CSU Graduation Initiative 2025 Contributes to Large Increases in Number of Degrees Awarded

Over the course of the year, we highlighted our dedicated faculty, hardworking staff​ and inspiring students as they strove for the betterment of their campuses and communities. Take a look at some of their stories.

1. All Access: Go Behind the Scenes of CSU Commencement

​​​​During the academic year, University Ceremonies and Events staff at CSU Dominguez Hills organize donor, community, staff and alumni events, campus-​wide celebrations, public ceremonies, ceremonial ribbon-cuttings and other high-profile events. But commencement is the biggest deal around here. It's an event more than seven months in the making, and to thousands of CSUDH students and their loved ones, it's the only one that matters.

See what CSU commencement is like from the perspective of those putting on the event.

2. The Great Outdoor Classroom

​​Whitewater rafting down a river, trekking through the jungle, spotting wildlife in its natural habitat. While field studies courses offer students these kinds of adventurous experiences, they also give students a taste of life working in the field and hands-on learning that ensures they are job-ready for a career in research.

Learn more about some of the CSU's field experiences.

3. When the Rains Come

​​California was hit with a record-breaking torrent of rain and snow between January and March 2023, leading Governor Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency in 4​3 counties. In the drought-ridden state, this influx of water could be invaluable for replenishing supply. But, California's infrastructure is primarily built to route the water back to the ocean and waterways, instead of capturing it, meaning the state is losing out on billions of gallons of this desperately needed resource. CSU faculty and students have been conducting research on how to capture stormwater and strengthen drought resilience in the face of climate change. 

Read about their work.

4. Preparing Tomorrow's "Green" Leaders

​​A hallmark of CSU research is immersive student learning and discovery that address California's most urgent challenges. We highlighted a few CSU students who are working on projects that aim to reduce human impact on the Earth and combat the effects of climate change and human development​.

Meet students working to make their impact before they even graduate.

5. AI for Social Good: Equipping the Next Generation of AI Innovators

​​The AI for Social Good (AI4SG) project, started in 2018 at San José State, engages undergraduate students from diverse disciplines in AI education. Through a curriculum that can be added to courses involving emergent technology, students learn the technical aspects of AI through a humanistic and ethical lens that cultivates culturally and socially responsive innovators.

Find out how this project prepares students for life after college.

​The California State University (CSU) is seeking qualified individuals to serve on systemwide and campus-based Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) Implementation and Oversight Committees to guide the CSU's compliance of federal NAGPRA and state CalNAGPRA laws. The application period has been extended to December 5.

NAGPRA is a federal law that acknowledges the fundamental human rights of Native Americans, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians to their ancestral remains and cultural items and requires agencies and institutions that receive federal funds to repatriate ancestral remains and cultural items in their possession to the appropriate lineal descendant or Tribe through a consultative process. CalNAGPRA is the California rep​atriation law requiring state agencies and state-funded institutions to comply. It also recognizes California Tribal Nations that do not have federal designation.

The CSU is committed to fully implementing the spirit as well as the legal requirements of NAGPRA, CalNAGPRA and the recently passed AB 389. The formation of these committees will be essential to laying the crucial infrastructure that will accomplish repatriation in a timely and truly consultative manner.

The systemwide NAGPRA Implementation and Oversight Committee will provide the CSU with expertise concerning repatriation in accordance with the NAGPRA and CalNAGPRA laws and makes recommendations to the CSU chancellor on matters of compliance and best practices. The committee will also establish systemwide directives and guiding principles for all CSU campuses. In addition, each campus with ancestral remains and cultural items will form a campus-based committee to help guide its repatriation efforts.

The systemwide and campus committees will include majority representation from Native American Tribes, with preference given to California Indian Tribes. Qualified individuals may include CSU staff/faculty representatives with five years of experience within a field of study as outlined in the eligibility requirements.​

Those interested in applying or nominating a candidate are encouraged to submit an application by December 5, 2023. However, applications will continue to be accepted after that date until positions are filled.

To apply or submit a nomination form, visit the Committees page of the CSU CalNAGPRA/NAGPRA website at http://nagpra.calstate.edu/csu-committees.

About the California State University

The California State University is the nation's largest four-year public university system, providing transformational opportunities for upward mobility to nearly 460,000 students from all socioeconomic backgrounds. More than half of CSU students are people of color, and nearly one-third of them are first-generation college students. Because the CSU's 23 universities provide a high-quality education at an incredible value, they are rated among the best in the nation for promoting social mobility in national college rankings from U.S. News & World Report, the Wall Street Journal and Washington Monthly. The CSU powers California and the nation, sending nearly 127,000 career-ready graduates into the workforce each year. In fact, one in every 20 Americans holding a college degree earned it at the CSU. Connect with and learn more about the CSU in the CSU newsroom. ​

California is home to the world's largest film industry, so it's no surprise the California State University attracts some of the most promising young filmmakers. Students at each of its 23 universities learn from faculty and mentors who are powerhouses in their fields, and get hands-on experience working with the latest technology and opportunities to build their portfolio before graduation.

To give talented students studying film, broadcasting, video, screenwriting and new media an opportunity to present their works for critical review, CSU Summer Arts established the Media Arts Festival in 1991. 

