (CHABSS) ceremony photos and live stream replay
Ceremony B College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences (CHABSS) ceremony photos and live stream replay

Sunday, May 23

College of Business Administration (CoBA) ceremony photos and live stream replay
College of Education, Health and Human Services (CEHHS) ceremony photos and live stream replay

Media Contact

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

There will be 115 who earn a degree in liberal studies, 108 in literature and writing studies.

And there will be a single graduate crossing the stage and being handed a degree in Ethnic Studies.

Daniela Carreon is the first person to graduate in the discipline of Ethnic Studies, which has been a minor at CSUSM since at least 2001 but which was officially approved as a major by the California State University chancellor’s office in December 2017.

“It’s an amazing feeling, but I don’t want to say I’m the first because I don’t like the title of it,” Daniela said. “I wish someone else was graduating with me, but I hope that next year or the following year there are going to be more and more and more. It’s really amazing to see that in the short amount of time since the major was established, there already is a graduate. It shows that there’s a want and a need for this to be here at Cal State San Marcos.”

CSUSM would still be waiting for its initial Ethnic Studies graduate if it weren’t for the diligence and passion displayed by Daniela. She declared a minor in the subject during her first semester at the university in fall 2014, and after some uncertainty at the outset, she settled on social sciences as her major, with a primary focus on sociology. She was excited when she discovered in spring 2017 that Ethnic Studies would soon be offered as a major, but she wasn’t able to declare it until last fall.

In the interim period, Daniela was forced to play a major game of catch-up on the courses that would be required in her new discipline. She began taking five or six classes per semester, supplemented by summer coursework at Palomar College, in order to check the boxes necessary to fulfill her goal of graduating in five years as a double major in Ethnic Studies and social sciences.

“I am elated to see Daniela graduate this spring, as I am sure are all of those faculty who have worked to see the B.A. in Ethnic Studies become a reality,” said Laurette McGuire, the program director. “Daniela has been a leader in Ethnic Studies since she declared the major. She reflects the values and dedication that is respective of Ethnic Studies’ roots in student movements of the late 1960s that emerged from student and community members’ demands for academic programs that reflect the experiences and histories of people of color.”

This spring, while many of her fellow graduates were winding down, Daniela took seven classes, including an independent study course with sociology professor Marisol Clark-Ibanez that involved students embedding themselves in local high schools to do ethnographic research on the experiences of undocumented students and the school personnel who work with them. She also completed a master’s-level course to get a head start on the master’s program in sociological practice that she will begin at CSUSM this fall.

As if that weren’t enough on her plate, Daniela also worked 20 hours a week, her job duties split between the Cross-Cultural Center and the Dreamer Resource Office. To make it all possible, she generally stayed on campus Mondays through Thursdays from 8 a.m. to sometimes midnight or later, with Friday as a blessedly welcome day to rest, catch up on errands, or attend events related to her being awarded a Sally Casanova pre-doctoral fellowship through the CSU.

“Yeah, I’m here all the time,” Daniela said with a laugh. “I’m making my parking pass really worth it.”

She just completed her fourth year working at the Cross-Cultural Center, and Floyd Lai, the center’s director, has joked to her that she’ll be the answer to a trivia question: Who’s the only person to hold every job in the office?

“This last year we created a position because I didn’t want to lose her,” Lai said. “We made her a lead specialist because she has that much experience, with the charge of helping to grow our volunteer program. She did that pretty flawlessly and was such a benefit to our growth and visibility.”

Daniela had scant exposure to the ethos behind Ethnic Studies until she reached CSUSM. A first-generation college student from Escondido (her two older sisters also attended CSU schools), she went to elementary, middle and high school in Encinitas as an inter-district transfer. She recalls being in a tiny minority of Latina students at La Costa Canyon High, and it wasn’t until she started taking sociology and Ethnic Studies classes in college that she learned the language to describe her experience – terms like microaggression and covert and overt racism.

“When I came here, it was culture shock, like ‘There are people of color in my classes, I’m not the only one,’ ” Daniela said. “It felt welcoming. I felt so at ease that I didn’t have to be the voice and could just blend in.”

She said she’s proud to be the first graduate in a degree program that has been almost 15 years in the making, and she plans to pursue a Ph.D. at one of the few universities that feature a doctorate specifically in Ethnic Studies, with an aspiration of becoming a professor in the field, possibly even at CSUSM.

On her cap at commencement, Daniela will display a slightly modified version of a quote by famous African-American novelist James Baldwin that has inspired her: “The place in which we fit will not exist until we make it.”

“To me, Ethnic Studies means that we have carved a space in academia where people of color or marginalized communities weren’t meant to be,” she said. “I always remind myself that others came before me who paved the way, who have been in hunger strikes, in protests, who have been arrested or beaten for me to be here. I remind myself that.”

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

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

As a coach, volunteer coordinator and water safety captain for Stoke for Life Foundation — a nonprofit focusing on adaptive watersports — Ryan often starts event days by himself on the beach, reading the ocean waves for any potential hazards. These early-morning assessments are critical for the safety of the adaptive athletes. This is also the kind of work Ryan thrives on in his second career.

For 15 years since graduating from high school, Ryan has searched for his purpose. He adopted, and adapted, many roles along the way, but despite outward success, he remained unfulfilled. After an early attempt at college sputtered, he continued taking classes throughout the years as he pursued work in sales, restaurants, public relations and the music industry.

“If you can think of a job that doesn’t require a college degree, I’ve probably done it,” he said, laughing. “I found everything that I don’t want to do.”

A former youth swimming and water polo coach, Ryan decided to volunteer at a physical therapy clinic to learn about working with injured athletes. While a clinical environment wasn’t right for him, working with athletes facing challenges was. A degree in kinesiology would be his first career step, which led Ryan to CSUSM at Temecula.

Ryan discovered Stoke for Life Foundation through a friend who suggested that he volunteer at one of its adaptive surf camps. There, he found his purpose. Based in Carlsbad, the foundation aims to bring adaptive watersports to athletes of all ages and abilities through surf and paddle clinics and competitions.

“I’m choosing my career more on values this time rather than money,” said Ryan, 33. “Do I feel good doing this? The money is secondary to the cause. That’s why I do this, because it’s a good cause. Kids in wheelchairs need to be told what they can do, not what they can’t.”

At Stoke for Life, Ryan primarily works with the youth surfers, often as a pusher. Adaptive surfers who can’t swim need designated pushers to power them onto a wave, which they then ride to shore. The foundation provides the adaptive equipment, coaching and safety staff to ensure all of their athletes have the opportunity to pursue their sport as far as they want.

In fact, after Ryan graduates this month, he and a group of Stoke for Life surfers — including foundation founder and adaptive athlete Charles Webb — will take their skills to the international stage. In June and July, the group will travel to Hawaii, then England, Wales and Spain, where they will compete in international adaptive surfing contests.

After years of searching, Ryan has found that his cause is surf therapy and his office is the water, fitting for a former water polo athlete. And the timing? Just right, he says.

“For me, graduating is the beginning of something, not the end,” Ryan said. “I am an older student and I have a lot of life experience. My past is what got me where I am today. I have found what I want to do and, finally, I can start.”

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

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

When she returned two decades later, she was a woman on a mission, an accomplished professional and cancer survivor who knew exactly what she wanted from the experience and knew she had no time to waste.  

The divergence in motivation led to drastically different outcomes. The first time around, Alisha dropped out as a freshman to enter the working world. This time, she will leave Cal State San Marcos later this month as the winner of the dean’s award for outstanding graduate from the College of Business Administration, and she’s not even close to done yet, either. 

This fall, Alisha will begin a one-year master’s program in accounting at UC Irvine, which includes a $15,000 faculty fellow scholarship, and in 2020 she plans to pursue a Ph.D., with a goal of ultimately returning to CSUSM as an accounting professor.  

“My motivation definitely comes from the fact that I know what I’m getting out of college, so I’m very focused and determined,” Alisha said. “I have a mission, and I’m going to achieve it. Also, time is precious to me. I’m not 18 to 20 with my whole life in front of me. I’m doing something very specific, and it’s time to get it done.” 

Alisha’s intense drive, at age 41, to make the most of her second stab at college led her to do things like take a combined 59 units in one year at MiraCosta and Palomar colleges before she transferred to CSUSM in the fall of 2017. It led her to log 19 units of upper-division courses last spring and 18 last fall, those semesters sandwiching a summer in which she took four classes at CSUSM and one at Palomar.  

It led her to seek involvement with the university, specifically the accounting department, far beyond her heavy class load. Alisha quickly was elevated to head tutor after volunteering to help out in the accounting lab, she served as a supplemental instructor and teaching assistant in different accounting classes, and she was the vice president of the Accounting Society, responsible for bringing in many outside firms and hosting its biweekly meetings. 

All of those extracurricular pursuits didn’t cause her classroom performance to suffer in the slightest, as she has recorded a grade-point average over 3.8.  

“Alisha deserves all the accolades and awards,” said Syed Zaidi, the chair of CSUSM’s accounting department. “She is doing more than any student of mine, yet she never complains. As a returning student, she realized that she has lost a good chunk of time. She realized that she has no other choice but to excel.” 

She did have a choice, however, about how to apply her degree. When Alisha first decided that accounting would be her second career, she wanted to start her own bookkeeping business for the work flexibility it would provide. Then she thought she might want to get a job at one of the Big Four accounting firms, lured by the glamour of being employed by a prestigious global company like Deloitte or Ernst & Young.  

