The program began as an idea from Marilyn Huerta, the college's marketing, communications and engagement specialist. Huerta envisioned creating a student-led leadership and communications team to highlight the work and impact of CEHHS programs. She helped develop the program and guided the launch of its first group of student ambassadors.

The inaugural team includes four students who are helping expand the college’s visibility while building professional skills that will support their future careers.

Ariana Saenz hosts the college’s new podcast series, “CEHHS Unplugged,” in which she interviews health and education professionals about their backgrounds, programs they teach, career pathways and words of wisdom.

“Through the ‘CEHHS Unplugged’ podcast and the ambassador program, I’m proud to help amplify student voices and showcase the incredible community within our college,” Saenz said.

Daniel Lopez launched the CEHHS Student & Success Story Series, producing written profiles that showcase the journeys and accomplishments of CEHHS students and alumni.

Serving as the team’s lead ambassador, Natalya Taseveki helps coordinate student engagement efforts and supports events and activities across the college, including programming connected to Scholars in Wellness and Innovation Fast-Track (SWIFT) Health Programs, kinesiology, human development, social work, education, nursing, speech-language pathology and public health.

The team’s digital presence is led by Audrie Smith, who started the college’s TikTok account and helps manage CEHHS social media platforms, sharing content that highlights events, fundraisers, student life and college achievements.

The ambassadors support a wide range of initiatives across the college. They assist the CEHHS dean, Jennifer Ostergren, during events honoring students who earned dean’s list recognition and participate in outreach and recruitment activities such as Cougar Blue Day and Discover CSUSM.

They also contribute to campuswide efforts such as Giving Day and Cougar Crowdfunding. Last semester, they hosted a student engagement “Giving Tree” event to encourage philanthropy and community support.

Beyond large events, the ambassadors attend student organization meetings and departmental activities to photograph and document student experiences across CEHHS. The team collaborates with the college’s Committee for Inclusivity, Diversity and Equity (CIDE) to support outreach and networking opportunities for students.

Participation in the program also emphasizes professional development. Through the CSUSM Career Center, the ambassadors are building career portfolios, strengthening résumé and interview skills, participating in workshops and attending the university’s Etiquette Dinner experience.

In addition, they remain active across campus through initiatives with Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) and the university’s Orientation Team.

Huerta continues to mentor and supervise the team members as they develop leadership and communication skills while serving as ambassadors for the college.

College leaders hope the program will continue to grow in the coming years, giving more students opportunities to gain real-world experience while helping share the stories and impact of CEHHS programs.

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

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

“From a young age, I helped my family assimilate into our new environment, filling in gaps wherever I was needed as a first-generation Mexican American.” said Chambers, now a Master of Social Work (MSW) student at Cal State San Marcos. “I became their translator, doctor, lawyer and social worker. These experiences shaped why I want to do this work.”

She carried that sense of purpose into every role she has served – including preschool teacher, nanny and YMCA educator – and she saw firsthand how communication gaps between parents and schools can affect a child’s success. 

“That made me want to be part of the solution,” she said. “I want to help families and children feel supported.”

Now in graduate school – something that once felt out of reach as the first in her family to attend college – Chambers recently took part in an innovative Interprofessional Education (IPE) event hosted by the CSU Shiley Haynes Institute for Palliative Care, which is part of a larger palliative care initiative funded by the Hearst Foundations.

Palliative care brings together a team of health professionals to provide holistic treatment for individuals with serious illnesses. IPE focuses on training students to work together in this collaborative model.

Designed by CSUSM faculty from multiple disciplines, CSUSM’s IPE program places students from nursing, kinesiology, speech-language pathology and social work together to analyze a case study and develop a comprehensive plan of care. The goal is to help students think collaboratively while gaining an authentic understanding of what teamwork looks like in real clinical settings.

“Graduate school can feel siloed since we focus on our own programs,” Chambers said. “This event brings students from multiple disciplines together under one roof to learn from each other and realize how much stronger we are when we collaborate.”