A panel of distinguished faculty and industry leaders selects each year's finalists and winners, and all finalist selections are screened at the festival. Cash prizes and the prestigious CSU Media Arts Festival Award are bestowed on selected work in four categories: animation, documentary/creative non-fiction, narrative and short screenplay.

The 33rd annual Media Arts Festival Awards were announced on October 26, 2023. Meet this year's winners.

"Found You" | Best Animation 

Marijane Vargas, Grace Bennett, Felix Jara, Mitch Alano, Rosanna Davila, Maya Carroll, Lilly Tran, Pierina Caligaris, Maia Mallari, Derek Christmann, Esteban Enriquez, Cindy Hoang, Meghan Graham, Kelsey Ward, Farah Hussain, Angela Macedo, Julietta Zamora Lam, Jaleen Gong, Devin Rowe and Fiona Rieta

San José State

“Found You" is a mixed 3D and stop motion short film about a girl named Lucy who is turning into a werewolf during a sleepaway camp event. She tries desperately to conceal herself from the other campers, only to realize she may have more in common with some of them than she thought.

“We wanted to touch on the theme of authenticity and coming to terms with yourself, but we also wanted to touch on the idea of finding community in unexpected places," says San José State​ alumna Marijane Vargas, who served as director and technical art director of the short film.

Vargas says she and her team were inspired by artists like Guillermo del Toro and classic horror movies, especially ones that explore the multifaceted identities of monsters. She credits her "incredibly talented" team members and faculty mentor David Yee, as well as her involvement with a student-run animation/illustration club at SJSU, the Shrunkenheadman Club, with the film's success.

A Bay Area native, Vargas says she chose to attend SJSU because it was close to home, and because it was affordable. She says she enjoyed the wide range of animation and illustration classes, as well as the camaraderie of her classmates.

“San José State has a really strong animation community, and it has one of the best animation programs in California despite the fact it's not a dedicated art school," she says. “It was a really great choice."

Vargas graduated from SJSU in spring 2022 with a bachelor's degree in animation/illustration and recently completed an internship as a technical artist for video game developer Visual Concepts. In this role, she continued to hone her design skills working on dynamics for character clothing, hair and more.

"Kites" | Best Narrative

Liezl Bitas, Kate Whitham, Nicholas Dobry, Erica Smith, Charisma Garcia, Evatt Carrodus, Ryan Silber, Annie Hall and Kristin Simpson 

CSUN 

Exploring the themes of isolation and injustice in prisons, “Kites" follows two people incarcerated in different parts of the world—one in the Philippines and one in the United States. Through metaphoric notes called kites, they begin to talk and get to know each other, giving them temporary happiness and pushing them forward.

The film was written and directed by CSUN​ alumna Liezl “Liz" Bitas, '21, who won “Best Screenplay" for “Kites" in the 2021 CSU Media Arts Festival. In her original mission statement, Bitas wrote:

“As a Filipino student in California, I've had the rare opportunity of keeping a close eye on news coverage in my home country while seeing events as they unfold here in the United States. Issues relating to the systemic injustices ingrained in corrupt governments, broken criminal justice systems and violent law enforcement are decades old. But this year, when more eyeballs tuned in to screens than ever before, marks a pivotal time to talk about those issues through film."

Bitas passed away from health complications during production of the short film in 2022, and crew member Nick Dobry stepped in to oversee completion of the project.

“To help carry out Liezl's work was an honor," Dobry says. “Her passing was extremely hard on all of our crew, and to go through all of that and still have such success for the film means the world to us. We are so proud of this film and all it stands for."

Bitas wrote and submitted the script for “Kites" during the COVID-19 pandemic when the world was in a constant state of loneliness. Dobry says Bitas was heavily influenced by this and wanted viewers to relate to both characters, Isabel and Alonzo, through their states of isolation.

“In a time where we were all forced to keep ourselves from our loved ones and communities, it was difficult to find hope," he says.

Originally from the East Coast, Dobry chose to attend CSUN because he had heard great things about the university's film production program, and because of its proximity to the film industry. He credits his professors and FotoKem, a film laboratory and post-production studio, with helping make “Kites" a success.

Dobry graduated from CSUN in spring 2021 with a bachelor's degree in film/video production, with an emphasis in film editing, and currently works as a video editor for both large and small projects.

"Blin 'Circus'" | Best Short Screenplay

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Lada Egorova 

Cal State LA

“Blin" is a comedy show about the Russian American community in Los Angeles, with "Circus" being the first episode. The show follows the challenges that children of immigrants face navigating two cultures, including Katya, a young Russian American woman forced to put her dreams of being a New York City designer on hold to run her mother's grocery store back home. Her hilarious struggles to find her place in a community she thought she had left for good are, ultimately, endearing.

Cal State LA alumna, '22, Lada Egorova was inspired to write the screenplay in part by her upbringing. She was born in Russia and immigrated to France when she was four years old, and she says returning to Russia to visit relatives was always a culture shock.

“I kind of gave up my Russian culture—I even told my mom: 'No, we're in France. Let's talk just French,'" she says. “But there was always the question of how to balance two cultures and still appreciate your Russian culture even though you're not there anymore."

