Alumni

Toros Take Local Mayoral Races

November 18, 2022 By Kandis Newman

After days of vote counting, CSUDH alumni Karen Bass and Rex Richardson have scored major victories in a pair of closely-watched mayoral races in Los Angeles and Long Beach, respectively. Their wins clearly demonstrate how Toros have become important players in Southern California politics—when they take office, CSUDH alumni will hold mayorships in Los Angeles, Long Beach, Carson, Compton, and Hawthorne.

Bass (BS, Health Science, ’90) defeated billionaire real estate developer Rick Caruso to win the Los Angeles mayor’s race, and had built an “insurmountable lead” of 47,000 votes when the race was called in her favor on Wednesday, Nov. 16. When sworn into office, she will become Los Angeles’ first woman mayor. Bass had placed first in the primary election held in June, but the race was close enough that it took over a week to discover the voters’ ultimate verdict.

In a statement announcing her win, Bass said, “The people of Los Angeles have sent a clear message: it is time for change and it is time for urgency. I am honored and humbled that the people have chosen me to be the next Mayor of Los Angeles.”

“Los Angeles is the greatest city on earth,” she continued. “I know if we come together, hold each other accountable, and focus on the best of who we are and what we can achieve, we can create better neighborhoods today and a better future for our children. We will get big things done together.”

In Long Beach, current Vice Mayor Richardson (BA, Philosophy, ’20) was leading fellow Long Beach City Council member Suzie Price by a margin of 55 percent to 44 percent when Price conceded the race on Tuesday, Nov. 15. Like Bass, Richardson had placed first in the June primary, and was able to maintain that momentum through election day. Richardson will become Long Beach’s first Black mayor.

Richardson reacted to his win by saying, “As Long Beach’s next mayor, I will focus on tackling our city’s biggest challenges and working daily to make city hall more responsive to residents’ needs. I look forward to getting started with our transition.”

“Not often do you hear stories like mine, where someone can come here as a young man, become the youngest city council member, become the youngest vice mayor, and break barriers as the first African American mayor. Long Beach is a special city like that.”

Richardson unveiled the members of his transition team on Wednesday, a group of local leaders and dignitaries which includes CSUDH President Thomas A. Parham. “Mayor-elect Richardson is a hard-working and dedicated public servant of tremendous integrity and character,” said Parham. “I am honored to be invited and look forward to serving on the mayor-elect’s transition team. Education needs to be at the table, and I am delighted to see that the mayor-elect recognizes that the hope of any community partially rests with the investments made in the educational institutions that serve the people.”

Both Bass and Richardson will be sworn into their new offices in December.

In other Toro election news, alumna Khaleah Bradshaw (BA, ’10, MA, ’12) won her election to remain city clerk for the City of Carson.

CSUDH Alum’s Student Film Becomes Award-Winning Documentary

July 26, 2022 By Kandis Newman

Johnny Gonzales swimming with his water camera. — _{Johnny Gonzales at work as a water photographer, waiting for his next great shot.} _{(Photo courtesy Johnny Gonzales)}

When Johnny Gonzales was a student in CSUDH’s Television Arts program, the topic for his student film was an easy choice. An aspiring water photographer, he decided to focus his lens on his intrepid colleagues who spent their days in the ocean, shooting action shots of surfers and bodyboarders.

“I really wanted to tell their story,” says Gonzales. “Most people don’t quite get it–they have no idea what goes into getting great surf photos, and what it takes to get the perfect shot. I feel like water photographers are the unsung heroes of the surfing world.”

The resulting 9-minute student film, “Surf Photography: The Watermen,” produced with fellow students Jon Domingo and Cynthia Gutierrez, turned a lot of heads. The film was awarded the Gold Remi, the top award in the “college student” category at the 50th Annual Worldfest Houston International Independent Film Festival, the world’s largest festival of its kind.

The film also took home the Best Student Documentary prize at the Student World Awards, and first place in the “Creative” category at CSUDH’s Student Research Day. Its success inspired Gonzales to continue working on it after graduating in 2017 with a BA in Digital Media Arts: Television Arts. “I knew the story was good, and I wanted to expand it beyond the local photographers I had originally shot,” he says.

Gonzales spent the next four years working on the project, taking time off between photography gigs to travel to well-known surfing hotspots like Hawaii and Mexico–and lesser-known scenes in England and Ireland. The resulting documentary feature, In the Water; Behind the Lens, is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at what goes into capturing world-class photos of top surfers and bodyboarders.