It was at CSUSM that her aspiration changed. With the encouragement of mentors like Zaidi, who taught her in a cost accounting class last spring, Alisha began to think long and hard about eschewing the pressure-cooker world of financial accounting in favor of becoming a professor herself. As she volunteered for more and more activities to test her newfound inclination, she discovered that she had a knack for explaining complex material and that she appreciated the variety of tasks that the job would entail, from teaching to research to service.

“She lectured in two of my classes,” Zaidi said. “One of the lectures was impromptu. Her confidence, her enthusiasm and her eagerness to help students made me think that she is a great candidate for a Ph.D. I saw my mirror image in her. I have no doubt that she will be a great professor.”

Alisha appreciates the irony in the fact that, when she first set off for college as a teenager, she was determined to become neither an accountant (her father is a CPA) nor a teacher (her mother taught early childhood development). But the Oceanside native didn’t know what career she did hope to pursue, so she matriculated to UC Santa Barbara with the half-hearted idea of being a doctor.

Only 17 when she enrolled, Alisha quickly realized that she didn’t want to be there, and when she picked up a part-time sales job at Nordstrom to help cover school expenses, she discovered that she was good at it. She withdrew after two quarters, soon married a man she had met at UCSB, and began an almost 20-year odyssey in various sales positions, eventually rising to store manager of Paper Source in Santa Barbara.

Her life took an unexpected turn in 2013. Only two months after she and her husband decided to separate – “We were no longer the right person for each other,” Alisha said – she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. She underwent surgery that September to remove her thyroid gland and a few lymph nodes, but afterward her endocrinologist struggled to find the correct dosage of replacement thyroid hormone (the thyroid regulates both metabolism and body temperature).

“I got to the point where I had gained a significant amount of weight and I was freezing cold,” Alisha said. “I was so cold that my fingernails were blue. I was always in jackets. It took two years to get it all straightened out. I felt like I was a pin cushion, like ‘Here’s my vein, do your blood work.'"

Frustrated by the lack of improvement in her condition, Alisha switched her medical care to UCLA and had a second surgery to remove additional cancer in February 2015. She’s now cancer-free, though her thyroid levels are still checked every year.

“I literally have to take two pills a day to stay alive,” she said. “It’s an interesting thing to come to terms with.”

Another thing she came to terms with was that she had more to offer than running a store for the rest of her life. After a particularly rough holiday retail season in 2015, Alisha chose to make a clean break and go back to school, enticed by her parents’ offer to let her live with them in Oceanside and pay for her living expenses if she returned to college.

She hasn’t looked back since. The outstanding CoBA graduate has much left to accomplish, and the clock is ticking.

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

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

“When I see people now, I always stare at their veins and think, ‘Wow, you have nice veins,’ ” Stephanie said. “It’s the little things.”

Stephanie is able to find humor in the little things, particularly since learning in June 2017 that she has myasthenia gravis, a rare chronic autoimmune neuromuscular disease that causes severe muscle weakness.

The disease affects everyone differently. Some people have trouble walking. Some can’t lift their arms. In Stephanie’s case, it hinders muscles in her mouth and throat, causing difficulty breathing, eating, even taking a sip of water.

There is no cure for myasthenia gravis, and it has taken numerous attempts to find treatments that mitigate Stephanie’s symptoms. The most effective has been intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg), a plasma treatment given every five weeks.

As Stephanie approaches graduation from Cal State San Marcos this month, her routine has been the same throughout the spring semester. When it’s time for her IVIg, she attends class Thursday morning, skips her afternoon class to make the two-hour drive from CSUSM to her home in Whittier, and makes sure she is situated by 2 p.m. so a nurse can find a vein to begin the five-hour procedure.

Stephanie stays home to receive IVIg plasma treatments again on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. She was able to arrange her spring school schedule so that she doesn’t have class on Mondays, allowing her a full day to recover before returning to CSUSM in time for classes Tuesday.

“I tried to keep it quiet because I didn’t want people knowing that I have this,” she said. “But I understand now that I should help bring awareness to it because it’s so rare and we need more funding for research and new medications.”

Stephanie had just celebrated her 21^st birthday when she was diagnosed. Toward the end of the spring 2017 semester, she started noticing little changes. Her smile wasn’t quite the same. She was having difficulty eating.

She visited her dentist thinking she might have temporomandibular joint syndrome, better known as TMJ, or some other issue with her jaw. When the dentist told her everything looked normal, she tried a chiropractor, who realigned her neck.

The symptoms didn’t subside, but they also weren’t debilitating at that point. When the semester ended, Stephanie joined the rest of her family for their annual trip to Yosemite National Park. She didn’t know it at the time, but higher elevation can exacerbate her symptoms. She participated in bike rides and hikes, but she slowly started losing the ability to speak and struggled to eat or drink.

By the time the family returned to Whittier, Stephanie had to go to the emergency room. Doctors thought she might have had a stroke, but the tests came back negative. They couldn’t determine any other cause of the symptoms and recommended that she see a neurologist.

Stephanie was put through a battery of tests before the diagnosis was made. She had never heard of myasthenia gravis, so she figured it couldn’t be too bad. She quickly learned otherwise.

For people like Stephanie, whose mouth and throat muscles are affected, there is the danger of myasthenic crisis, a life-threatening condition that requires intubation so the patient can breathe.

While Stephanie has avoided that, it was terrifying for her mother, Margarita Gonzalez, to see her daughter struggling to swallow a few drops of water.

“It was such a difficult time,” Margarita said, “but we found the best doctor. He's been an angel for us.”

Stephanie went through IVIg treatments throughout the summer of 2017. By August, she was feeling like her old self. Her difficulties speaking, eating and drinking had disappeared.

“I thought, ‘This isn’t as bad as everyone said it was going to be,’ ” Stephanie said. “So I said, ‘I’m going back to school.’ ”

Margarita felt otherwise. It hadn’t even been three full months since Stephanie’s diagnosis. Margarita relented only when Stephanie agreed to take a lighter class load and return home for treatments and doctor’s appointments.

While disappointed that she might need an extra semester to graduate, Stephanie was happy to return to campus. But as the semester progressed, her symptoms returned. By the end of the fall term, she couldn’t speak. The plasma treatments were no longer helping. Her doctor recommended a surgical procedure to remove her thymus, a gland in the upper part of the chest that sometimes is abnormally large in people with myasthenia gravis.

The surgery was scheduled for the end of January 2018, and Stephanie wanted the date moved up so she could return to CSUSM in time for the spring semester. Stephanie even contemplated postponing the surgery after doctors told her the recovery time wouldn’t allow her to return to school in the spring. But with her family and doctors emphasizing the importance of getting it done as soon as possible, she reluctantly agreed to miss the spring semester and further delay her graduation.

A procedure that was estimated to last two hours took six. Stephanie spent several days in the ICU to ensure that she didn’t have a myasthenic crisis and several more days in the hospital for observation.

It’s too soon to know if the surgery will make a long-lasting impact – it typically takes 12-18 months for patients to start seeing results – but Stephanie has been doing well managing her symptoms since the procedure.

Missing the spring semester meant missing a few key classes. Without those prerequisites, it would have further delayed Stephanie’s graduation. She credits psychology professor Sara Bufferd and academic adviser Benita Ramirez for ensuring that she remained on track.

Bufferd assisted Stephanie in getting approval to take two required classes at Cal State Fullerton during the summer, and she continued working closely with Stephanie in the fall. Ramirez worked with Stephanie to make sure there were no issues in transferring her grades from Fullerton to CSUSM while also helping her arrange her class schedule to best meet her health needs.

“I have always admired Stephanie’s optimism and strong will,” Ramirez said. “She has done everything possible to accomplish her goal, from taking major courses at another university to not taking a break over the summer. I am so proud of her.”

Stephanie has an older brother and sister, but she will become the first in her family to earn a four-year degree when she graduates this month with a bachelor’s in child and adolescent development. The significance is not lost on her mother given all Stephanie has overcome to reach this point.

“For me, her graduation is everything,” Margarita said. “She completed something that I know for her was so hard. It is an honor to be her mother.”

Stephanie will take a year off to focus on her health before applying for graduate school. She wants to become a clinical psychologist and work with children who have been diagnosed with chronic illnesses.

She has managed to stay positive throughout the ups and downs of dealing with a disease that she had never heard of only two years ago. The disappointment that she felt last year when she wasn’t graduating with the classmates she had come to know so well has long since dissipated, replaced by the excitement of her family seeing her cross the commencement stage on May 17. She timed her plasma treatments for the week before graduation to ensure that she can fully enjoy the experience.

“I was just so devastated last spring,” Stephanie said. “But my mom said, ‘It’s OK. You’ll be fine. As long as you’re alive, as long as you’re breathing. You’ll have your chance.’

“I feel like as long as you get it done, it doesn’t matter when you get it done. Everyone has their own pace, their own story and what they’ve done to get through it.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

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

On that fateful day, his lifelong friend Alex Lazo committed suicide. Lunneberg’s personal and academic life as a student at Cal State San Marcos took an understandable dark turn.

But with the help of counseling and a strong support system of friends and family, he regained his composure, recording a GPA a full point higher in fall 2017 as compared to the previous spring.

Kyle will graduate this month with a bachelor’s in biological sciences and go straight to a prestigious graduate school program.