Egorova wants to shine a light on the Slavic community, which she says is often underrepresented or misrepresented in American entertainment. “There's not really a show that depicts Russian culture in a real way. We're not all stereotypical villains or spies," she jokes.

She wrote and workshopped the screenplay in a TV-writing course while completing her master's degree at Cal State LA as a French exchange student. She remained in L.A. after graduation and is now working on producing a pilot for a half-hour comedy show.

Egorova holds a license in cinematography and film/video production from the Université Paris-Est Marne-la-Vallée in France, a filmmaking degree from the University of New Orleans in Louisiana and a master's degree in video and photographic arts from Cal State LA. She is an accomplished filmmaker, screenwriter and photographer, and has produced several films, among other works.

"SHRED" | Best Documentary/Creative Non-Fiction​

Giovanna Trujillo, Shalisa Krualphan, Katherine Nino, Richie Rosales, Eli Roberts, Cole Ratliff, Nick Lindell-Wright, Caro Knapp and Justin La Turno

CSUN

Colorful and raw, “SHRED" aims to capture the essence of the skate and LGBTQIA communities in Southern California. The film follows three queer, Latinx skaters struggling with crippling mental health disorders and familial and societal expectations, who use skating as a form of therapy.

“As a fellow queer, Latinx skater, I was so enamored with the community around me, and I wanted to share that with the world," says Giovanna Trujillo, who served as director and producer on the film. “The friendships I made with Kait, Hazel and Daze helped me grow into the person I am today, and it's an honor to share their stories."

Trujillo says attending the university during a pandemic, and as a commuter student, presented many challenges, though faculty like Assistant Professor of Cinema and Television Arts Judy Korin were instrumental in helping her earn a degree.

“She was the greatest mentor I could've asked for," Trujillo says. “She continuously challenged and motivated her students to find stories and share them with the world."

Trujillo earned a bachelor's degree from CSUN in spring 2023 and is working as a full-time freelance filmmaker. She plans to continue directing and producing music videos for new talent and pursue more opportunities to produce commercials/documentaries and photography.

Learn more about CSU Summer Arts and the Media Arts Festival.

In June 2023, the California State University released “Advancing Black Student Success and Elevating Black Excellence in the CSU: A Call to Action," a plan to elevate Black excellence, improve outcomes for Black students and address the decline in their enrollment, retention and graduation rates.

To provide the resources and support needed to accomplish these goals, the report included 13 recommendations in three categories: supporting Black student success, supporting all faculty and staff in facilitating Black student success and building systemwide infrastructure for Black student success. The CSU has committed $10 million over three years to help its 23 universities implement these recommendations to better support the Black community on their campuses.

“We are indeed the largest institution of public higher education in this na​tion, and we are proud to be carrying this banner," Thomas Parham, CSU Dominguez Hills president and co-chair of the Black Student Success Workgroup, said during the September Board of Trustees meeting. “And so, as we move ahead—all 23 universities, faculty, staff, administrators, Academic Senates, Chancellor's Office and this Board of Trustees—we all must together move forward if we are to narrow the gap between our aspirations for Black equity and the realization that we have been in fact falling short."

Read about the 13 recommendations​ here:​

Supporting Black Student Success

1. Create and implement a CSU early outreach plan. Each of the 23 universities will create an outreach plan and partner with K-12 schools to promote a college-going culture among young students. These efforts should include partnering with local schools and community organizations to promote pathways to the CSU, encouraging alumni and current CSU students to engage in early outreach programs, and expanding opportunities for K-12 students to get hands-on learning experiences with faculty on CSU campuses.

2. Develop a comprehensive enrollment strategy for Black students. The goal of the enrollment strategy is to ensure representation of Black students reflects the demographics of the campus's local community, or California, whichever is higher. Each CSU will set its own recruitment goal accordingly. Additionally, in coordination with the Admission Advisory Council, the CSU will explore ways to give greater consideration to students who participate in early outreach programs, among others. And, in partnership with community colleges, the university will work with the Umoja and African American Male Education Network and Development and other organizations to increase access for prospective students.

3. Develop a comprehensive retention and persistence strategy for Black students. This strategy would help enrolled Black students persist to graduation. The strategy's four components include a personalized student support model and case management approach to help each individual student; enhanced advising that builds a connection to campus and financial resources; efforts to reengage and reenroll students who have not completed their degree; and initiatives, services and practices to support Black students, such as first-year experiences and increasing Black student participation in high impact practices like internships or study abroad.

4. Create welcoming and affirming spaces. To foster a greater sense of belonging for Black students on campus, the 23 universities will strive for a culture that accepts and celebrates all students. Associated steps include creating Black-designed and inspired campus spaces, living and learning residences in CSU housing and Black Resource Centers on all campuses. In an effort to create a culture of care for students, the CSU also will prioritize hiring culturally competent mental health professionals and campus police trained in community policing.

Supporting All Faculty and Staff in Facilitating Black Student Success

5. Develop and implement inclusive and culturally relevant curriculum. Through professional development programs and new faculty orientations, the CSU will support faculty in developing inclusive and culturally relevant course curriculum, teaching methods and classroom management practices that support Black students.

