Commencement season is here, and across the California State University system, the Class of 2026 is preparing to step into new opportunities and promising futures.
For many graduates, earning a degree represents far more than completing coursework. It reflects years of perseverance through challenges. Their stories are a testament to resilience and to the CSU's role as a national leader in opportunity, social mobility and inclusive excellence.
Meet some of the inspiring students from the CSU Class of 2026.
Oscar deleon
| chico state
Bachelor of Science in Plant and Soil Science
Photo courtesy Chico State/Matt Bates Oscar Deleon's journey to graduation began far from a research lab.
After years caught in cycles of violence, addiction and instability, the transfer student from College of the Desert arrived at Chico State in his 40s with four bags, little money and no permanent place to live. Before orientation even began, Chico State's
Basic Needs program helped connect him with temporary shelter and housing support, allowing him to fully pursue his education.
With the holistic support of Chico State, Deleon transformed his curiosity into award-winning agricultural research as he completed his bachelor's in plant and soil science, studying how beneficial fungi can combat harmful crop pathogens. Now preparing to continue at Chico State for a master's degree studying fungal pathogens, with plans to eventually earn a Ph.D., Deleon hopes his story encourages others who feel overlooked or stuck.
“I would like to thank me," he said. “For believing in me … for doing what needed to be done. I was lost. But I'm not lost anymore."
Read more about Oscar Deleon in the
Chico State newsroom.
Oscar Deleon tends to plants in the University Farm greenhouses. (Photo courtesy Chico State/Jason Halley)
Nathan tomshack | fresno state
Master of Science in Marriage, Family and Child Counseling
Photo courtesy Fresno State/Cary Edmonson
For veteran Nathan Tomshack, earning his master's degree is proof he's turned personal trauma into a path for others to heal.
After serving multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, including a mission where he was wounded while trying to save a fellow soldier, he returned home carrying trauma he didn't yet know how to face. He buried it through relentless work, until he found a therapist who helped him begin to heal. Tomshack eventually landed at Fresno State and earned his bachelor's in exercise science with plans to become a physical therapist.
But it was the loss of a close friend to suicide just before his graduation that became a turning point, driving him to ensure he would never again feel unprepared to help someone in crisis. He returned to Fresno State for a master's in marriage, family and child counseling and now, through his clinical training, is harnessing his past experiences and education to help veterans and families navigate trauma and find healing together.
“I believe that somebody heals from trauma with support around them," Tomshack said. “And I believe that that trauma does leak into the rest of the family. So, finding a way to bridge that gap, to get everyone understanding and healing together, makes it more of a team effort rather than an individual struggle."
Read more about Nathan Tomshack's story in the Fresno State newsroom.
Kevin Greene | Cal State fullerton
Master of Science in Literacy and Reading Education
Kevin Greene and his mother. (Photo courtesy CSUF)
Kevin Greene's passion for literacy began with his mother, who filled their home with books and encouraged a love of learning despite struggling with reading herself. Watching her work long hours while facing challenges decoding words inspired Greene to become part of the solution for future students.
“I always appreciated the sacrifices that my mom made for my brother and me," Greene said. “Because education was so important to her, it became important to us."
A first-generation college student who identifies as African American, Latinx and LGBTQIA, Greene got his bachelor's in theater at the University of La Verne and chose to pursue his master's at Cal State Fullerton for its commitment to equity and inclusion. During his time at CSUF, he gained hands-on experience supporting children and educators through the Hazel Miller Croy Reading Center while building confidence through mentorship from faculty.
After graduation, Greene will work as a literacy specialist at a K-12 school serving neurodivergent students, helping young readers find confidence and joy in learning. He hopes to be a steady source of support for his students, much like the tree in his favorite book, “The Giving Tree."
Read more about Kevin Greene in the CSUF newsroom.
Kevin Greene reads to a student in the Hazel Miller Croy Reading Center. (Photo courtesy CSUF)
jordan young | csun
Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Communication Studies
Photo courtesy CSUN
Growing up in South Los Angeles and experiencing homelessness during his childhood, Jordan Young believed higher education was financially out of reach and doubted he would even be accepted. It took persistence from a high school counselor and encouragement from his mother to convince him to apply to CSUN.
Young faced challenges as he transitioned into college, living out of his car and struggling in a preliminary class the summer before his first fall semester. But after connecting with campus support services at orientation, Young found housing assistance, tutoring and mentorship that helped him regain confidence and focus on school.