In this year’s exercise, Chambers’ team worked on a family-centered case study involving a medically complex 8-year-old boy living with his grandparents. 

“These cases remind us that families don’t exist in isolation,” she said. “When a child is struggling, it’s not just on the grandparents or the teacher. There’s a whole network of people who can help. Our job is to strengthen that network.”

“Students will be expected to collaborate with other professions when they enter practice,” said Katie Robinson, assistant professor of nursing. “But as with every other practice competency, we have to teach them why, show them how and guide them through practicing it themselves. And now that we've worked out such an effective IPE model, it's exciting to think about expanding across the campus – and beyond.”

Since spring 2023, the institute has hosted five immersive IPE days, with participation now reaching 150–200 students across the College of Education, Health and Human Services.

“Alumni from previous events have shared how this event helped shape their transition into the workforce,” said Lorene Ibbestson, a social work lecturer. “It gave them confidence in their professional abilities and a deeper appreciation for how collaboration across disciplines can create meaningful change.”

Now, thanks to a generous $200,000 grant from the Hearst Foundations, CSUSM’s IPE program will continue to grow, with plans to:

• launch a new IPE event in spring 2026 focused on health policy, including students from psychology, sociology and political science;
• build a similar IPE model at Fresno State and ultimately other CSU campuses;
• explore cross-campus collaborations with UC San Diego medical students and Clinical Pastoral Education programs.

For students like Chambers, these simulated experiences are invaluable in helping them prepare for meaningful careers.  

For CSUSM, the Hearst Foundations’ generous support not only strengthens IPE but also moves the university closer to its “Blueprint for the Future” campaign goal to raise $200 million in philanthropy and research funding.

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

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

For the 2025-26 academic year, the MSW program has secured or is finalizing six major grants totaling more than $3.5 million. The funding will provide 125 full tuition and fee scholarships or training stipends, covering 60% of the program’s 210 students. Many recipients will receive additional financial support for living expenses, making graduate education more accessible than ever.

“This support is about more than just lowering financial barriers – it’s about assisting students to graduate without the heavy burden of debt, so they can build their lives and careers in the very communities they’re dedicated to serving,” said Blake Beecher, chair of the social work department.

In addition to the grant-funded scholarships and stipends, the MSW program also entered a new partnership with the San Diego Pay It Forward Loan Program this fall. This program offers zero-interest, no-fee loans to CSUSM MSW students, with loan forgiveness after five years of service in public behavioral health settings. Graduates who remain in these roles also earn retention-based loan credits, further incentivizing long-term community impact.

Another area in which the MSW program is supporting students is through employment-based internships. Due to a change in the most recent social work accreditation standards, the MSW program has developed a process in which select students can complete their required internships in qualifying employment settings. This year, 33 MSW students have been approved to participate in the employment-based internship program.

"This is a game-changer for social mobility," said Jennifer Ostergren, dean of the College of Education, Health and Human Services. "Our MSW students are not only gaining access to graduate education, but they’re also being positioned to thrive in the workforce and make lasting contributions to the health and well-being of our region."

The MSW program also continues to deepen its community engagement. Students complete 16 to 20 hours per week in field internships across San Diego and Riverside counties, with expansion underway in Orange, San Bernardino and Imperial counties. These placements allow students to work with diverse populations and provide essential services in real-world settings.

During the 2024-25 academic year, MSW students contributed more than 70,000 hours of pro bono social work services to local organizations and agencies serving at-risk populations.

"Our students are embedded in the community in meaningful ways," Beecher said. "They’re not just learning - they’re leading, advocating, and making a difference in people’s lives."

Media Contact

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

But before putting the finishing touches on your list of New Year’s resolutions, let’s take a look back at some of the most-talked-about stories of 2024.