6. Standardize and increase Black faculty and staff recruitment and support. Newly developed search criteria and hiring processes are designed to attract and recruit faculty who are equipped and have proven successful in serving students from diverse backgrounds. Additionally, as representation in the classroom is important to Black student success, recruitment efforts will target disciplines with little or no Black faculty as well as focus on hiring faculty who study issues relevant to the Black community.

7. Invest in Black faculty and staff support. To create a sense of belonging for Black faculty and staff, each university will establish employee resources and affinity groups that support faculty's diversity, equity and inclusion work, scholarly research and professional development.

8. Incorporate Black student success in faculty and staff evaluations. In collaboration with faculty and Academic Senate leaders, CSUs will embed measures of student success and equity into the recruitment, tenure and promotion process for faculty and the evaluation process for staff and administration. This may include questions about creating a welcoming environment on course evaluations or determining how faculty and staff have contributed to Graduation Initiative 2025 goals.

Systemwide Infrastructure for Black Student Success

9. Implement a comprehensive enrollment marketing campaign. As part of a larger enrollment marketing campaign, the CSU will partner with a marketing agency with a proven record of communicating with culturally diverse communities to better reach prospective students and their families.

10. Develop a structure and process for systemwide data-driven practices. The CSU will continue to promote data-driven practices to help improve students' academic outcomes.

11. Create systemwide policies on addressing unprofessional conduct. This recommendation features steps that will help the CSU address biased behavior and language that undermines Black faculty, staff and student success but falls short of Title IX or discrimination, harassment and retaliation reporting thresholds. This includes the creation of policies for handling such complaints, annual training and the establishment of campus climate teams to set a culture of acceptance and understanding.

12. Launch the CSU Statewide Central Office for the Advancement of Black Excellence. This centralized office would help fund and amplify campus efforts to implement the recommendations in this report as well as encourage and foster additional innovative practices.

13. Create structures for systemwide accountability. To ensure this work is carried out and continues on in the future, the CSU plans to establish a series of mechanisms to hold itself accountable: an in-person professional development training on addressing anti-Blackness in higher education, an audit assessing the representation of Black faculty and staff, an annual report on progress made, the development of a systemwide advisory group on this topic and the inclusion of Black student success in presidential performance reviews. This recommendation includes the allocation of one-time funding of $10 million over three years toward these efforts.​

To learn more about the report, visit the Black Student Success​ website.

Making the decision to pursue higher education, especially when you're the first in your family to do so, can be daunting. Without experienced family members to look to for guidance, students can feel as though they have to forge a path alone. “Do I belong here?" “Who can answer my list of questions?"

At the CSU, nearly one-third of undergraduate​s are the first in their family to attend college. The CSU provides a multitude of resources and avenues of support for these students, including the Educational Opportunity Program, Summer Bridge and peer mentoring. And many CSUs have gained national recognition for their commitment to advancing outcomes of first-gen college students.

CSU Chancellor Mildred García herself is a first-generation college graduate, and she understands the unique challenges first-gen students face. Dr. García was raised in New York City by her parents, who migrated from Puerto Rico, and though they lacked much of the knowledge required to navigate higher education, they placed a great deal of importance on it.

Her parents reminded her often that, “The only inheritance a poor family can leave its children is a good education."

In honor of National First-Generation College Celebration Day, we highlight just a few of the outstanding graduates of the CSU who accepted the challenge and transformed from first-generation students to remarkable leaders who pay it forward. Meet them.

Luke Wood, Ph.D. ​

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President, Sacramento State University
B.A. Black History and ​Politics, Sacramento State ​​​​

Luke Wood credits Sacramento State, and the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), with putting him on the path to success—a path that led him right back home earlier this year to serve as his alma mater's ninth president.

“It's about investing back in the community that invested in me," Wood said. “I know what Sac State is capable of doing. I was a Black male, former foster child, first-generation college student who struggled with food insecurity and housing insecurity, and I was able to graduate because of the incredible people and systems of support that were in place."

Wood earned a bachelor's degree in Black history and politics and a master's degree in Higher Education Leadership in Student Affairs from Sacramento State before attending Arizona State University, where he earned a master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction in Early Childhood Education and a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies.

Wood joined San Diego State as a faculty member in 2011, where he also served as co-director of the Comm​unity College Equity Assessment Lab (CCEAL)—a research and practice center aimed at reducing equity gaps between students of color and their peers—and as vice president for Student Affairs and Campus Diversity, among other roles. In 2017, he became the first Black faculty member named a distinguished professor at San Diego State.

An author of 16 books and more than 180 publications, Wood's research focuses on racial inequality issues in education, particularly community colleges. He also studies the overexposure of suspensions for​ boys and students of color in PK-12 schools.

Read more about Luke Wood​​ in the Sacramento State newsroom.​​

Amanda Quintero, Ph.D. 

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Special Assistant to the President, CSUN
B.A. Global Studies, CSU Monterey Bay

As the daughter of immigrants from Mexico, Amanda Quintero ​understands the challenges many first-generation, historically undeserved students face because she lived them. The university world was unfamiliar to her family, and she faced resistance as she pursued multiple degrees. 

But once she began her higher education journey, Quintero thrived. She earned a bachelor's degree in global studies from CSU​ Monterey Bay, a master's degree in public policy and administration from Cal State Long Beach and a doctorate in education from Claremont Graduate University. 