While earning his bachelor's degree in journalism and communication studies, he also launched his own freelance photography business, NasVisualsss, photographing CSUN athletics and local high school sporting events. Additionally, he became deeply involved on campus through Alpha Phi Alpha and the Black Student Success Mentorship program while completing internships with United Airlines and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.
A father to a 3-year-old son, Young plans to pursue a master's degree in public policy at CSUN and hopes to one day create policies and programs that expand opportunities for future students.
“Somebody had to develop the policies and programs that made it possible for me to go to college and succeed," he said. “Life is not always about money. It's about giving that opportunity to someone who is trying to reach greater heights in their own lives."
Read more about Jordan Young in the CSUN newsroom.
monique howe
| San José State
Master of Arts in Mathematics
Photo courtesy Monique Howe As a child, Monique Howe helped raise her three younger siblings—preparing meals, helping with homework and caring for them each night—while her mother worked three jobs to support the family. By age 15, Howe was working at a pizza restaurant in her hometown of Morgan Hill, turning over her paychecks to help keep the family housed.
Growing up in poverty shaped Howe's college journey. As a first-generation student, she searched for affordable universities close to home and earned multiple scholarships—eventually enrolling at San José State. After first earning a bachelor's degree from SJSU in 2024, she has now completed a master's degree in mathematics from the university as the only woman of color in her program. This fall, she will continue her academic journey in the Ph.D. program in mathematics at UC Santa Cruz, becoming the first person in her family to earn a doctorate.
“My siblings and I are also the first generation that never had to go and pick in the fields," Howe said. “Growing up in poverty, taking all that responsibility early on to take care of my family, and then being able to go to college has been such a journey. I feel so proud being here, so proud to show my siblings that we can all go beyond where our family has been so far."
Read more about Monique Howe in the
SJSU newsroom.
Monique Howe teaching math to a class of students. (Photo courtesy Monique Howe)
destinee pham | Cal State state marcos
Bachelor of Science in Psychological Science
Photo courtesy CSUSM/Miguel Mota
Destinee Pham has spent much of her life navigating instability, but she never stopped believing a brighter future was possible. She grew up in foster homes in North Carolina, then moved to California at 16 after reconnecting with her birth mother—only to be abandoned a week later. She later moved in with her father, but that stability also disappeared when he left for Texas without telling her, forcing Pham back into foster care.
Despite these challenges, Pham focused on getting an education in order to pave a path forward for herself and pursue her dreams of becoming a woman in STEM. She found support and community at Cal State San Marcos through the university's ACE Scholars Services program, which assists students who were previously in foster care. This spring, she earned her bachelor's in psychological science, graduating with honors, and earned the distinction of serving as a keynote speaker at commencement.
Pham plans to become a licensed mental health nurse practitioner, and though she admits she has a long way to go, she says her experiences have taught her to trust herself and embrace opportunity.
“When a door opens for me, I will walk through it," she said. “I truly believe in my name, Destinee, and whatever path I choose, it's all going to work out for me."
Read more about Destinee Pham.
Destinee Pham at CSUSM's 2026 ACE Scholars Services graduation ceremony. The ACE Scholars Services program provides academic, financial and personal support to students who were previously in foster care. (Photo courtesy CSUSM/Miguel Mota)
heather oram | stanislaus state
Bachelor of Arts in Sociology
Photo courtesy Stanislaus State
Long before her journey at Stanislaus State began, Heather Oram left high school before earning her diploma and faced addiction, incarceration and housing insecurity. She also experienced brain injuries and chronic pain, requiring her to relearn how to walk. This hardship drove her to make a change.
“I could make a list of variables that I have stacked against me that statistically make me less likely to achieve all that I have thus far," Oram said. “What statistics do not account for is that no amount of data can take away one's drive to rise above."
That determination led her from Oroville Adult Education Center to Modesto Junior College and eventually to Stanislaus State, where she found support through Project Rebound and Disability Resource Services and is now earning her bachelor's in sociology.
In addition to her studies, she also advocated for students through Students for Quality Education and, in 2025, conducted research on the experiences of transgender, nonbinary and genderqueer students on campus, highlighting the need for greater support. She plans to pursue a graduate degree in sociology to continue using social research to create positive change in her community.
Read more about Heather Oram in the Stanislaus State newsroom.