“His death has changed many of my perspectives,” Lunneberg said. “Mostly personal, but it framed the importance of community support, teamwork and kindness in my career. It was difficult relearning how to focus after losing Alex, but happiness is a choice and can be achieved by anyone who seeks it out.”

Lunneberg came to CSUSM as a computer science major, but something serendipitous occurred in his first semester. His GEL 101 professor introduced him to the topic of ecology and the importance of understanding the role of all organisms in our environment.

For an outdoor enthusiast who has camped his entire life, it was an easy decision to switch to biology with a concentration in ecology in that first semester and never look back.

“CSUSM gave me a chance other universities didn’t,” Lunneberg said. “I never felt motivated or challenged in middle and high school, and it showed in my academics. CSUSM’s focus on accepting local students gave me a second chance and has made a huge difference.”

Lunneberg was recently nominated for the Outstanding Graduate award for the College of Science and Mathematics by Environmental Studies faculty member Christina Simokat. As a student in her Introduction to Environmental Studies course as a freshman, he impressed her with his attention to detail and strong communication and writing skills.

“His individual work is of the highest quality, showing an ability to master complex concepts and apply them to real-life situations,” said Simokat, who added Lunneberg was her top-ranked student in that course. “In groups, Kyle is a natural facilitator, taking responsibility for organizational tasks and helping other group members to express themselves clearly. I always find Kyle pleasant, professional and positive with a helpful attitude toward his peers.”

While many college students wait until their senior year to gain valuable work experience, Lunneberg got involved with local ecological organizations early. He interned at Springs River Ecological Sciences LLC and worked as a parks/trails aide for the city of Carlsbad. He has also been working at Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation in Carlsbad for the past three years.

At AHLF, he heads the scientific monitoring committee, which works with industry leaders for enhanced monitoring of the lagoon.

“Kyle is a true ‘MacGyver’ of all things, and our community nature center would be of lesser value without his many talents,” said AHLF CEO Lisa Rodman, a CSUSM alumna. “I have no doubt of his bright future and successes in any field he chooses to pursue. He is an outstanding human as well. You can always count on Kyle to do the right thing, even when no one is looking. He inspires me daily.”

Lunneberg will continue his academic career as a student in a joint doctoral program in ecology hosted by San Diego State and UC Davis. He will study under Dr. Walter Oechel, who is the co-director of the Center for Climate and Sustainability Studies and the director of the Global Change Research Group at SDSU.

“I am grateful to have my next adventure planned and very excited to participate in a lab at the forefront of climate change,” Lunneberg said. “It’s a foundational goal of mine to leave this world better than when I started, and this is a major step toward that.”

Following his educational path, Lunneberg would like to eventually consult large-scale mitigation projects. Wherever his professional career takes him, he possesses a singular focus of making the planet better for future generations.

“Environmental issues are one of the most looming problems for our generation, and there are many different facets to address,” Lunneberg said. “The problem we face has accumulated over generations. We need to focus on multiple social, political and scientific dilemmas to properly deal with environmental issues.

“It’ll take a village; not just the politician, the activist or the scientist. That’s what I feel is most important for our generation to agree on.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

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

When one of her moms was diagnosed with multiple myeloma (bone marrow cancer) and osteoporosis at the same time in fall 2017, her grades as a psychology major at Cal State San Marcos took a drastic hit, but she powered through and got back on track as a shining example of fortitude under pressure.

Then her mom fell last fall and sustained so many injuries that she was confined to a hospital for almost the entire semester while at the same time her grandfather was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

Most people would not have blamed Stephanie if she quit school and moved back home at that point. But most people don’t know the toughness of Stephanie.

“I knew I had to push through and not let all this affect my grades,” Stephanie said. “My parents always believe the best in me, and even in this difficult time, both my moms pushed me to stay in school and keep positive spirits. I learned my lesson from failing in the fall ’17 semester, so this time I went to seek out help to have the courage to continue.”

That decision to reach out for a lifeline was not easy. But the resolve to make that choice was one of the most important ones in her life.

It led Stephanie to Cougar Care Network, where she met a team of professionals who helped push her through the challenges and pass the rest of her classes. Despite all of the obstacles life has put in front of her, she will graduate this semester.

Part of Stephanie’s path to wearing the cap and gown was joining the Student Veterans Organization on campus. She is now the president of SVO and also works in Veterans Services as the VTEC program specialist. VTEC stands for Veterans to Energy Careers and works to help veterans transition from the military to careers in STEM fields. The program is funded by the Office of Naval Research and helps student veterans throughout Southern California and Hawaii, but is run through CSUSM’s Veterans Services.

“The biggest highlight working with VTEC is being able to help my fellow student veterans,” Stephanie said. “I personally know that being a veteran comes with insecurities when we come into a classroom. We also deal with having to accomplish so much later in life than our university peers. Being part of VTEC, I have the privilege of helping the same student veterans and seeing them receive internships. Seeing each one surpass their expectations makes working with VTEC worth it.”

Stephanie will not only graduate soon but do so by helping numerous veterans on campus. Stephanie feels it’s her duty to help others in the way she was offered a helping hand when she needed it most.

“I wanted to become president of the SVO because I wanted to make a difference here with the student veterans,” said Stephanie, who this summer has plans to move up the coast to Monterey with her girlfriend, an active-duty Marine who has orders to attend the Naval Postgraduate School. “I know that I am not the only one going through a tough time so I wanted to help others to create a network within our community here because we are always stronger together. Just from my experience from the military, camaraderie is key for success.”

Stephanie was recently nominated for the Student Leadership Award for Student Affairs. For those who have worked with her in Veterans Services, the nomination was a slam dunk.

“Stephanie continues to exceed expectations and displays her commitment to our success, mission and goals,” said Shin Ae Kook, the communications and outreach manager for Veterans Services and VTEC. “Her charisma, attention to detail and organization has helped our standard operating procedures to flow in a more fluid manner. Stephanie is part of something this big, yet she is incredibly humble. This is the last thing that speaks volumes to her character. With all this going on, her incredible experience, and paving the way for future military-connected students on campus, she is the most down-to-earth person. This is what attracts students as well as staff to her leadership.”

Stephanie’s future plans fittingly include pursuing a career in counseling. She figures her psychology degree will come in handy while hoping to counsel veterans like herself.

Soon Stephanie will walk the graduation procession with her head held high grateful for the support of those that love her and continue to inspire her.

“I am very close with both my moms,” she said. “I knew I had to do everything in my power to stay strong for them. But I wanted to be the example that going through hard times is a part of life and that we still need to push through and do the best we can with the cards we are dealt.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

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

After all he overcame to reach CSUSM’s doorstep – a childhood spent bouncing around the foster care system, stints in jail, a prison sentence – the thought that a math requirement would be what kept him from his bachelor’s in human development was inconceivable.

“I pretty much quit,” Joseph said.

Fortunately, Joseph had already been in contact with ACE Scholars Services, CSUSM’s innovative program to support former foster youth, before he learned about the possibility of the math requirement derailing his transfer from San Diego City College.

With help from ACE counselor Leigh Quijada, Joseph received an exception that allowed him to transfer.

“If it wasn’t for Leigh and ACE, I wouldn’t have gotten in,” he said. “They really motivated me.”

Joseph will be among the nearly 3,800 CSUSM graduates who cross the commencement stage next month. Among those cheering for Joseph will be his wife, María, who never wavered in her support despite the seemingly endless challenges.

“I’ve told him a million times, I wouldn't change anything because it's built us into who we are today,” María said. “It’s molded us into people better than who we would have been.”

Joseph knows he overcame long odds to reach this point – less than 3 percent of former foster youth earn a four-year degree. His only childhood memory of his birth parents is talking to them via phone while they were in jail. Now 31, he met his birth mother when he was 19, but they haven’t talked in many years. He never had contact with his birth father, who Joseph said was deported to Mexico several years ago.

Joseph was placed in foster care as a toddler, and though he had several long-term families as a child, he always ended up back in the system. His teenage years were spent bouncing around different group homes. He was prone to running away. Stealing was often a matter of survival, and soon became a habit.

Just before his 18^th birthday, Joseph was arrested for getting into a fight with two men who had threatened María. The charges against Joseph were dropped, but he had no guardian and there was no social worker present in court. It created a quandary for the judge, who couldn’t simply release a minor on his own recognizance. María’s mother agreed to take Joseph in, but that only solved one problem.

“When they released me, I had zero money, zero clothes, zero anything,” Joseph said. “My girlfriend’s family was poor, so I’m going into a home where they’re really struggling.

“I stole to make ends meet.”

Joseph typically stole a product from a retailer, returned it for store credit, and then sold the store credit. The scam didn’t last long – Joseph was arrested and spent three months in jail.

Joseph got a job at a fast-food restaurant after his release, but finances remained a struggle. It took three weeks before he received his first paycheck, a nominal amount that only covered his training. The second check came two weeks later and was for a little more than $100. Going five weeks with virtually no income, Joseph reverted to stealing.

It wasn’t long before he was arrested again. This time, he wrote a letter to the judge explaining his circumstances. At the suggestion of an acquaintance, he included a line about wanting to join the Marines. The last-second addition to the letter caught the judge’s attention. The judge said he couldn’t force Joseph to join the Marines, but he reduced the charges in hopes that Joseph would keep his word.

Joseph joined the Marines expecting to make it a career. But, he says, “my personality was just a little too strong sometimes.” He completed his four-year commitment, but found himself in a familiar situation when he got out. He again resorted to stealing to help support himself, which led to a familiar conclusion – being arrested. There was one major difference. Instead of jail, Joseph was sent to prison.