CSUSM Receives Two Gifts Totaling $20 Million, Largest in 35-Year History

In a historic moment, Cal State San Marcos received two philanthropic donations totaling $20 million – the largest gifts in its 35-year history. $10 million from Price Philanthropies Foundation will create a first-of-its-kind, three-year accelerated bachelor's degree and workforce pipeline for behavioral and mental health. The other $10 million came from Daniel J. Epstein – a director of the CSUSM Foundation Board – and his wife, Phyllis. Their contribution will serve as a unique dollar-for-dollar matching gift opportunity for all CSUSM donors to double their impact across campus.

Balancing Act: Master's Grad Perseveres Through Challenges

A master’s of biological sciences student, Jocelyne Dates was selected last spring as the recipient of the 2024 President's Outstanding Graduate Award, the highest honor a graduating student can receive. She also received the Dean’s Award for Graduate Studies, which recognizes the accomplishments of one master’s student. Jocelyne is continuing her education by pursuing her Ph.D. at Vanderbilt.

'I Just Want to Make Him Proud and My Life to Count'

Last spring, at 76 years old, Kathryn Cook walked across the graduation stage as the oldest graduate of Cal State San Marcos' class of 2024. Her path to this accomplishment was not one of a traditional four-year-and-done experience. In fact, it was 50 years in the making, with monumental life transitions and rocky hardships in between. The passing of Cook’s husband in 2019 led her to continue her education at CSUSM and graduate with a sociology degree.

From the Baseball Diamond to 'The Bachelorette'

Austin Ott had never watched an episode of “The Bachelorette” when he received a DM on Instagram from the show encouraging him to apply. While nervous, his communication and media studies degree from Cal State San Marcos gave him a foundation to build on. Ott’s first speech in COMM 100 gave him an idea of what being in the public eye might look like. “My time at Cal State San Marcos was probably the best years of my life,” said Ott, who graduated in 2019. “There’s nothing better than playing the game you love and being around your best friends.”

American Indian Student Follows Passion for Animals, Environment

Aiden Valverde, an American Indian Studies major from the Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel, has made significant contributions through his engagement with the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center. As an intern for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Valverde was able to connect more with his culture, and his passion for animals and the environment. “Aiden exemplifies everything we strive to achieve in American Indian Studies and at the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center,” said Joely Proudfit, the department chair of American Indian Studies.

Computers a Lifelong Passion for Trustees' Award Winner

In 2009, Minh Tran’s family moved to Escondido from Vietnam, the only home that he, his parents and his two older siblings had ever known. Now, the fourth-year student who’s on track to graduate in May, was honored as CSUSM’s recipient of the 2024 CSU Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement, the California State University’s highest recognition of student accomplishment. Students are selected based on academic achievements, financial need, excellence in community service and personal hardship. Awardees have all demonstrated inspirational resolve along the path to college success, and many are the first in their families to attend college.

Graduate Crafting Career on Helping Children

A child and adolescent development major at Cal State San Marcos, Tania Arceo spent the last year and a half working with Voices for Children, a nonprofit organization where volunteers are trained to become court-appointed special advocates. Volunteers like Arceo represent juvenile dependency cases in San Diego County. Since graduating last spring with her bachelor’s, Arceo has started her Master of Social Work program at CSUSM this fall. 

Alumnus Seeks Better Mental Health Through Better Cuts

John Edwards was only 12 years old when he taught himself how to cut his own hair. By the time Edwards enrolled at Cal State San Marcos as a transfer student returning to higher education in 2021, he was close to completing barber school. Now a licensed barber and a recent CSUSM graduate, he operates a small studio in San Diego, rotating about 25 clients through his single chair. Edwards studied psychology at CSUSM, and it was at the university that he dreamed up the idea of melding his longtime practice of barbering with his fledgling research on mental health treatment. 
 

CSUSM Earns Prestigious Seal for Serving Latinx Students

Cal State San Marcos has earned the prestigious Seal of Excelencia, a national certification for institutions that strive to go beyond enrollment and more intentionally serve Latinx students. CSUSM is one of only 17 colleges and universities to earn the Seal of Excelencia in 2024. In 2018, Excelencia introduced the seal to certify colleges and universities for their efforts to become learning environments where Latinx, and all, students thrive. This year marks the organization’s 20th year of service to accelerate Latinx student success in higher education.