Critics and audiences have taken notice. Gonzales’ documentary was accepted to several film festivals in 2021, winning the Best Feature Documentary Award at the San Francisco Frozen Film Festival and the Audience Award for Best Action Sports Film at the Newport Beach Film Festival. It was also an official selection at the Paris Independent Film Festival, New York Lift-Off Film Festival, Sarasota Film Festival, and Catalina Film Festival. In the Water; Behind the Lens also aired on PBS stations throughout July 2022.

The film was largely a labor of love for Gonzales, who grew up in Los Alamitos, Calif., and spent his days bodyboarding at Seal Beach and Huntington Beach. He funded the project himself, and also served as director, camera operator, and editor.

“Whenever I finished a good-paying job, I’d be off to England or Mexico to film,” he remembers. “I would film on the beach and hustle interviews, then come home broke and have to earn some money again.”

Although he initially tried to obtain outside financing, producing the film himself ended up having some positive consequences. “The cool thing is that nobody could tell me how to do it,” he says. “If you’re working for other people or big studios, they can start to tell you what to do and how to do it. Working independently means nobody could tell me anything. This is my vision.”

Gonzales managed to land interviews with a who’s-who of water photographers, including Dan Merkel, Jeff Divine, Jim Russi, Krista Funk, and Maria Fernanda. They help trace the history of water and surf photography–from the early days of clunky cameras and 36-exposure film rolls to today’s high-end digital cameras and Instagram feeds.

The rise of social media is one of the underlying themes throughout the film–it has changed the industry from top to bottom. “That’s one of the reasons I wanted to get into film,” says Gonzales. “It’s hard to make money as a surf photographer these days. Everyone throws everything on Instagram. Nobody’s paying for these water shots anymore.”

During the heyday of surf photography in the 1970s and 1980s, “Top photographers made big money,” says Gonzales. “Dan Merkel would have his travel expenses and everything paid for, and would come home to a stack of checks for thousands of dollars. Now the big companies want all the photos for free. The game has completely changed.”

The dangers that water photographers face is also addressed–from sharks or surfers running into them to the inherent risks of the ocean itself. To illustrate the point, Gonzales includes harrowing footage of champion bodyboarder Andre Botha rescuing a surfer who was knocked unconscious when he hit an underwater reef.

“It’s kind of gnarly to see,” says Gonzales. “He’s blue in the face, foaming at the mouth. I cut it before it got too graphic, because that was upsetting.” The injured surfer fully recovered, but the footage provides a startling reminder of how dangerous big waves and ocean currents can be.

As Gonzales’ film shows, there is a strong bond between the surfers and the photographers who capture their acrobatics. “We’re all out there together,” he says. “We go where they go. And they want good photos, their sponsors want good photos. They really appreciate the good photographers out there. They love us and we love them!”

Gonzales’ film also includes many of the most iconic surfing images ever captured–many of the photographers he interviewed allowed him to comb their vast archives. “I kind of got lucky,” says Gonzales. “Some people like Dan Merkel let me use whatever photos I wanted. In the end, I had to get 42 releases signed, and they were all really cool about it.”

After the success of In the Water; Behind the Lens, Gonzales is currently deciding what his next film project will be. “You’ve got to strike while the iron is hot,” he says. “But I don’t want to rush into anything. I want it to be something I’m passionate about.”

For now, though, he’s enjoying the exposure that his one-time student project has gotten. “It’s a tough game out there,” says Gonzales. “But I’m really proud of my film and am excited that people are watching it and responding so positively. It’s been a really cool experience.”

In the Water; Behind the Lens is available to rent or buy at www.oceansproductions.com. It is currently available for streaming at https://www.pbssocal.org/shows/water-behind-lens.

CSUDH Alumni Bring OT Skills to Their Texas Practice

April 19, 2022 By Kandis Newman

CSUDH Alumni Bring OT Skills to Their Own Texas Practice — CSUDH alumni Vanessa Yanez and Hiram Corona Martinez

CSUDH Occupational Therapy (OT) alumni Hiram Corona Martinez and Vanessa Yanez long dreamed of running their own practice – and in June 2021, their plans came to fruition with their Bravo Therapy & Independent Living Center in San Antonio, Tex. The married couple’s practice quickly become a success due to their patient-first focus on quality care.

During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the couple began to recognize certain patterns in health care that they wanted to change and do differently, explains Yanez. “We saw a real lack of diversity in health care administration and management. Many of them didn’t understand our culture, even though a lot of the patients and clients that we were seeing were Latinx or of Hispanic descent.”