Placement scores determine where someone is incarcerated, and Joseph’s previous arrests increased his placement score. He was sent to a Level 3 prison, which meant cell living alongside mostly violent offenders.

Going from jail to prison provided a much-needed wake-up call. Joseph served half of a three-year sentence. He vowed to end the cycle of arrests, not only for himself but for María. They married when he was 18 and she was 19, and she stood by him through arrests, incarceration and bouts of being homeless.

“She’s been that rock,” Joseph said. “I should have been the rock, but she was the rock. Now I'm the rock. I'm in a position where I've learned. I'm at that point where I can say, ‘This is the road that I need to take, and this is the path I'm going to take to get there.’ ”

Joseph worked numerous odd jobs after being released from prison. Most were day-labor jobs, which he despised.

On one of the jobs, a coworker boasted about money he received to attend San Diego City College. Joseph decided to give it shot. He enrolled in two classes, and financial aid covered all of his costs.

“I had my doubts,” Joseph said. “I never even graduated high school. I got my GED in jail. I thought, ‘Am I even going to be able to do this?’ This was something unheard of where I grew up.”

But Joseph thrived at City College. He was active in student government and even started a chess club. After three years, he had a 3.3 grade-point average, his associate degree and acceptance to CSUSM.

Joseph earned a 4.0 GPA in his first semester at CSUSM, and his overall mark is 3.86 as he approaches graduation. He plans to pursue a master’s, either in education with an emphasis in counseling from San Diego State or in social work from CSUSM. After gaining some work experience, he wants to return to school for his Ph.D. so he can help influence policy for children with upbringings similar to his own.

“What Joseph has achieved is remarkable,” Quijada said. “He is an exceptional student and has excelled in his academics. But what I find even more significant is his positive attitude throughout the challenges he has faced, his ability to advocate for himself, his intrinsic motivation and his passion for helping others.”

That includes helping María as she works toward a bachelor’s in Spanish at CSUSM. She said Joseph has been like her own private academic adviser, assisting with her class schedule to ensure she remains on track for graduation. When she visited an official university adviser recently, she learned that not only was she on the right track, but she would be able to graduate in December rather than spring 2020.

Joseph and María are both first-generation college students, and they already are seeing their success positively impact other members of their family. A 15-year-old nephew said he wants to follow in their footsteps and earn a degree.

“I try to stay humble and just be appreciative of how far I’ve come,” Joseph said. “It’s a good feeling knowing that I’m going to graduate.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

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

Indeed, Rosa, one of nearly 3,800 Cal State San Marcos students graduating in May, has made the most of every opportunity that has come her way – from services provided by the nonprofit Girls Inc. in high school and the MARC U*STAR program at CSUSM to the laboratory research afforded by her professors.

This fall she will make the most of another opportunity: a University of Michigan doctoral program in biochemistry.

Rosa credits CSUSM with providing the guidance to realize her goals.

“I love Cal State San Marcos so much,” Rosa said. “I got so much one-one mentoring and I was able to have the opportunities I had because of the professors here. I can’t imagine having gone anywhere else for my undergraduate work.”

The daughter of Mexican immigrants of modest means who didn’t speak English at home, Rosa faced more than her share of challenges navigating the educational system in her early years.

“I think my parents would have been happy for me just to graduate high school,” she said.

Rosa’s path changed when she discovered Girls Inc. during her senior year at San Pasqual High School in Escondido. The San Diego nonprofit’s mission is to empower girls and young women from 8 to 18 and help themsee college as attainable and a career in science, technology, engineering and mathematics also well within their reach. Girls Inc. provided Rosa with a college-readiness program, which guided Rosa in applying to CSUSM, filing forms for financial aid and taking the necessary standardized tests.

“Before that happened, I knew I was going to go to college, but I didn’t know what I was going to do or what I wanted to do,” she said. “I was at one of their events and heard from a speaker who said you have to find a career in doing something you enjoy. So I thought about it, and I remembered when I was younger how excited I was about biology when I learned about stuff like photosynthesis and how I was also interested in chemistry. So I decided I would pursue biochemistry without really knowing what it was.”

It didn’t take long to learn. Rosa became a biochemistry star at CSUSM – literally – through the MARC U*STAR program, an acronym for Maximizing Access to Research Careers – Undergraduate Student Training Research. The program, funded by the National Institute of General Medical Services, is aimed at preparing undergraduate minority students majoring in the sciences to enter and succeed in doctoral studies. Only five new scholars are admitted in the honors research program annually. Students spend up to 15 hours each week during the academic year learning in a research laboratory and 40 hours per week or more in the summer. Students also take part in weekly seminars and workshops, participate in a summer research program outside of the region, and attend scientific meetings to present their findings.

Rosa’s research interests are focused on protein dynamics, including protein misfolding that can lead to diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. She has left an impression with all she comes in contact.

“She really represents the best of what Cal State San Marcos achieves, and achieves regularly, with our students,” said chemistry professor Kambiz Hamadani, who recruited Rosa to work in his research lab. “She didn’t speak great English in her household until she was a little older and she didn’t have a lot of the advantages a lot of other people have, but she is extremely bright, extremely motivated, and she is willing to engage with others to learn. And she makes it seem so simple.”

Indeed, Rosa pretty much takes everything in stride.

“You could pretty much do whatever you want in life as long as you’re willing to put in the work,” she said.

Rosa’s initial research experience was in the laboratory of her organic chemistry professor, Jackie Trischman, with a focus on discovering novel compounds with antibacterial properties against Mycobacterium marinum, the closest genetic relative to Mycobacterium tuberculosis – the causes of tuberculosis. Rosa had found her calling.

“I am extremely grateful to Dr. Trischman for inspiring me to pursue a Ph.D. in research,” she said.

Rosa will have three years of research experience when she begins her doctoral program, including a 10-week summer research program at Yale University last year, before she arrives at the University of Michigan.

“I’m really excited for her future,” Hamadani said. “I can’t wait to see what she’s going to do, and I’m really proud to have been a part of it.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

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

Notably, 54 percent of the graduating students were the first in their families to earn a four-year college degree and 39 percent identify as underrepresented minorities.

“There is no way we would be here today, or even in this world, without a community,” said Laura Marquez, who graduated with a bachelor’s in criminology and justice studies. “Regardless of where we come from, what we have been through, our past does not define us.

“I came to CSUSM not knowing one person, and I now have a whole village beside me.”

CSUSM also awarded honorary degrees during commencement ceremonies to:

• Esther and Jan Stearns, who have been longtime supporters of ACE Scholars Services, a CSUSM program that works to transform the lives of foster youth through higher education;
• Lydia Villa-Komaroff, a renowned molecular biologist and a key member of the team that showed for the first time that bacteria could be induced to produce insulin; and
• Jimmy Wayne, an award-winning country music artist whose songs and story highlight his mission to raise awareness for children in foster care.

View the Ceremony Photo Albums on Flickr

College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences
Friday, May 18, 2018 at 9 a.m.

College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences
Friday, May 18, 2018 at 1 p.m.

College of Science and Mathematics
Friday, May 18, 2018 at 5:30 p.m.

College of Education, Health & Human Services
Saturday, May 19, 2018 at 9 a.m.

College of Business Administration
Saturday, May 19, 2018 at 1:30 p.m.

Watch the Full Ceremony Videos

College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences
Friday, May 18, 2018 at 9 a.m.

College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences
Friday, May 18, 2018 at 1 p.m.

College of Science and Mathematics
Friday, May 18, 2018 at 5:30 p.m.

College of Education, Health & Human Services
Saturday, May 19, 2018 at 9 a.m.

College of Business Administration
Saturday, May 19, 2018 at 1:30 p.m.

Media Contact

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

Over 3,300 degrees and credentials.

54% first in their family to earn a four-year degree.

Countless obstacles overcome and accomplishments achieved.

Relive the celebration from CSUSM's Commencement 2017 and share it with friends and family who were unable to attend. Check out these highlights:

View photos from the ceremonies on Flickr!

• College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral & Social Sciences, 9am
• College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral & Social Sciences, 1pm
• College of Business Administration
• College of Science and Mathematics
• College of Education, Health & Human Services

For social media coverage, view the official commencement hashtag, #csusm2017 or visit CSUSM's Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram accounts.

Full video recordings of each ceremony can be viewed here: www.csusm.edu/commencementlive

Take a moment to celebrate with our graduating class with this video of our commencement weekend!

The CSUSM Honorary Degree Committee, an advisory committee appointed by the president to represent the university community, considers nominations for an honorary degree. Any CSUSM students, faculty, staff, alumni and the greater community may suggest potential honorary degree recipients to the committee.

Nominees must be distinguished in their respective fields, and the eminence of persons nominated must be widely recognized.

The CSU Board of Trustees makes the final determination and awards the degrees in the categories it considers most appropriate.

Here is a look at the 2017 honorary degree recipients:

Roberta Achtenberg

Achtenberg, a member of the CSU Board of Trustees for 16 years, helped establish the CSU Institute for Palliative Care, which is based at CSUSM. She will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree during the 1 p.m. College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences commencement ceremony on Friday, May 19.

Achtenberg has more than 30 years of senior-level leadership experience in business, government and law, receiving both local and national recognition for her public service and civic work.