Surfer Makes School History With National Title

Tanner Vodraska, a Cal State San Marcos business student, became the first surfer in university history to win an individual national title. The junior competed in the college men’s division of the 2024 National Scholastic Surfing Association interscholastic national championships at Salt Creek Beach in Dana Point. Vodraska dominated the field. He posted a two-wave score of 17.5 points in the final, far outdistancing his closest competitor. “I feel really proud of myself because I set a goal to win the national title before I graduate, and I accomplished it,” Vodraska said.

Incredible Mulk: Class Project Becomes Thriving Business

Melissa Finestone remembers the assignment in her business marketing class that started it all. Each student was required to develop a business plan based on a product they conceived. Finestone decided to curate a product that combined her passion for cooking with a childhood love of chocolate milk. But Finestone wanted to develop a healthy alternative to other chocolate milks on the market. When Finestone couldn’t find a product on the market that met her requirements, she chose to make her own. Using her Vitamix blender to grind almonds in her kitchen at home, Finestone crafted samples of chocolate- and strawberry-flavored, plant-based almond milk. She served it to each student in the class while presenting her product. The overwhelming support from her peers inspired Finestone to launch The Mulk Co. in June 2018, only one year after she graduated from Cal State San Marcos with a bachelor’s degree in global business management. 

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

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

The total amount of the grants is almost $8 million.

The funding is allowing the Department of Social Work to offer about 100 training stipends or scholarships covering full tuition and fees to MSW students this academic year. The department plans to provide approximately the same number of stipends/scholarships during the 2024-25 academic year.

"The Department of Social Work is thrilled to receive these grants and the level of student support that we will be able to provide over the next few years," Beecher said. “These grants will be life-changing for hundreds of social work students and impactful on the local community.”

The five grants are as follows:

• $1.8 million this year (funding dates back to 2015) from a federal grant through the Title IV-E Social Security Act to fund the Title IV-E child welfare stipend program, which provides specialized training for students who are committed to working in public child welfare. The program’s goal is to improve the quality of foster care, reduce the number of children in foster care, return children to their homes as soon as conditions permit, and facilitate the adoption or permanent placement of children who cannot be returned to their homes. Students selected to participate in the stipend program gain knowledge and experience working in child public welfare settings that will prepare them for a career in the field.
• $4.8 million for a four-year grant ($1.2 million each year) from the California Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) to fund the Social Work Education Capacity Expansion (SWECE) grant program, the purpose of which is to fund institutions and organizations to increase the number of social workers serving in California, especially with children and youth. Among the goals of the grant are to recruit culturally and linguistically diverse MSW students who reflect the sociodemographic and other characteristics of underserved communities, to provide education and training in how to deliver culturally competent and linguistically appropriate behavioral health care, and to increase the number of hours that MSW students train in underserved communities.
• $960,000 for a two-year grant ($480,000 each year) from the California Social Work Education Center to fund the public behavioral health training program, which is designed to increase the number of MSW students who pursue and are committed to careers providing behavioral health services to consumers in California’s public systems of care.
• $240,000 for a two-year grant ($120,000 each year) from the California Social Work Education Center to fund the Adult Protective Services (APS) training program. The goal of the program is to enhance the capacity of California’s county and tribal APS programs to meet the complex needs of aging and vulnerable adults.
• $166,000 from the California Social Work Education Center to fund a one-year pilot program that provides specialized training for students who are committed to working in tribal child welfare agencies. The grant gives additional stipends to MSW students who are Native American/Indigenous and who will commit to fulfilling their employment obligation in child welfare services in a tribal agency or reservation.

A local nonprofit called the Lucky Duck Foundation has worked for years to try to alleviate the suffering of San Diego County’s homeless, and in 2019 – having partnered with municipalities, politicians and other civic leaders – the organization decided to enlist area universities in the cause. Lucky Duck convened a series of meetings with scholars from all the local institutions to brainstorm ways to address the crisis, which in turn led to a series of grants to fund studies.  