“We wanted to build something that was culturally sensitive and focused just on quality care,” she adds. “Something that was really ingrained in me as an OT student from Dominguez Hills is quality. Focus on giving your best, on bringing in the latest research for your clients. That’s something we really wanted to create together.”

The couple’s practice has been building a network of therapists from various disciplines in the San Antonio metropolitan area. They work in a variety of spaces, from school clinics to in-home visits to remote telehealth. “That’s one of the pillars of our profession,” says Martinez. “We want to work in as natural an environment as possible. Whatever works best for our clients, wherever they are most comfortable, that’s where we provide the services.”

The couple, whose marriage predates their careers in OT, found their way to the discipline in their own unique ways. For Yanez, her interest in OT stems from being diagnosed with cancer at the age of 19. The Southern California native worked with occupational therapists throughout her treatment and recovery, and was impressed enough by their dedication and skills to pursue her own OT career.

Texas-raised Martinez had been struggling to get a job in finance due to the 2008 financial crisis when his wife convinced him to give OT a try. “My journey began by volunteering at a local pediatric clinic in California. I saw how occupational therapists work with autistic children, and fell in love with it right away.”

Both Yanez and Martinez chose CSUDH’s OT program because of its sterling reputation among those in the field. “I was looking into different schools and the one that a lot of employers were really talking about, saying that the students come out really prepared, was Dominguez Hills,” recalls Yanez. “It was an easy decision for me to go to CSUDH, because I heard such amazing things about the professors and the quality of students.”

Martinez agrees. “In the occupational therapy field, there’s the knowledge that alumni from CSUDH are very strong candidates, much more so than graduates from other local universities. They’re usually very prepared.”

The couple gives credit for the program’s success to its professors and leadership. “They are very knowledgeable, and have many years in practice,” says Yanez. “You can tell their level of dedication to students. They take their time to meet with them and are really accessible. A lot of the instructors at CSUDH were really like mentors.

“They were really open to guide us, and there was a lot of hands-on learning. Other programs are more theoretical, which is also important, but it’s vital to also have a clinical aspect of it. That’s something that they’ve nailed in the CSUDH OT program.”

CSUDH’s program strives to stay at the cutting edge of the discipline, which Martinez says also contributes to alumni success. “The CSUDH OT program is very dynamic, it’s not static. Every year they ask for feedback from the students, and they modify the program based on that feedback – so it’s a program that stays up to date. It’s very much in contact with the pulse of the industry.”

After several years working in Southern California, the couple moved to Texas to enable Yanez to enroll in a PhD program, and to be closer to Martinez’s family. They got jobs working in the OT departments of different companies, but when COVID-19 hit, “It changed everything,” says Yanez.

In addition to a lack of diversity in the field, the couple was troubled by the “push towards productivity” they saw in their workplaces and across the health care industry. “A lot of clinics and hospitals are now being run by investors,” says Yanez. “For them, the end result is all about money, which means seeing more and more patients.”

“When more and more clients are being shoved onto your schedule, you can kind of lose the human aspect of what you’re doing,” says Martinez. “We wanted to step away from that approach and focus on the basics – 100 percent client care, making sure that they’re taken care of, making sure our therapists are not overworked and are able to maintain that balance.”

In their San Antonio practice, Yanez specializes in oncology (cancer care), which has been her OT focus throughout her education and career – thanks to the inspiration of the therapists who worked with her during her own cancer battle. Martinez, meanwhile, works in pediatric care with a focus on autistic children.

Their practice has been a success, providing access to treatment for a wide range of community members. “There’s a very big need for OT services in this area,” says Yanez. “Opening our private practice is a case of the right time and the right place. We’re glad we’re able to help meet the needs of the community.”

Martinez and Yanez credit CSUDH with giving their OT careers the best possible start. “I don’t think people realize the quality of the professors that we have at CSUDH,” says Martinez. “They’re world class, honestly. In our field, students coming out of Dominguez Hills are highly sought after – they have their clinical skills ready to go.”

Yanez agrees. “CSUDH professors are always so available and so willing to share their knowledge with their students, so we can learn from their experiences and move the profession forward. Dominguez Hills is just doing an incredible job of that.”

CSUDH Alumna Helps the Public Stay Healthy

April 13, 2022 By Kandis Newman

During her first meeting as a member of the McNair Scholars Program, CSUDH alumna Kristi Sprowl (BS, ’16) was asked how she would impact the world if given the chance. Her answer: “I would like to create opportunities for people of color to live in equitable spaces, and also be a part of what health equity looks like for them.”

