Stephanie Esquivel enrolled at CSUDH in 2007 straight out of high school. She remembers the excitement she felt as a first-generation college student, eager to graduate and make a positive impact on the lives of others. However, her optimism soon gave way to an overwhelming sense of displacement. “I remember feeling lonely, undeserving, and even guilty for abandoning my family to focus on my own goals,” she said. “I stopped attending classes and quickly found myself in a downward spiral.” Esquivel never completely lost the ambition that initially inspired her. Through fifteen years of personal and economic challenges, she took classes when she could at several community colleges, ... Read More
Toros Discuss Student Debt Relief with Congressional Representatives
A student loan debt cancellation plan officially announced by President Biden last month will bring much-needed financial relief to CSUDH students, a handful of whom addressed the program’s impact during a roundtable discussion on Friday, Sept. 9. Nanette Barragán from California’s 44th district, and Assistant Speaker of the House Katherine Clark of Massachusetts’ 5th district, met with President Thomas A. Parham and seven current and former CSUDH students to hear their concerns and answer questions about the program. Skyrocketing tuition rates and the failure of Pell Grants to keep pace often mean that students from low- and middle-income families have few options beyond borrowing ... Read More
New Student Convocation Welcomes Incoming Toros
Hundreds of new students received a warm Toro welcome on Friday, Aug. 26, at the university’s annual New Student Convocation. The afternoon featured a formal ceremony followed by an hour of carnival games and prizes, all meant to welcome incoming undergraduate and graduate scholars to the Toro family and celebrate the start of a mutually transformative collaboration between learners and educators. DJ Juan Young energized the crowd of several hundred during pre-ceremony events with the help of Teddy Toro and the CSUDH Dance Team. Students swayed to songs from Cali Swag District and DJ Tunez before President Thomas A. Parham and his cabinet members danced their way to the stage to ... Read More