Two years later, that funding is starting to bear fruit. Blake Beecher, chair of the Department of Social Work at Cal State San Marcos, has completed a study – made possible by a $40,000 grant from Lucky Duck – on the perceptions of mental health and substance use services by individuals experiencing homelessness.  

“I didn’t really know a lot about what Lucky Duck was doing, but it’s been a great collaboration,” Beecher said. “I’ve been able to get to know a lot of colleagues at different universities.” 

Beecher hadn’t researched homelessness specifically, but he was a natural target for the foundation’s generosity because of his extensive work on mental health, behavioral health and substance use, which are known to be significant factors causing the problem. And he accepted the assignment willingly because of his interest in community-engaged research that’s responsive to regional needs.  

Homelessness certainly qualifies. Beecher undertook the study early in 2020 with a research team that included Department of Social Work colleagues Jimmy Young and Jeannine Guarino, as well as Master of Social Work student assistants Britney Carbajal and Briana Fair. 

In partnership with local agencies Interfaith Community Services and Mental Health Systems, the CSUSM research team interviewed 25 homeless individuals in North County. The subjects ran the gamut, with more than half having some college education, the ages ranging from people in their 20s to a man in his 80s, and some living outdoors while others were in a shelter, a hotel or even their vehicle.  

Of course, the start of the study coincided with the dawn of a global pandemic that changed the calculus considerably, given the substantial impact of COVID-19 on homelessness in America. COVID and COVID-related effects on technology became two of the dominant themes of the study.  

“Certainly, we didn’t anticipate COVID,” Beecher said. “We also didn’t anticipate that there would be pros and cons. Some people said, ‘I really benefited from the COVID environment. I got into a shelter that I’ve been trying to get into for two years, or it really helped me focus on self-care, or I got more resources.’ Whereas others were like, ‘I was more isolated, I didn’t participate in services, I lost my job.’ 

“That was interesting, and it impacted how they saw providers and agencies that were providing support. Because then as agencies transitioned to virtual, how helpful people saw those services or whether they engaged in them or not influenced their perceptions.” 

Other key findings of the study include: 

• Perceptions of mental health services were generally more positive than those of substance use services, which Beecher expected because the latter often are court-mandated. 

• Mental health and substance use services aren’t as integrated as they should be, which leads to a lack of follow-through and less effective treatment overall. 

• Interview subjects expressed a desire for more time in treatment and for better basic services such as bathroom and shower access, bus passes and lockers.  

• In a result that surprised Beecher, the vast majority of participants said divorce or the disruption of a long-term relationship was tied to their becoming homeless.  

• There were only seven women in the study, but almost all of them reported experiencing sexual violence while homeless.  

As a research assistant, Carbajal contributed to the study from beginning to end, and even after graduating with a master’s degree in May, she’s still working with the team as it develops a journal article for publication. She even was able to use part of the research project for her thesis in the MSW program.  

“As a social worker, I felt that I was able to understand the importance of being completely present while listening to our research subjects as they told us their stories,” said Carbajal, who plans to pursue a social work license and possibly a Ph.D. in the field. “As I went through the process of analyzing our data, I realized how important it was to not only record the words that our participants told us, but to fully embrace the essence and feelings of what it was that they were trying to communicate. This was important, as matters of systemic injustice, trauma and pain were shared with us.” 

Beecher said he hopes to finish the journal submission by the end of the year, but in the meantime, he’s creating an executive summary for local mayors and nonprofits that provide mental health and substance use services.  

“There are some key constituents we want to reach out to,” he said. “One thing coming out of this study is that there really needs to be a lot more mental health support. We’ve got to be able to fund it because we’re funding it regardless. Are we going to fund it in prevention and providing support? Or are we going to fund it through emergency room visits and the correctional system?  

“I think we should use funds to move into the preventative realm to maintain people in housing before they lose it in the first place, or to keep people in sobriety or mental health stability before it gets to the point where they’re homeless.” 

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

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