Quintero has spent her career working to make higher education an attainable goal for students of all backgrounds with a focus on providing the families of first-generation students with “college knowledge" and creating whole-family outreach programming that invites families to campus to create a sense of belonging.

“It's about welcoming the family to be part of the entire experience, not just on the first day, and not just on the last day, but all those opportunities in between," Quintero said.

Prior to joining CSUN as special assistant to the president for inclusive excellence, Quintero served as the associate vice provost for Student Success and Equity Initiatives at CSU Channel Islands. There she secured nearly $30 million in external funds to lead equity-centered institutional change initiatives and helped the university earn recognition in 2010 as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI).

At CSUN, Quintero also serves as equity innovation officer for the Global HSI Equity Innovation Hub, where she works to transform HSIs throughout the CSU and nation in order to increase student success. The hub recently awarded nearly $2 million to 17 finalists to support their efforts to inspire the next generation of creators and innovators to pursue high-demand careers in STEM and the creative and tech industries.

Read more about Amanda Quintero in the CSUN newsroom.

Luis Dominguez

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Systems Engineer, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory
B.S. Mechanical​​ Engineering, Cal Poly Pomona 

Luis Dominguez grew up in South Central Los Angeles roughly twenty miles from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), but it wasn't until his third year attending Cal Poly Pomona that he even heard of the lab. What began as an internship turned into a dream job, one that also provides him with a platform for inspiring future generations of kids like him.

“I never thought I'd help put two one-ton robots and a helicopter on Mars, but here I am having done that and looking to do a whole lot more," Dominguez said during an address to the CSU Board of Trustees​.

Dominguez is a first-generation college graduate and the proud son of immigrant parents who, he says, did their best to foster his curiosity but struggled to live within the confines of their household income.

While at Cal Poly Pomona, Dominguez participated in several clubs for Latinx students and flexed his entrepreneurial muscles, even running his own landscaping business. After graduating from CPP in 2009, he was hired full-time at JPL where he has worked on a number of important projects.

His latest mission for the national research facility involved his work on the Mars rover Perseverance. As the deputy electrical integration and test lead, Dominguez not only oversaw his team putting electrical equipment on the space craft, but he also was charged with making sure everything was working properly before takeoff. 

Today, Dominguez finds his greatest reward in talking to youth about what he does and encouraging them to work toward their dreams. 

“I like to do a lot of outreach," he said. “Even though JPL is an amazing job, you can sometimes lose sight of that. Once I go out and talk to kids and share my story about coming to JPL, I can tell it is inspiring them and that also inspires me."

Read more about Luis Dominguez in the Cal Poly Pomona newsroom.

Cathy Sandeen, Ph.D.​

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President, Cal State East Bay
B.A. Speech Pathology, Cal Poly Humboldt  

Growing up, Cathy Sandeen noticed that many of the women in her family were unsatisfied with their traditional life of motherhood and homemaking. She only knew a few women who pursued an education beyond high school, but they inspired her to dream bigger.

"I felt these working women were more engaged in a broader world and, on reflection, I wanted that for myself," she said. "Fortunately, the Cal State system was booming at the time, it was very affordable and my high school counselors really encouraged and helped students apply to college."

Though she faced challenges as a first-generation college student—before the term was even coined—at what was then Humboldt State, she persevered and earned a bachelor's degree in speech pathology. She then went on to earn a master's degree in broadcast communication from San Francisco State, a master's degree in business administration from the University of California, Los Angeles and a doctorate in communication from the University of Utah.

"My degrees gave me confidence to step up and serve and showed me how an individual can have a positive impact," she said.

​Sandeen has spent much of her career working to ensure first-generation college students like herself have the resources necessary​ to pursue their goals. Prior to becoming president of Cal State East Bay in 2020, Sandeen served as chancellor of the University of Alaska Anchorage and chancellor of the University of Wisconsin Colleges and the University of Wisconsin-Extension, as well as held faculty and leadership positions at several universities across the country.

"I could not have anticipated this, but I have come full circle from where I started as a first-gen undergrad in the CSU," she said. "What I initially considered a disadvantage has turned into a tremendous advantage for me in serving others."

Read more about Cathy Sandeen in the Calstate.edu newsroom.

Star Rivera-Lacey, Ph.D.

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Superintendent/President, Palomar College
B.A. Liberal Studies, CSU​ San Marcos 

Money was always tight for Star Rivera-Lacey as a child growing up in Oceanside. Her parents immigrated from El Salvador before she was born, and they always stressed the importance of a college degree to allow her to have a promising career and future. 

"My mom really wanted me to have aspirations and picked the highest thing in the sky," Rivera-Lacey said​. “That's why she named me Star." ​

With her parents' encouragement, Rivera-Lacey cultivated a passion for learning from a young age. She saw how they worked to improve their English by taking ESL classes at Palomar. Sometimes they even took Rivera-Lacey with them. Little could they have imagined that, almost four decades later, she would return to lead that very college.