Her time as a CSU Board of Trustees member included two years as its chair. During her time on the Board of Trustees, Achtenberg recognized the potential for the CSU to help transform the American healthcare workforce. She reached out to CSUSM President Karen Haynes in 2011 about launching a CSU-based palliative care institute at the University. Just 18 months later, it became a reality.

Achtenberg remains a member of the CSU Institute for Palliative Care’s National Advisory Board and continues to be a tireless advocate and supporter of the Institute’s work.

Achtenberg’s illustrious career includes serving two presidential administrations. During the Clinton administration, she was appointed Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity and later served as Senior Advisor to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). She was appointed commissioner of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights by President Obama in 2011 after co-leading the HUD Agency Review Team for the Obama transition.

Trained as a lawyer, Achtenberg has served as a Teaching Fellow at Stanford Law School, a Dean of New College of California School of Law, a Staff Attorney of the Lesbian Rights Projects of Equal Rights Advocates, Inc., and founded the National Center for Lesbian Rights. Achtenberg is also a former elected member of the San Francisco County Board of Supervisors.

Cecil Steppe

Steppe had a distinguished career working for the County of San Diego where he garnered a reputation as someone who could bring together numerous county departments, schools, agencies and private-sector organizations to share in the responsibility of providing social and health services to families.

He will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree during the 4 p.m. College of Education, Health and Human Services commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 20.

Steppe worked for the County of San Diego for 35 years, including 12 as the county’s chief probation officer.

From 1992-97, Steppe served as Director of the Department of Social Services, and was responsible for the administration of the largest department in the county with a budget of more than $900 million and a staff of nearly 4,000.

Steppe’s other professional roles include Director of Community Initiatives, Health and Human Services Agency and President and CEO of the Urban League of San Diego County.

With an ability to combine his varied background and skills in working to meet the needs of youth and families, Steppe brought together San Diego County departments, schools, city agencies and private-sector organizations to share in the responsibility of providing social and health services to families. A strong advocate for welfare reform, he aggressively supports family-centered practice, program integrity and the need to strengthen employment and training programs to move welfare recipients to self-sufficiency.

Since September 2005, Steppe has served as the Board Chair of the Gompers Preparatory Academy, a conversion charter school serving students from the grades 6-12.

Joanne Tawfilis

Tawfilis, who has partnered with CSUSM on numerous projects, has dedicated her life to promoting peace through art. She will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts during the 9 a.m. College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences ceremony on Friday, May 19.

Tawfilis spent most of her career as a United Nations executive and is a former director of the Women of Srebrenica Project in the former Yugoslavia. Her work took her to Bosnia in the mid-1990s, which proved to be a life-changing experience.

During her time in Bosnia, Tawfilis volunteered for a few hours several times a week facilitating art lessons at a local orphanage. Working with 350 orphans from the war-torn country, she used the only materials available – a 10-gallon can of white wall paint and bed sheets riddled with bullet holes – to create canvases for the children to paint murals.

That experience led to the creation of the Art Miles Mural Project, which works with schools throughout the world to help incorporate art into curriculum. The Art Miles Mural Project has facilitated the completion of more than 5,000 murals painted by more than 500,000 participants from 125 countries.

The project has grown to include a permanent space for the Muramid Mural Museum and Art Center in Oceanside.

Tawfilis has been a speaker for CSUSM’s Arts & Lectures Series and led a project for students after the Sandy Hook tragedy to create 14 murals that were displayed in the Connecticut Capitol building. She has also facilitated mural paintings for many University events, including Discover CSUSM Day and Voices for Hope Suicide Prevention Week.

Notably, 54 percent of the graduating students are the first in their families to earn a four-year college degree and 38 percent of graduates identify as underrepresented minorities.

CSUSM will award an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree to Joanne Tawfilis at 9 a.m. Friday, May 19. Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degrees will be awarded to Roberta Achtenberg at 1 p.m. Friday, May 19 and Cecil Steppe at 4 p.m. Saturday, May 20.

Tawfilis, who has partnered with CSUSM on numerous projects, has dedicated her life to promoting peace through art. Achtenberg, a member of the CSU’s Board of Trustees for 16 years, helped establish the CSU Institute for Palliative Care, which is based at CSUSM. Steppe had a distinguished career working for the County of San Diego, garnering a reputation as someone who could bring together myriad county departments, schools, agencies and private-sector organizations to share in the responsibility of providing social and health services to families.

More than 25,000 total guests are expected to attend the five ceremonies held on Mangrum Track and Field at CSUSM. Each ceremony will last approximately two hours.

Social media users can follow CSUSM Commencement posts by students, faculty and staff by searching for #CSUSM2017. All five commencement ceremonies will be broadcast live on the day of the event at csusm.edu/commencementlive and through the CSUSM mobile app.

What: CSUSM hosts its 26th annual commencement

When:

Friday, May 19, 2017

9 a.m. – College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences

1 p.m. – College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences

Saturday, May 20, 2017

9 a.m. – College of Business Administration

1 p.m. – College of Science and Mathematics

4 p.m. – College of Education, Health and Human Services

Where: Mangrum Track and Field, California State University San Marcos

333 South Twin Oaks Valley Road, San Marcos

Who: Approximately 3,300 candidates are expected to participate in the ceremonies

Traffic: Traffic congestion and backups can be anticipated in the area and surrounding streets, especially along South Twin Oaks Valley Road, the 78 Freeway, Barham Drive and Craven Road. University Police and the Sheriff’s Department will be directing and controlling traffic flow along South Twin Oaks. Motorists should expect traffic delays; graduates, families and friends are advised to plan accordingly to arrive on time. Broadcast Media: Any mention that can be made regarding expected traffic delays during broadcasts on May 19 and 20 would be greatly appreciated.

Media: Contact: Eric Breier, 760-891-6455

For easy access to the ceremony site, media are asked to park in Lot Z, which is located at South Twin Oaks Valley Road and Campus Marketplace.

For more information on CSUSM’s Commencement Ceremonies, visit csusm.edu/commencement

About California State University San Marcos

Building on an innovative 27-year history, California State University San Marcos is a forward-focused institution, dedicated to preparing future leaders, building great communities and solving critical issues. Located on a 304-acre hillside overlooking the City of San Marcos, it is the only public four-year comprehensive university serving North San Diego, Southwest Riverside and South Orange Counties.

The University enrolls over 15,000 students. With approximately 2,000 employees, the institution is a Great College to Work For® (The Chronicle of Higher Education). As a recipient of the annual HEED Award since 2014—a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion—CSUSM is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment.

Six standout graduates from the Class of 2016 were honored at a special awards dinner for their academic achievements and service to the community while overcoming sometimes seemingly overwhelming challenges.

Honorees were nominated by faculty or staff and endorsed by their college’s dean. Here are their stories:

Jamaela Johnson, B.A. Human Development.

President’s Outstanding Graduate

Dean's Award, College of Education, Health and Human Services

Jamaela Johnson would be the first to tell you that when she arrived at Cal State San Marcos from Vista Murrieta High School in Murrieta, she was a little bit of an introvert. No more. The standout scholar has transformed herself into an engaged community advocate involved in myriad causes on campus and in the larger community.

And our university is a lot better place because it.

Jamaela, who is vice president of Student and University Affairs, helped charter the CSUSM’s first African-American Greek organizations, contributed as a peer educator at the Gender Equity Center, served as vice president of the Black Student Union and as a student representative for Diversity and Inclusion, and helped coordinate the annual Race for the Cure through the Colleges Against Cancer organization.

She also helped coordinate community events as a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Youth Council; volunteers with the Black Coal & Rose’s Society, a K-12 girl’s mentoring program that focuses on interpersonal skills, professional etiquette, career guidance and self awareness; and advocates for sexual assault survivors and other social justice movements as a member of Feminists Unite while working with the group in pushing for CSUSM’s first Sexual Violence Advocate and Educator program.

Jamaela also is a proud member of Kappa Omicron Nu, a national honor society for human sciences. Her name is a regular presence on the annual Dean’s List.

“Jamaela Johnson exemplifies the values of the Human Development Department: civic engagement, social responsibility, and a commitment to helping communities in need,” said Rodney Beaulieu, assistant professor of human development. “In addition, she excels in the areas of academic achievement and campus wide leadership and activism. Her passion for addressing sociopolitical disparities, social justice and improving her own effectiveness as a leader has provided guidance throughout her educational career.”

Jamaela’s professional goal is to take the skills she has honed here and make a difference in world.

“My experience with the various student organizations helped me discover methods for mediating social problems, responding tot the needs of underrepresented groups, promoting social justice and equity, and enacting social change,” said Jamaela.

Petrona Gregorio, B.A. Psychology

Dean’s Award, College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences

Petrona Gregorio is a living reminder that anything is possible.

She spent her early years in the highlands of Huehuetenango in Guatemala, an impoverished country with the lowest literacy rate in Central America. She immigrated with her family to the United States when she was just five years old speaking only her native Mayan language, only to find that life here was hard, too. Petrona at the age of 15 began working full-time to support her family before returning to school a decade later to renew her commitment to learning.

Petrona transferred to CSUSM from Palomar College in 2014 and has been impressing her peers and professors with her scholarly drive, achievements and her promise as a researcher. She has presented her research under the guidance of Psychology Professor Heike Mahler numerous times at student and professional conferences, all while mentoring her seven younger siblings and engaging in volunteer work with with the American Bar Association’s Immigration Justice Project.