Today, after years of hard work and study, Sprowl is living her dream as the community impact director for the American Heart Association in Atlanta, Ga., while simultaneously working towards a doctorate of public health at the University of Georgia. She attends night school with other working executives in the field–the people who will be “creating and strategically planning out health care decisions that affect the American community,” she says.

From Nursing to Public Health

Growing up in Inglewood, Calif., Sprowl was always drawn to a career in health care, but wasn’t quite sure what direction she wanted to pursue. She began her educational journey intent on becoming a registered nurse.

“I was told by a lot of people that nursing is a good field–it’s lucrative and long-lasting; you’ll always have a job,” she recalls. “I decided to go for it.” While completing her associate’s degree in behavioral science at El Camino College, Sprowl began working rotations at UCLA Medical Center, and came to the conclusion that a career in nursing wasn’t a good fit for her.

“I saw that the nursing field had some elements that I didn’t really feel deeply connected to,” Sprowl says. She spoke with a few mentors, who suggested changing paths to a career in public health. She had never given the field much thought, but looked into it and became intrigued. Sprowl was accepted into CSUDH’s Health Science and Community Health program, as well as the university’s McNair Scholars Program, and she began to excel in the new discipline.

She believes the environment at CSUDH helped her turn the corner on her academic career. “CSUDH is a teaching university,” she says. “It meant a lot to me that their whole purpose was to instill knowledge, but it also involved teachers that looked like me and came from backgrounds such as myself. That always helps when you’re young and trying to figure out your career path.”

Sprowl credits a handful of mentors at CSUDH for helping her find her path: Enrique Ortega, associate professor of health sciences; Archana Sharma, assistant professor of health sciences; and Michelle Martinez, director of the McNair Scholars Program.

“Those three definitely made Dominguez a little bit brighter. Each of them has a really unique way of understanding students’ needs and who we are as people, too,” says Sprowl. “They treated me as a human being, and then a student. I think that was really special.”

Her work at CSUDH also helped Sprowl see the importance of listening to those in the community you are trying to help, she says. “I think people can create health equity plans and then kind of push it on communities with the attitude, ‘This is what we found in the research. Here, community members, do it!’ But when do we ask the community if this is even feasible for them?”

The Heart of Public Health

After graduating from CSUDH, Sprowl earned a master’s degree in public health from the University of Arizona, then decided that she wanted to work in the heart of the U.S. public health industry–Atlanta.

“What’s unique about Atlanta is that all the researchers and physicians here can quickly communicate with one another, gather the best data, and circulate it right back to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC),” says Sprowl. “That way, the CDC can continuously give us the best recommendations, according to the very latest science.”

She moved to Atlanta in 2019, getting a job as a clinical researcher at Emory University. Within a year, Sprowl moved on to become a senior public health educator with the Fulton County Board of Health. She also worked with a team of physicians and educators to create a new sex education curriculum for the Atlanta Public Health Schools.

In her current role as community impact director for the American Heart Association, “I think I finally landed in a spot where I feel like I’m contributing a lot of the knowledge, the resources, and the tactical skills I’ve learned in public health,” she says.

Sprowl is also a member of a COVID-19 task force located in Albany, Georgia, part of a health equity fellowship program at the University of Georgia, and plans to participate in a summer fellowship with urban leaders later this year.

Open-Mindedness is Key

For Sprowl, “The more open your mind is, the more you will be able to receive the best information.”

While students often enter college with a set plan that they hesitate to stray from, keeping their options open and truly finding their passion is essential. “I had a plan, but I also was open to detours and experiences that led me in different directions,” she says. “And it was fun along the way! I think if I would have just stayed on the nursing path, I probably would have been miserable right now.”

She advises current students to allow space for what they’re interested in, but also to test what they’re capable of. “I would say the more open your mind is, the more you learn about yourself and how you can truly create the career you want to have,” Sprowl says.

“I think we need to remember that being a student is a lifelong journey,” she emphasizes. “Whether you’re a college student or an experienced professional in your field, you never stop learning.”

Homecoming 2022 Brings Toro Alums Back to Campus

February 23, 2022 By Kandis Newman

CSUDH celebrated Homecoming 2022 on Saturday, Feb. 19, welcoming hundreds of Toro alumni and their families back to campus for a day of fun activities, reunions, and discovery. It was the first large-scale public event on campus since the resumption of in-person courses, and the first chance for many attendees to see all of the changes that have occurred on campus recently.