But Rivera-Lacey's path to becoming a higher education professional wasn't an easy one.  She experienced a lot of common struggles first-generation students face: confusion about credits, struggling to afford adequate transportation, balancing school and a full-time job. But she eventually found a home at CSUSM working on campus in a student support position that prepped her for her future career in academia.

After earning a bachelor's degree in liberal studies, Rivera-Lacey received a master's degree in counseling from San Diego State and a doctorate in education from Claremont Graduate University. She served in various student support roles in the California Community College system before being appointed the first Latina to serve as president of Palomar College in 2021.

Her advice to current and future college students: “There are going to be obstacles in the way, doors that close, but there's always a window that's open. If you just put one foot forward, the road will rise to meet. There are so many people who are in education that love what they do and believe in students. You'll find the help." ​

Read more about Star Rivera-Lacey in the CSU San Marcos newsroom.

Learn about resources for first-generation college students, including the Educational Opportunity Program and ​Summer Bridge.

Three CSU programs received recognition from Excelencia in Education's 2023 Examples of Excelencia award for empowering Latinx students and improving their outcomes through culturally relevant and data-driven efforts.

"​America's future is brighter with the talents of Latino students across the country," Excelencia in Education's co-founder and president Sarita Brown said in a press release. "Excelencia created Examples of Excelencia to recognize effective efforts led by practitioners in higher education who believe in their students' future and support their highest aspirations."

See which CSU programs received this year's distinction.

Chico State | Graduate Equity Fellowship Program

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​​Chico State's Graduate Equity Fellowship Program—which launched in the mid-80s to diversify the students pursuing post-graduate degrees—took the top honor in the graduate category.

“Half of our graduate students come from the North State region, and they remain here—and they are doing some of the most important work in the region, which is an area with high poverty rates, health issues, unemployment and social welfare problems," says Sharon Barrios, Ph.D., program director and dean of Graduate Studies. “These graduate students are in the community contributing to its health and welfare. … A recognition like this brings more attention to these amazing students."

To accomplish its goal, the program supports students from underrepresented backgrounds as they complete their master's degrees and consider pursuing a Ph.D. through financial support, mentorship, a peer collaborative group led by a faculty coordinator, and an opportunity to conduct research with a faculty member. The program is open to students across disciplines and welcomes a cohort of 10 new students each year. Currently, 70% of the students are Latinx.

“Programs such as the Graduate Equity Fellowship, because of their intentional commitment and effective program design, are creating relevant and impactful opportunities for populations that have been marginalized," says Teresita Curiel, director of Latinx Equity and Success. As a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), “a program such as this is exactly what we encourage to support student success in a culturally relevant way, that's responsive to their needs and introduces students to the possibilities for their futures."

Letty Mejia, a fellow working toward her master's in social work (MSW), immigrated to the United States when she was only six and was barred from pursuing higher education for years due to her undocumented status. She finally enrolled in an associate degree program in 2012 thanks to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, but still struggled to feel like she belonged in higher education.

The Graduate Equity Fellowship Program has helped validate her place in higher education as Mejia's mentor has drawn out her passion for research, and the financial support has alleviated her need to consistently work multiple part-time jobs to fund her schooling. Now, she hopes she can be the representation she never encountered.

“This program is changing the trajectory not only for me, but for my children," she says. “They are seeing me pursue higher education, and at the same time, I am paving the way so that when it's their turn, they don't have to deal with the adversities that I've dealt with."

Ashley Macias, another fellow earning an MSW, shares how the program goes beyond the academic to ensure students have the help they need to navigate higher education—a skill necessary for success.

“I am a brown Latina woman, I have a learning disability and there are many challenges that I have had to overcome," Macias says. “The statistics for women who look like me and who were raised like me are not encouraging. … There is so much ingenuity and there are so many skillsets that a lot of people who look like me have. The program gives us that support that otherwise we may not have to succeed."

C​SUN | Bridge to the Future Scholars Program

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The Bridge to the Future (B2F) Scholars Program at CSUN came in as ​a finalist in the baccalaureate category. Launched in 2017, B2F provides up to 25 graduating seniors at Canoga Park High School with a free education at CSUN.

“The vision was to find ways to provide affordable, but also deep and meaningful educational experiences, for students from underserved and under-resourced communities, to encourage students who might not think that a four-year university experience was in their future to start on that journey, and to find ways to help them be successful," says B2F Director David Boyns, Ph.D. “When they come to college, they're not just coming for themselves. They're coming to represent, support and give back to their families."

B2F focuses on Canoga Park High School, which already had an existing relationship with CSUN, as it is one of the ​most under-resourced schools in the Los Angeles School District, with significant numbers of immigrants, families with low-income status, and students on free or reduced lunch. Upwards of 80% of B2F participants are Latinx.

“Coming from a low-income family, I know what it is to struggle financially, and I know the fear of affording college that quickly becomes the main struggle for many students," says Kevin Reyes, a B2F scholar and mechanical engineering student. “The Bridge to the Future program makes an outstanding effort in supporting individuals like me, as it provides a lifeline to our dreams of attending a four-year university. Through its financial support, B2F offers a pathway to higher education that is often unattainable without such assistance, ensuring that the financial burden doesn't derail our academic aspirations."

To qualify for the program, students must demonstrate a strong academic background and a commitment to engaging with their community—as the latter is a required aspect of B2F.