“What I value the most is helping out those in need and encouraging young children and adults to pursue a higher education,” she said.

Said Robert Rider, interim dean in the College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences: “Petrona is an outstanding psychology graduate whose persistence, commitment, passion and achievement exemplify the values, mission and promise of the Cal State San Marcos learning experience.”

Laureta Koxha, B.A. Business Administration, Global Supply Chain Management

Dean’s Award, College of Business Administration

Laureta Koxha’s journey to the United States began in the spring of 1999 when she and her family were forced to flee their home in Ferizaj, Kosovo, during the Serbian-Albanian War. The family found shelter in a refugee camp before finding a home in San Diego through the Red Cross.

“When we got off the plane, my father was wearing one brown shoe, one black shoe and had only four U.S. dollars in his pocket,” she said.

But Laureta’s parents instilled the importance of a higher education, hard work and perseverance, and today she has a bright future ahead of her. She has excelled at Cal State San Marcos. She has been on the Dean’s List every semester and she has the highest GPA among graduating students in the Global Supply Chain Management option.

“I have always been fascinated by the concept of how things get from one place to another,” said Laureta, who is eyeing a possible career at somehow facilitating the flow of commerce into Kosovo and the rest of Europe.

Laureta also is passionate about contributing to society. She serves as director of communications for the Global Supply Chain Management Society, volunteers at the Escondido Family Resource Center and donates her time as a poll worker for the County Registrar of Voters Office.

German Alberto Mendoza, B.S. Biological Sciences

Dean’s Award, College of Science and Mathematics

German Alberto Mendoza is a first-generation college student who came to Cal State San Marcos after serving four years in the Marine Corps, including one year of combat duty in Iraq.

Now a staff sergeant in the Marine Reserves, German is motivated to become a nurse and has worked in the laboratory of Julie Jameson, assistant professor of psychology, as a research assistant examining how skin cells become dysfunctional in obese and diabetic mice, and the impact that may have on tissue repair and the healing of wounds.

“He has a true knack for science along with a drive that I find truly astonishing for his age,” said Jameson, who added she would place him in the top one percent of all the undergraduates she has worked with, including during her time at The Scripps Research Institute. “He is incredibly reliable and innovative in his work, and I expect amazing things in his future.”

In addition to his laboratory research, German has attended several local and national meetings where he has presented his findings, including the annual UC Irvine Immunology Fair; the La Jolla Immunology Conference; and the Career, Academic, and Research Experiences for Students Symposium at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

“German has represented our university well at scientific conferences and with his service to the military,” Jameson said.

Shelley Dutt, M.S., Biological Sciences

Dean’s Award for Graduate Studies

Shelley Dutt had already earned degrees in both criminology and anthropology from UC Irvine when she began taking Extended Learning courses in the field of biological sciences. Three weeks into an immunology course taught by Professor Bianca Mothe, she was hooked.

“At that moment, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in immunology.”

A short time later, she met with Assistant Professor of Biology Julie Jameson, who was doing immunology research in diabetes, obesity and T-cells. Shelley became the first student at CSUSM to be part of Dr. Jameson’s lab and, in a short period of time, began volunteering on a clinical project to study wound healing in kidney transplant patients – a project being done in collaboration with UC San Diego and the California Institute for Renal Research.

She was accepted as a graduate student in her lab the following academic year and given the opportunity to oversee the clinical project she was assisting in as a volunteer.

Shelly’s love for science reaches beyond the lab. She has worked on recruitment and outreach activities through the STEM Center to interest students of all ages in the sciences, and she developed demonstrations for students to help teach them the basic principles of science and math. Her skill at planning and leading classroom workshops and translating complex scientific concepts and theory into simple and relatable ideas has since prompted her to pursue a career as a teacher at the collegiate level while seeking a doctoral or professional degree so she can have the opportunity to conduct research.

Carolyn Proskow, B.A. Human Development

Dean of Students Leadership Award

Carolyn Proskow’s viewpoint is clear: “Being a campus leader means standing by and for students in their greatest moments of vulnerability,” she said. “Even if I cannot relate to their specific experience, I recognize that healing and recovery begins with the knowledge that others are willing to help.”

Carolyn has been deeply committed to student wellness at Cal State San Marcos, and she currently serves as a senior peer educator in the Peer Advocacy and Wellness Support program at the H.O.P.E & Wellness Center. As a senior peer educator, she has engaged diverse populations of students in important conversations about alcohol and substance abuse, domestic violence, mental health, eating disorders, breast cancer, sexual assault and more. This past summer, she became a certified trainer for Living Works safeTALK suicide intervention program.

“Carolyn has a sincere passion to educate students on emotional and mental health and to eliminate stigma around mental health challenges,” said CSUSM Mental Health Educator Cheryl Berry “Evident throughout Carolyn’s work on these issues is her commitment to improve the mental health and wellness of students through education, prevention and early intervention.”

Carolyn graduates summa cum laude and will pursue a Master of Public Health en route to a career as a health systems manager in the field of geriatrics.

Each year, the CSUSM Honorary Degree Committee, an advisory committee appointed by the president to represent the university community, considers nominations for an honorary degree. Any CSUSM students, faculty, staff, alumni and the greater community may suggest potential honorary degree recipients to the committee.

Nominees for honorary degrees must be distinguished in their respective fields, and the eminence of persons nominated must be widely recognized. Nominees must have demonstrated intellectual and humane values that are consistent with the aims of higher education; with the highest ideals of the person´s chosen fields, and with the goals and aspirations of California State University San Marcos as specifically set forth in its mission statement.

The CSU Board of Trustees makes the final determination and awards the degrees in the categories it considers most appropriate.

Greg Evans, Doctor of Fine Arts

Greg Evans, a nationally syndicated and award-winning cartoonist and creator of the strip, Luann, is a strong advocate of arts education and a loyal supporter of California State University San Marcos.

Growing up in Burbank, Calif., Evans dreamed of becoming an animator, but it was years before he reached his goal. A graduate of California State University Northridge, Evans taught high school art in El Centro, California. In 1972, he and his wife, Betty, moved to Australia, where they lived and taught for two years. After a year of traveling, they settled in Colorado, where Evans worked as a graphic artist and promotion manager for a television station. During that time, he freelanced as a magazine cartoonist while developing ideas for a comic strip. From these ideas, Luann emerged.

Since it began in 1985, Luann has earned a loyal following in more than 350 newspapers and has consistently ranked among the top five comic strips in reader surveys. In 2003, Evans received the National Cartoonists Society Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year, the highest award in cartooning.

Evan’s advocacy of and for adolescent girls and young women has been an ongoing theme of his work, and teenagers everywhere relate to his insightful humor and true-to-life characters. He has broached real issues that teens face from puberty, peer pressure, academic achievement, character building challenges, unrequited love, drugs and alcohol, all with kindness and a sense of humanity.

Evan’s is also a long-time advisory board member of Center ARTES at CSUSM, a center that aims to advance arts education in K-12 schools. Through an on-going partnership with the CSUSM School of Arts, Evans has developed new work, including the musical “Luann: Scenes in a Teen’s Life,” which has been performed on numerous stages throughout the country.

The Board of Trustees of the California State University and California State University San Marcos will confer an honorary degree of Doctor of Fine Arts to Greg Evans for his accomplishments and his sustained service to CSUSM.

Over 2,600 students received their degrees, bringing the total number of alumni to over 35,000. 

View and download photos from all five ceremonies:

Watch the full ceremony videos:

Saturday, May 16, 2015

College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences, 9:00 a.m.*
College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences, 1:30 p.m.*
*Please refer to the Commencement Guide to determine which CHABSS ceremony your graduate is participating in.

Sunday, May 17, 2015

College of Business Administration, 10:00 a.m.
College of Science and Mathematics, 1:00 p.m.
College of Education, Health and Human Services, 4:30 p.m.

Share your well wishes with the graduates and view guest and graduate photos from the day at: www.csusm.edu/commencementlive

Three ceremonies were originally scheduled for Friday at 10 a.m. (College of Business Administration), 1 p.m. (College of Science and Mathematics) and 4:30 p.m. (College of Education, Health and Human Services). However, the National Weather Service is forecasting a 90 percent chance of showers and possibly a thunderstorm.

Timely updates will be posted as needed on the CSUSM Commencement Website as well as on Twitter (@csusmnews) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/csusm).

Below is the revised commencement schedule:

Saturday, May 16 at 9 a.m.

College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral & Social Sciences – Ceremony A

Saturday, May 16 at 1:30 p.m.

College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral & Social Sciences – Ceremony B

Sunday, May 17 at 10 a.m.

College of Business Administration

Sunday, May 17 at 1 p.m.

College of Science and Mathematics

Sunday, May 17 at 4:30 p.m.

College of Education, Health and Human Services

Notably, one in six undergraduates has earned academic honors with a GPA of 3.5 or higher. More than half of the graduating class is the first in their family to earn a bachelor’s degree, and over 40 percent of are from historically underrepresented student populations. Class of 2015 also boasts the largest cohort of ACE Scholars with 13 former foster youth earning degrees. As President Karen Haynes personally congratulates and shakes hands with each graduate, the Class of 2015 will bring CSUSM alumni to just over 35,000.

