The California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) Alumni Association awarded a record number of students with scholarships to provide them with the funds needed to continue their education.
Eight CSU Dominguez Hills students—four undergraduate and four graduate—were handpicked for a 2014-15 CSUDH Alumni Scholarship, given to students with strong academic records and service to the university and their communities. This marks the first year that more than two students have been awarded.
“The continuous generosity of our alumni never ceases to amaze me and I am grateful for their contributions,” said Gayle Ball-Parker, director of Alumni and Family Programs at CSU Dominguez Hills. “Most of our alumni know firsthand the challenges that some of our students face and they are willing to help students continue their education through to graduation. I am proud to be a Toro and I know that our alumni will continue to contribute because they understand the need.”
The 2014 undergraduate recipients are Anna Harutyunyan of Los Angeles, Yesenia Vega of Los Angeles, Esperanza Torres of Lynwood, and Jessica Wong of Carson. Twin sisters Rita Cuevas and Sandra Cuevas of Paramount, Donna Marsh of Long Beach, and Brittany Thompson of Fountain Valley were selected as the graduate recipients. Each was awarded $2,000 to go toward tuition and books.
“It’s a great honor and an inspiration to do more, work harder and achieve new heights,” said clinical science major Harutyunyan, who has maintained a 4.0 grade point average (GPA) while raising two children. “Besides financial support, this makes me dream and believe that the impossible is possible.”
The Los Angeles resident said she will use the scholarship to continue her goal of becoming a clinical laboratory scientist to help detect and diagnose disorders in patients, as well as further her education by pursuing a master’s in the field of biomedical science.
The CSU Dominguez Hills Alumni Association also awarded students Janette Wong of Carson and Annie Bravo of Los Angeles with the Jamina O. Barnes Memorial Scholarship, in memory of the former director of Alumni Relations at the university. The amount of the scholarship for each student was based on the recommendation of the Jamina O. Barnes Scholarship Committee.
Both Wong and Bravo, who have stellar GPAs, provided numerous examples of their service to the community and the university, including volunteering at bone marrow drives, presenting at CSU Dominguez Hills’ Student Research Day, working with spinal cord injury patients to improve coordination and function, and assisting children with developmental delay at pediatric clinics.
Bravo, who is pursuing her master’s in occupational therapy, said it was an “honor” to receive the scholarship, and that she looks forward to a career in service of others, including helping children with disabilities access their own education.
She added that CSU Dominguez Hills has provided numerous resources for success, and that the scholarship is just the latest.
“The faculty and everyone here at the university are so accomplished and passionate,” she said. “I feel very lucky to have had this opportunity.”