In addition to financial support, accepted students benefit from mentorship, tutoring, a physical space on campus to gather and work, outdoor activities like hiking and rafting, and opportunities to give back to their communities. B2F scholars participate in a variety of community events, including produce distributions, beach clean-ups, cultural events, and tutoring and mentoring for their high school or afterschool programs.

Monserrath Contreras, '23, a B2F graduate with a degree in Communication Disorders and Sciences, says she most benefitted from the mentoring, tutoring and mental health services.

“As a first-generation college student, it was very challenging for me to manage and balance both my academic and social life," says Contreras, who is now working toward a M.S. in Communication Disorders and Sciences at CSUN. “But through the support of B2F and the social worker interns and group workshops I was able to find the confidence, solidarity and support to be able to successfully complete my bachelor's degree … and graduate with honors and summa cum laude."

Cal State Fullerton | Ánimo Latinx Counseling Emphasis

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​Introduced in 2018, the Ánimo Latinx Counseling Emphasis in Cal State Fullerton's M.S. Department of Counseling prepares students to be bilingual, bicultural counselors equipped to provide culturally competent care to Spanish-speaking and Latinx clients. The program was named a finalist in the Examples of Excelencia graduate category.

Olga Mejía, Ph.D., emphasis director and associate professor of counseling, started the program based on her own and her students' experiences of being asked to conduct counseling sessions in Spanish without training or support. “Just because you speak Spanish doesn't mean you can do therapy, a professional service, in Spanish," she says. “I equally emphasize linguistic ability and knowledge of cultures because you can speak Spanish, but if you don't know how to use it in the context of our field, you're not going to engage the client."

To prepare students for their future work, the program features five required courses. They cover topics relevant to the Latinx community—such as immigration, acculturation, biculturalism, colorism and sexism—as well as what Mejía calls “therapeutic Spanish;" that is, the language and vocabulary needed to do therapy in Spanish. Students must have an intermediate level of spoken Spanish to complete the program.

Ánimo student Melanie Barajas applied to the program after feeling limited in her ability to help Spanish-speaking clients as a behavioral therapist, even though she was fluent. Now, the program has not only given her the linguistic ability and cultural awareness to better serve clients but has provided strong connections on campus.

“This program opens doors to spaces where many Latinx and Indigenous individuals often feel excluded or like they don't quite belong," Barajas says. “Having professors and therapists who share not only our language but also our values, customs and history … felt like a powerful affirmation that our stories and our ways of life have a meaningful place in this field."

Ánimo accepts 15 to 18 of the 60 students admitted into the counseling program each year and provides them with academic support, mentoring, and networking and growth opportunities through a research group and a student association. By sharing her own background, Mejía also aims to create an environment where students can bring their experiences into the classroom and to ensure there is representation for Latinx students in the field. While the program includes students from various ethnicities who are bilingual and bicultural, many Ánimo students are Latinx and first-generation, making these efforts particularly helpful.

“I'm intentional about creating safe spaces where the students feel like all parts of themselves can belong in the classroom," Mejía says. “The hope is they will take that and do that for their clients."

Paola Acosta, a first-generation Ánimo student, found that the program likewise helped her navigate higher education and prepared her for providing care and giving back to her community.

“This program is vital for future bilingual and bicultural counselors and therapists because much of the average curriculum, tools and theories have been based on western ways of healing that may not apply to communities of diverse backgrounds," Acosta says. “The Ánimo emphasis provided the ability to identify and implement culturally relevant interventions with clients as well as increase our confidence when using Spanish in the therapy room."

Because Latinx individuals make up a significant portion of the U.S. population and face unique mental health challenges given their backgrounds, Mejía says it is particularly important to train counselors to effectively serve this community.

“[Latinx] tend to have a lot of stigma related to seeking mental health services, so we need to have culturally sensitive, culturally responsive and linguistically appropriate services to meet those needs when clients actually come to us," she says.

Other Programs in the Spotlight

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​​​​A group of CIMAS students from CSUCI visit the Santa Rosa Island Research Station.​

In addition, three CSU programs were designated Programs to Watch by Excelencia in Education:

• CSU Channel Isla​nds's CIMAS (CSUCI Initiative for Mapping Academic Success): CIMAS aims to improve learning outcomes and create a sense of belonging for students who became disengaged during the pandemic. It offers weekly workshops and mentorship to students who did not pass one or more classes the previous semester and awards a scholarship covering a summer course for students who complete the program.
• Cal State LA's Engaged English Course: This required course in the university's Department of English ensures English majors are equipped to give back to their communities in a professional setting. Students in the course participate in community engagement projects to learn how to work with other community members across different cultures and identities.
• Cal State Fullerton's Transfer, Adult Re-entry, Parenting and Pregnant Student (TAPP) Center: The TAPP Center supports non-traditional students in these groups by connecting them with campus resources and services as well as helping them build community.

Finally, this year, Excelencia in Education granted its Seal of Excelencia to 14 colleges and universities, four of which were CSUs. Cal State Long Beach​, Cal State LA and CSUN earned the seal for the first time, and Sacramento State was recertified. These join a group of 39 schools that have demonstrated a significant impact on the education outcomes and lives of Latinx students. CSU Channel Islands, Fresno State, Cal State Fullerton and San Diego State also hold the seal.