Commencement Schedule
May 15 at 10 a.m. – College of Business AdministrationMay 15 at 1 p.m. – College of Science and MathematicsMay 15 at 4:30 p.m. – College of Education, Health and Human ServicesMay 16 at 9 a.m. – College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences (Ceremony A)May 16 at 1:30 p.m. – College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences (Ceremony B)

More than 21,000 total guests are expected to attend the five ceremonies held on Mangrum Track and Field. Each ceremony will last approximately two hours and will be broadcast live at csusm.edu/commencementlive.

CSUSM will award two honorary degrees at commencement. An Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters will be awarded to retired business and civic leader Joseph E. Bear at the 1 p.m. ceremony on Friday, May 15, and an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts will be awarded to influential jazz alto saxophonist Charles McPherson at the 1:30 p.m. ceremony on Saturday, May 16.

The Class of 3 Million
The impact of alumni from all 23 California State University campuses, which includes Cal State San Marcos, is unparalleled. With the graduation of the Class of 2015, the CSU will surpass the milestone of having three million alumni.

Join the Social Celebration
Social media users can be a part of commencement celebrations using the hashtag #csusm2015 to share photos, memories and well wishes with the Class of 2015. To join the conversation and post a message to our graduates, visit www.csusm.edu/commencementlive.

For more information on CSUSM’s Commencement Ceremonies, visit csusm.edu/commencement.

Honorary degrees recipients are selected by a campus committee of faculty and staff from recommendations made from CSUSM students, faculty, staff, alumni and the greater community. Suggested recipients of the award are then forwarded by the committee to the president for approval after which they are sent to the chancellor of the California State University (CSU) system. The CSU Board of Trustees makes the final determination and awards the degrees in the categories it considers most appropriate.

The following is biographical information on the recipients:

Joseph E. Bear, Doctor of Humane Letters

Joseph Bear is an influential business and civic leader whose devotion to California State University San Marcos over the last 25 years has improved the future for countless individuals for generations to come.

A 40-year resident of San Diego County, Bear has enjoyed a highly successful and distinguished professional career. He is the retired president and CEO of Hughes-JCV Technology Corporation, a pioneer in large-screen video and graphics projectors. Over the years he has been active in a variety of philanthropic organizations throughout the region, including serving as president of the Rotary Club of Carlsbad and board member of the Carlsbad Charitable Foundation. In 2011 Bear was named North County Philanthropy Council’s Volunteer of the Year.

Since its earliest beginnings, Bear has been a committed partner to California State University San Marcos. A trusted advisor to each CSUSM president, he volunteered to help launch the Office of University Advancement in the 1990s. He was a founding member of the President’s University Council, serving as chair from 2006 to 2010. He brought to the role a rich history of local involvement and detailed familiarity with the issues and concerns of the region. As a founding donor, Bear's passion continues as he currently serves not only on the University Council but the College of Science and Mathematics Advisory Council and the Applied Science and Innovation Hub Task Force as well. In addition, Bear has helped countless students achieve success at the university level and beyond, embodying his focus on helping others and the community as a whole.

Bear’s passion for higher education has also been evident at the University of California, San Diego in varying capacities such as executive director of the Jacobs School of Engineering and the executive director of the Executive Program for Scientists and Engineers. He is a lifetime member of The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

Charles McPherson, Doctor of Fine Arts

Charles McPherson, a jazz alto saxophonist, has enjoyed the respect and admiration both of his fellow musicians and the general public. An influential figure in modern mainstream jazz for decades, he has provided inspiration to countless musicians of all ages, exemplifying the mission of the California State University to advance and extend knowledge, learning and culture while providing opportunities for individuals to develop intellectually, personally and professionally.

Born in Joplin, Missouri, in 1939, McPherson has taken an eventful journey of musical discovery and sharing that has included formal and informal education with acknowledged masters of jazz such as Barry Harris and Charles Mingus. He has lived and worked in Detroit and New York, and has performed and conducted clinics throughout the United States, Europe, Japan, Africa and South America.

Over the course of his career, Mr. McPherson has recorded over 30 albums as a leader, performed concerts and festivals in such venues as the Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall and worked with Mingus, Harris, Art Farmer, Toshiko Akiyoshi and Wynton Marsalis, amongst others. His music was featured in Clint Eastwood’s Bird (1988)—a biopic on the life of Charlie Parker—and he also composed significant works for dance, such as his collaboration with the San Diego Ballet, Sweet Synergy Suite.

McPherson has performed at California State University San Marcos through the Arts & Lectures series and has also given performances and clinics for the university’s music classes. In each instance he demonstrated patience and a great capacity to listen and respond to students’ musical inquiries and concerns. In addition to teaching privately, McPherson has fostered numerous mutually beneficial relationships and collaborations with music educators and institutions throughout California and the United States. Through his performances and instruction he has had a direct or de facto influence upon many of San Diego’s musicians and educators. This is truly an extraordinary achievement, given the fact that jazz studies is a relatively fledgling academic discipline.

“Ambassador Orfila’s professional career, his longtime advocacy for peace and his championing of education demonstrate his passion for humanity and for ensuring that opportunities exist for all who seek them,” said White. “He has given generously of his time, expertise and resources to help solve critical issues, prepare tomorrow’s leaders and build better communities. His tireless efforts to create greater understanding among nations are laudable, and his longstanding service to the Cal State San Marcos community is admirable.”

Alejandro Orfila: A Life of Service

Alejandro Orfila is an esteemed member of the international and local community, as well as a humanitarian and educator who has impacted the lives of thousands on a global scale. He is an inspiration, an example of the promise of a California State University education fulfilled.

“He embodies our ideals of thinking beyond self and contributing to society in ways that make it more just and equitable,” said President Karen Haynes. “He believes in our purpose and in the value of public higher education, and he has been a longtime supporter of our university and our region.”

Ambassador Orfila has worked closely with U.S. presidents, from Dwight Eisenhower to George H.W. Bush, and served as Argentine ambassador to the United States, Japan and the Soviet Union. One notable contribution to foreign policy and diplomacy came as secretary general of the Organization of American States, when he negotiated the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977.

After retiring to San Diego in the late 1980s, he founded what has become one of the most influential wineries in the region, Orfila Vineyards. As a member of the first President’s University Council at CSUSM, he assisted with the creation of the University in 1989. He has provided advice, counsel and support to every Cal State San Marcos president in the University’s nearly 25-year history. In 2013 he agreed to serve as the Department of History’s first Distinguished History Maker, connecting with students and faculty to support the educational mission of CSUSM and enrich students learning experiences and career aspirations.

“You have been a role model not only for our students but also for those of us in the faculty as well,” Dr. Carmen Nava, professor of history, said to the Ambassador during the event. “Your kindness, good humor, patience and immense knowledge have impacted us all and touched our lives.”

Honorary Degree: Doctorate of Humane Letters

Honorary degree recipients are selected by a campus committee of faculty and staff from recommendations made by CSUSM students, faculty, staff, alumni and the greater community. The committee then forwards nominations to the president for approval and then to the chancellor of the California State University system. The CSU Board of Trustees makes the final determination and awards the degrees in the categories it considers most appropriate. Honorary degree recipients have demonstrated excellence in areas that benefit humanity, CSU campuses, the state, nation and/or world and serve as examples to be recognized and honored for their good works.

All honorary degrees awarded by CSUSM are conferred by the Board of Trustees of the California State University in the name of CSUSM and the California State University.

“I have been a longtime supporter and believer in public higher education,” said Orfila. “And I am very honored to be the recipient of this honorary degree.”

WHO:

Dr. Timothy P. White, Chancellor, The California State University

Dr. Karen Haynes, President, California State University San Marcos

Ambassador Alejandro Orfila, former secretary general to the Organization of American States and Argentine ambassador to the United States, Japan and the Soviet Union

Other guests include regional civic leaders, members of the University’s Advisory Council and Foundation Board, and CSUSM faculty and staff.

WHEN: Tuesday, September 23 at 4 p.m.

WHERE: The McMahan House is located west of the Mangrum Track & Field at California State University San Marcos, 333 S. Twin Oaks Valley Rd., San Marcos. Recommended media parking is Lot XYZ.

WHY: Alejandro Orfila is an esteemed member of the international and local community, as well as a humanitarian and educator who has impacted the lives of thousands on a global scale. He is an inspiration, an example of the promise of a California State University education fulfilled.

Ambassador Orfila has worked closely with U.S. Presidents from Dwight Eisenhower to George H.W. Bush and served as Argentine ambassador to the United States, Japan and the Soviet Union. One notable contribution to foreign policy and diplomacy came as Secretary General of the Organization of American States, when he negotiated the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977.

After retiring to San Diego in the late 1980’s, he founded what has become one of the most influential wineries in the region, Orfila Vineyards. As a member of the first President’s University Council at CSUSM, he assisted with the creation of the University in 1989. He has provided advice, counsel, and support to every Cal State San Marcos president in the University’s nearly twenty-five year history. In 2013 he agreed to serve as the Department of History’s first Distinguished History Maker, connecting with students and faculty to support the educational mission of CSUSM and enrich students’ learning experiences and career aspirations.

At the College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences graduation ceremony on May 25, CSU Chancellor Timothy White presented Cipriano, who majored in sociology and women's studies, with his degree.

“It was a precious moment that I will remember forever,” said Cipriano. “Chancellor White was a first-generation college student, as were others who were standing with me on the platform, including President Haynes, Provost Oberem and Vice President Meza. I have felt incredibly supported during my time at CSUSM and hope to be an inspiration for others who feel challenged to get into college or get through college.”

