As the 2025 academic year comes to a close, graduating California State University students are preparing to step into bright new chapters. Many students are not only celebrating the completion of their coursework, but also the personal growth and resilience that carried them through challenges and inspired change in their lives, campuses and communities.
The CSU is proud to educate a diverse community of students who continue to push boundaries and display unwavering tenacity in achieving their goals.
Read on to meet just a few of this year's remarkable graduates who persevered through hardships and are going on to apply their gifts and knowledge in their chosen fields.
Maria Arredondo
Fresno State
Bachelor of Science in Criminology (Emphasis in Corrections)
As Maria Arredondo walked across the commencement stage this spring, she proved that moms really can do it all. While she was a full-time criminology student and is now a promising criminal justice leader, she is first and foremost a mom of six.
“I'm a parent first and a student second," Arredondo said. “If my baby wakes up from his nap while I'm mid-assignment, the laptop closes. That's just how it is. I'm not going to do either of those things (school and parenting) halfway."
Her journey has certainly not been an easy one, as Arredondo recalls being a “troubled kid," often getting into fights at school. She had her first son at 18 years old, survived an abusive relationship and returned to school at 22, while also caring for her mother. She says what kept her going was the hope that she could cultivate a better life for her sons.
Looking back on her journey, Arredondo credits her success, in part, to her family and faculty who were flexible and understanding of her reality as a student parent. With their support to continue her schooling, she discovered a joy in working with youth who were stereotyped as “bad" or “hopeless." She's now considering pursuing a master's degree and hopes to eventually work in juvenile corrections to advocate for youth.
Read more about Maria Arredondo in the Fresno State Newsroom.
Anthony Attalla
Cal State Fullerton
Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Anthony Attalla's call to nursing began after he was hospitalized with COVID-19 in the middle of studying for the MCAT.
Attalla had been on a pre-med path, but the graduating Cal State Fullerton student says the support of nurses during his hospitalization inspired him to follow a new path.
“My family was unable to visit due to restrictions, and over several days, my eyes opened to the heroes among us: The nurses who care for us, for our loved ones and for the strangers that no one may know," Attalla said.
Attalla carefully considered and eventually decided to attend CSUF's School of Nursing, which has graduated nearly 8,000 nurses serving Orange County and beyond. During his years in the program, Atalla served as his cohort representative, became a peer mentor for the Nursing Student Association and was accepted into the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing for his leadership and academic achievements. He was also selected as his cohort's graduating speaker for CSUF's spring 2025 commencement ceremony.
After graduation, Attalla plans to apply for nursing roles in cardiovascular or trauma intensive care units, and is considering becoming a nursing educator in the future.
Read more about Anthony Attalla in the CSUF Newsroom.
Keeley O'Farrell
Sacramento State
Bachelor of Arts in History
According to Keeley O'Farrell, history should never be ignored, no matter how painful or dark the past may be.
While pursuing her degree at Sacramento State, O'Farrell faced chronic pain, drug addiction and homelessness. But, this past fall, she graduated from the university summa cum laude and even earned the Dean's Award for the College of Arts and Letters.
“Preservation is important. It's history. We need to know what happened," O'Farrell said. “Whether it's good or bad, history is there. It shaped us. It's made us who we are."
When she was 19, O'Farrell was diagnosed with endometriosis and suffered intense pain, which her doctors treated with an opioid called Norco. Before she knew it, she became addicted and suffered from withdrawals when she tried to quit. Battling physical pain and addiction, she became homeless until her grandfather took her in and helped her find proper treatment.
O'Farrell eventually had a hysterectomy and began undergoing therapy and medication-assisted treatment for her addiction. She went back to school, earned A's in all of her classes and developed a passion for public history while completing an internship with the Placer County Museums Division. Her perseverance led her to where she is today: healthy, sober and pursuing her master's in Library Science at San José State. Through additional education, she hopes to become an archivist.
Read more about Keeley O'Farrell in the Sacramento State Newsroom.
Justus Baker-Postell
Cal State San Bernardino
Bachelor of Arts in Administration (Concentration in Marketing)
Seizing opportunities is second nature for Justus Baker-Postell.
Coming from a military family, Baker-Postell chose Cal State San Bernardino because of its national recognition as a top military-friendly university. During her academic career, she utilized every resource available to her, including the CSUSB Veterans Success Center and the CSUSB scholarship portal, both of which opened new doors that enabled her to pursue her career goals.
“A lot of students don't apply for scholarships because they think they won't get them or feel like it's a waste of time," Baker-Postell explained. “But I've received scholarships meant for other majors, which shows that opportunities are available if you apply. It just never hurts to try because the worst thing you could be told is no."
While taking a full course load, Baker-Postell balanced two on-campus jobs and earned six scholarships. She credits the resources given to veteran dependents with enabling her to follow her academic dreams. In turn, she is determined to give back to her veteran community, having spearheaded events like Donuts with Dependents and the She Served Cookout. As she enters the workforce, she hopes to continue fostering community in every space she finds herself in.
Read more about Justus Baker-Postell in the CSUSB Newsroom.
Luke Hansen
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology
For displaying great perseverance through hardships, Luke Hansen has been honored as this year's Courtney Elizabeth Smyth Memorial Scholarship recipient.
The Cal Poly San Luis Obispo graduate lost his mother to leukemia seven days before his high school graduation, subsequently losing his childhood home and his financial support. Amidst his losses, Hansen never forgot his mother's words encouraging him to persevere through life's challenges.
“I feel very strongly about my pursuits," Hansen said. “I'm not going to let what happened to me tear me apart. I use it as motivation to keep going. I will overcome this."
During his first two years at Cal Poly, Hansen commuted to and from school and took care of his younger brother, who has Down Syndrome and is nonverbal. Even while balancing his school and home lives, he managed to make the dean's list eight times and excel in his academics.
Additionally, he served as the student director for the Learn by Doing Lab Teaching Practicum (SCM 302), where he trained undergraduate students to give human anatomy lessons to local high school students and was a founding member of the Creative Anatomy Club. He was also a student assistant at the Bailey College of Science and Mathematics’ Adaptive Paddling Program, in which he and other kinesiology students kayaked with community members who have physical disabilities. Now, he plans to attend medical school and pursue primary care in order to serve a wide range of patients, especially people with disabilities.
Read more about Luke Hansen in the Cal Poly Newsroom.
Sarah Ysordia
CSU Channel Islands
Bachelor of Arts in Dance Studies, Political Science
Sarah Ysordia uses movement as her voice.
As a child, the CSU Channel Islands class of 2025 graduate was diagnosed with Usher syndrome, a genetic condition that caused her to lose her vision and hearing over time. After high school, she enrolled in a program for the blind to learn skills as a deaf/blind person and went on to graduate from Moorpark College in 2022 with associate degrees in both liberal studies and social sciences. She then enrolled in CSUCI to pursue dual degrees in dance studies and political science.
“I like public speaking and advocating for those with disabilities," Ysordia said. “I like to make sure other people's voices are being heard. I also like being involved politically because I think sometimes students with disabilities are scared to speak up."
Ysordia is also a single mom, and she says her son, Gabriel, has become an inspiration for her to continue her education. At CSUCI, she rediscovered her love for dance and worked closely with professors like Heather Castillo, who recently redesigned CSUCI's dance studies program to be more inclusive through integrative dance.
During CSUCI's spring commencement ceremony, Ysordia performed the national anthem onstage in sign language. With her passion for dance and advocacy, she hopes to work with people with disabilities in the future and encourage others to never give up on their dreams.
Read more about Sarah Ysordia in the CSUCI News Center.
See more remarkable 2025 CSU graduates.