Almost half of the CSU's student body is comprised of Latinx students, and 21 of its universities are Hispanic-Serving Institutions. See other ways the CSU supports Latinx students.

The Cal State Apply window is​ now open, and there is a pressing question on every student's mind: How will I pay for college?

With the CSU's commitment to afford​ability and accessibility, students can find a plethora of ways to fund their education. Here's what you need to know about securing financial support for the 2024-2025 academic year.

Know Your Financial Aid Options

At the CSU, about 80% of students receive some kind of financial aid, and 60% of undergraduates have their tuition completely covered by grants or other non-load aid. Due to the robust aid packages CSU students receive, the majority graduate without debt or loan amounts below state and national student debt averages. To cover the cost of their education, students can apply and qualify for myriad aid options, from grants and scholarships to work-study.

Grants are available at the federal, state and university level. For example, the federally funded Pell Grant is awarded to students with financial need as determined by their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Half of CSU undergraduates receive the Pell Grant—totaling more than ​​$1 billion—to help cover the cost of tuition, fees and personal expenses.

Similarly, the Cal Grant is a state-level grant with student need determined by the FAFSA or the California Dream Act Application (CADAA). This program provides a total of $821 million in aid to CSU students.

The State University Grant (SUG) p​rogram is a CSU-specific grant for students who are California residents or otherwise deemed eligible. Campuses award the grant according to the students' FAFSA. The CSU designates at least one-third of its tuition revenue toward the SUG program, accounting for $701 million of the total $945 million the CSU provides in institutional aid.

Students may also apply for scholarships—available through the CSU, the state and outside organizations—based on both achievement and need. Many require filling out a separate application. Students interested in applying for scholarships should contact their campus's financial aid office for help identifying scholarships and locating their applications; they may also use scholarship search websites like those listed on the Scholarships & Fellowships webpage.

One recently revamped, state-based scholarship is the Middle Class Scholarship for undergraduates and teaching credential students who are California residents or eligible AB540 students. Qualifying students have a family income and household asset ceiling of $217,000, and eligibility is determined through the FAFSA or CADAA. In addition, students must be enrolled in at least six units and meet their CSU campus's Satisfactory Academic Progress policy.

For more options, students can visit the Financial Aid webpage to explore grants, scholarships, fellowships, work-study, loans and veterans' aid.

Top Changes on the FAFSA

To qualify for financial aid like grants and scholarships, students will need to fill out the FAFSA, which will be released in December 2023. However, there are major changes coming to the application this year through the FAFSA Simplification Act. Here are the top changes students can expect with the Better FAFSA.

1. Student Aid Index: The new Student Aid Index (SAI) will replace the Expected Family Contribution. This new formula for calculating financial need will no longer take into account the number of family members currently enrolled​ in college, but will consider dependency status. Students can also have a negative SAI as low as -1500. In addition, students from families with an adjusted gross income of more than $60,000 will need to include assets, including farms or small businesses.

2. Data-sharing: Through the Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education Act (FUTURE) Act, the FAFSA will now pull federal tax information directly from tax returns filed with the IRS in the previous year. Students will no longer need to enter income information, and the automated process will pull family size information based on the number of exemptions claimed. There will be an option to manually update family size in case of any changes.

3. Expanded access: Eligibility for Pell Grants will now be determined using the SAI; family make-up, size and income; and federal poverty information—which will greatly increase the number of individuals who qualify. Access to Pell Grants will also be expanded to include incarcerated students. In addition, certain drug convictions and a failure to register for the draft (for males) will no longer make individuals ineligible for federal financial aid.

4. An ID for all: Each individual contributing information to the FAFSA will need an FSA ID and multi-factor authentication to access the form. Each person will have an assigned role—like student, parent or spouse—and will only see questions related to their role. They will also need to give consent for their federal tax information to be included. To ensure access for all individuals, there is a new process for obtaining an FSA ID without a social security number.

5. Dependency status: Students who have not historically qualified as independent students may indicate they have “unusual circumstances" preventing them from contacting their parents. They will be able to submit a completed FAFSA without parental information that will be reviewed under provisional (temporary) independent status.

6. Streamlined application: To shorten the time needed to fill out the application, a number of questions have been removed and some untaxed income will no longer be required.

7​. 20 colleges. Lastly, students can now list up to 20 colleges on their applications.

The California Student Aid Commission is also updating the California Dream Act Application—which will likewise be released in December—to streamline the process, including switching to the Student Aid Index, removing questions and incorporating the parental signature into the submission process. The CADAA will not have the same data-sharing agreement with the IRS though, and income must still be entered manually.​

A Note on Cal Grants

Finally, the CSU is incrementally rolling out an updated process for placing students on the correct Campus Cal Grant Roster. Students will not need to do anything new to apply, but students will see the award on their financial aid package earlier as the process will now take one week instead of three. As the rollout is ongoing, not all CSUs have implemented the new process.

The CSU is now accepting applications for the fall 2024 term, and the priority application period closes on November 30, 2023. Visit Cal State Apply to submit your application or the Paying for College webpage to learn more about tuition, fees and financial aid.