Since he arrived at CSUSM as a freshman, Cipriano has been involved in student leadership. His freshman year he participated in the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP). Then the following year he returned to CAMP as a peer mentor, helping students from farmworking family backgrounds acclimate to the rigors of college life. During the 2011-2012 academic year, Cipriano served as the chair of the University Student Union Advisory Board, volunteered as an Orientation Team member, helped organize the University's new Civility Campaign and held the position of social justice officer for Associated Students, Inc. (ASI).

In May 2012, students elected Cipriano to the position of vice president of external affairs for ASI. He is an alumnus of the Vista Future Farmers of America and a current member of CSUSM's Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán student organization.

Now the high-achieving student is headed to Texas to join other passionate college graduates as they teach low-income children through the non-profit Teach for America. Eventually Cipriano plans to continue his schooling and earn a law degree.

“Cipriano’s story is our story,” said President Haynes. “It’s the story of a student who came to us because he knew that education would improve his life, and it’s the story of a student whose can-do attitude models that of CSUSM’s. He exemplifies how public education elevates and transforms.”

The ceremonies, which were originally slated to take place May 16-17, were cancelled due to the wildfires directly impacting the campus and surrounding community.

“I am so grateful that we — all of us! — are here today on this beautiful campus that was thankfully unharmed by last week’s fires and that we can celebrate – together – the joys that commencement ceremonies always bring,” said CSUSM President Karen Haynes in her remarks to students and guests.

Notably, 52 percent of CSUSM’s graduates were the first in their family to earn a bachelor’s degree. The Class of 2014 also boasted other impressive points of pride, including the most veterans in a graduating class, 146, and the largest cohort of ACE Scholars with eight former foster youth earning degrees. One in six undergraduates earned academic honors with a GPA of 3.5 or higher.

Explore the social media activity from Commencement...

“Today is a day to reflect on the past obstacles you have overcome, relive the joyous memories you have created, celebrate your accomplishments and be inspired by the possibilities of the future,” said chemistry graduate Dominica Ranieri. “We are the innovators of the future, and today we sit here not as students, but as members of society who have transitioned into mathematicians and scientists without even knowing it.”

At Sunday morning’s College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences ceremony, Chancellor Timothy White presented CSU Student Trustee Cipriano Vargas with bachelor degrees in sociology and women’s studies. Vargas has represented the California State University system’s 447,000 students as one of two appointed student trustees since 2011.

“This was such a precious moment that I will remember forever,” said Vargas. “Chancellor White was a first-generation college student, as were others who stood with me on the platform including President Haynes, Provost Oberem and Vice President Meza. I have felt incredibly supported during my time at CSUSM and hope to be an inspiration for others who feel challenged to get in to college or get through college.”

View the Photo Albums and Watch the Full Length Ceremonies:

College of Business Administration
Saturday, May 24, 2014 at 10:30 a.m.
Flickr Photo Album | Ceremony Video

College of Education, Health and Human Services
Saturday, May 24, 2014 at 4:30 p.m.
Flickr Photo Album | Ceremony Video

College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences
Sunday, May 25, 2014 at 9:30 a.m.
Flickr Photo Album | Ceremony Video

College of Science and Mathematics
Sunday, May 25, 2014 at 3:00 p.m.
Flickr Photo Album | Ceremony Video

At the 9:30 a.m. College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences ceremony, Chancellor White will present CSU Student Trustee Cipriano Vargas with bachelor degrees in sociology and women’s studies. Vargas has represented the approximately 447,000 CSU students as one of two appointed student trustees since 2011. 

A first-generation college student, Vargas participated in the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) as a freshman. In his sophomore year he returned to CAMP as a peer mentor, helping students from farm-working family backgrounds acclimate to the rigors of college life. During the 2011-12 academic year, Vargas served as the chair of the University Student Union Advisory Board, volunteered as an Orientation Team member, helped organize the University's new Civility Campaign and held the position of social justice officer for Associated Students, Inc. (ASI). In May 2012, students elected Vargas to the position of vice president of external affairs for ASI. He is an alumnus of the Vista Future Farmers of America and a current member of CSUSM's Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán student organization.

“This is going to be a precious moment that I will remember forever,” said Vargas. “Chancellor White was a first-generation college student, as were others who will be standing with me on the platform including President Haynes, Provost Oberem and Vice President Meza. I have felt incredibly supported during my time at CSUSM and hope to be an inspiration for others who feel challenged to get in to college or get through college.”

Please note, due to the Chancellor’s schedule he will be departing CSUSM at 10:30 a.m.

What: CSU Chancellor Timothy P. White will present CSU Student Trustee Cipriano Vargas with bachelor degrees in sociology and women’s studies at CSUSM’s May 25 commencement ceremony for the College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences.

When: Sunday, May 25 at 9:30 a.m. The presentation is expected to take place between 9:45 and 10 a.m.

Where: Mangrum Track and Field, California State University San Marcos  333 South Twin Oaks Valley Road, San Marcos

Media: Please note, due to the Chancellor’s schedule he will be departing CSUSM by 10:30 a.m.  For easy access to the ceremony site, media are asked to park in Lot Z, located at South Twin Oaks Valley Road and Campus Marketplace.

The University’s 23rd annual Commencement ceremonies were originally slated to take place on Friday, May 16 and Saturday, May 17, but were cancelled due to the wildfires directly impacting the campus and surrounding community. Evacuations, road closures and emergency personnel needs, as well as the ongoing threat to public safety prevented the Commencement Ceremonies from taking place as previously scheduled.

“Rescheduling the ceremonies was only possible when we were able to assess the broad-reaching impact of the wildfires on the campus and our surrounding region,” said President Haynes. “We appreciate your understanding and are so pleased to be able to celebrate this great milestone with our Class of 2014.”

The ceremonies will be held on the University’s Mangrum Track and Field on the following dates and times:

Saturday, May 24, 2014 

College of Business Administration, 10:30 a.m. 

College of Education, Health and Human Services, 4:30 p.m.

Sunday, May 25, 2014 

College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences, 9:30 a.m. College of Science and Mathematics, 3:00 p.m.

To help address questions from graduates and guests related to the rescheduling of commencement, a Frequently Asked Questions page has been posted online: http://www.csusm.edu/commencement/graduates/index.html

Join the Social Celebration

Social media users can be a part of commencement celebrations using the hashtag #csusm14 to share photos, memories and well wishes with the Class of 2014. To join the conversation and post a message to our graduates, visit www.csusm.edu/commencementlive

What: CSUSM hosts its rescheduled 23rd annual Commencement Ceremonies on campus.

When: 

Saturday, May 24, 2014: 10:30 a.m. -- College of Business Administration; 4:30 p.m. -- College of Education, Health and Human Services

Sunday, May 25, 2014: 9:30 a.m. -- College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences; 3 p.m. -- College of Science and Mathematics

Where: Mangrum Track and Field, California State University San Marcos  333 South Twin Oaks Valley Road, San Marcos

Media: For easy access to the ceremony site, media are asked to park in Lot Z, which is located at South Twin Oaks Valley Road and Campus Marketplace.

The Commencement Ceremonies which were originally slated to take place on Friday, May 16 and Saturday, May 17, were cancelled due to the wildfires directly impacting the campus and surrounding community. Evacuations, road closures and emergency personnel needs, as well as the ongoing threat to public safety prevented the Commencement Ceremonies from taking place as previously scheduled.

“Rescheduling the ceremonies was only possible when we were able to assess the broad-reaching impact of the wildfires on the campus and our surrounding region,” said President Haynes. “We appreciate your understanding and are so pleased to be able to celebrate this great milestone with our Class of 2014.”

The ceremonies will be held on the University’s Mangrum Track and Field on the following dates and times:

Saturday, May 24, 2014
College of Business Administration, 10:30 a.m.
College of Education, Health and Human Services, 4:30 p.m.

Sunday, May 25, 2014
College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences, 9:30 a.m.
College of Science and Mathematics, 3:00 p.m.

For family and friends who are unable to attend their graduate’s ceremony, a live video stream will be available at www.csusm.edu/commencementlive.

Graduates unable to participate in the rescheduled ceremonies can return their cap and gown to the CSUSM University Store for a full refund by Thursday, May 22. After May 27, graduates can pick up a diploma cover and a copy of the official Commencement Program by contacting commencement@csusm.edu. 

To help address questions from graduates and guests related to the rescheduling of commencement, a Frequently Asked Questions page has been posted online.

Join the Social Celebration
Social media users can be a part of commencement celebrations using the hashtag #csusm14 to share photos, memories and well wishes with the Class of 2014. To join the conversation and post a message to our graduates, visit www.csusm.edu/commencementlive.

Notably, one in six undergraduates has earned academic honors with a GPA of 3.5 or higher, and 52 percent of graduates are the first in their family to earn a bachelor’s degree.

While the Class of 2013 earned the title of being the largest in CSUSM history with nearly 3,000 graduates, the Class of 2014 boasts the most veterans, 146, and the largest cohort of ACE Scholars with eight former foster youth earning degrees.

More than 18,000 total guests are expected to attend the four ceremonies held on Mangrum Track and Field. Each ceremony will last approximately two hours and will be broadcast live at www.csusm.edu/commencementlive.

Join the Social Celebration

Social media users can be a part of commencement celebrations using the hashtag #csusm14 to share photos, memories and well wishes with the Class of 2014. To join the conversation and post a message to our graduates, visit www.csusm.edu/commencementlive.