“I couldn’t be more excited and elated to welcome home all these Toro alums, many of whom have not seen the transformation of the campus over the years,” said CSUDH President Thomas A. Parham, who spoke at the event. “I’m thrilled to showcase not just the infrastructure changes, but to highlight the curriculum changes that we’ve put in place, to highlight the personnel changes and new faculty we’ve added, and the programmatic initiatives that we’ve got.

“To me, that is what inviting all these alumni home is about–telling them ‘Thank you for the legacy that you’ve helped create, and here’s what we have done in responsibly building on that legacy.’”

The day kicked off with a diamond doubleheader, as the Toro softball team took on Cal Poly Humboldt (sadly, they lost 7-2), and the baseball team defeated Marymount California 12-1. Campus tours were conducted all day long, as was an invitational esports tournament hosted by the CSUDH Esports Association that took place in the Innovation & Instruction (I&I) building’s large first-floor auditorium.

The CSUDH bull mascot kneels down next to a woman in a wheelchair. — Teddy the Toro poses with Winifred Carter, CSUDH’s oldest living alum at 102. She received her bachelor’s degree in 1997.

The North Lawn was the hub of the event, with plenty of food options, family-friendly games, and activities such as a rock climbing wall, mechanical bull, and bouncy slides. During the mid-day welcome ceremony, Parham was joined on stage for brief speeches by State Senator Steven Bradford (BA, ’85), Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) President Jonathan Molina Mancio, and AVP/Director of Athletic Dena Freeman-Patton, among others.

The guest of honor was CSUDH’s oldest living graduate, Winifred Carter (BA, ’97), who will turn 103 years old in a few months. She was joined by members of her family at Parham’s table, and was delighted by all of the excitement and energy she felt on campus.

“It is quite an honor at my age to be here on campus and to be honored in the way they’ve honored me, I just feel so special,” said Carter. “The new buildings are just fantastic. They’re so beautiful, it’s just unbelievable. When I left here, it was nothing like this. I’ve been gone since 1997, and to come back and see it looking like this is amazing. It’s a beautiful campus. I’m just overwhelmed, really.”

Other alums shared Carter’s happiness at the campus’s new look. “When I first walked on campus, I thought, ‘Where’s my school?’,” laughed Deborah Weathersby (BA, ’73). “The buildings where I went to class were all gone! But what a magnificent (I&I) structure is here now! It’s really exciting. I keep up with what’s going on, and it was just wonderful to be here today to actually see the new buildings in person. To witness the growth and development and diversity is outstanding.”

Toro alum Alberto Valenzuela (BA, ’99) agreed. “I just took a tour and I’m amazed at all the stuff that’s going on here. It used to look like a warehouse, and now it looks like a college campus. Dominguez Hills is up and coming. A lot of kids are going to want to come here when they see all this.”

Valenzuela was impressed with the esports demonstrations, too. “When I walked in, I was like, ‘What?’ It’s really fantastic that DH is building all of these programs for the students, it will really make a difference.”

five people with headsets on play video games in the Innovation and Instruction building auditorium — Esports members play video games during a tournament to showcase the CSUDH esports program during Homecoming.

Those thoughts were echoed by Toro graduate Raymund Diaz (BA, ’02). “It’s great to see the growth continuing to happen, and not just new buildings, but modern programs and amenities that can reach today’s young people. Having a championship esports team is huge! I’m happy to see our university staying on top of the trends, staying current, and keeping up with the times.”

“It’s a whole different campus from when I was here,” he continued. “It’s amazing. There are so many places to study, to work, and to live now. I was part of the ASI, and we got things rolling with the new student union and the stadium, so I’m happy to see that what we started is continuing to grow–maybe my son will be able to enjoy it one day.”

It wasn’t just alumni who enjoyed the day–lots of current students and their families were also in attendance. Current Toro women’s basketball player Kelsey Bell was there showing off the campus to her parents. “It’s great to see everybody back on campus,” she said. “This is my second semester here, so this is the first time I’ve been able to go to in-person classes and mingle with everybody and be a part of the Toro family.”

The day concluded with a basketball doubleheader in the Torodome, and Bell was excited to have so many people on campus. “We need all the support we can get. We love to see everybody out there supporting us,” she said. The added support seemed to help, as the women’s team defeated San Francisco State 70-61 and the men’s team also beat SF State 67-56.

Summing up the event, Director of Alumni Relations Felicia Hernandez said, “Homecoming 2022 was a historic day. It was exciting to see alumni return to campus and witness its transformation. Alumni came from near and far–it was meaningful to witness alumni connect with current students and watch the authenticity of alumni wanting to support students during their college journey. The energy on campus was truly captivating and I look forward to this new tradition growing for years to come.”