CSUDH alum Jesus Trejo wears several professional hats—standup comedian, actor, writer, award-winning children’s book author. What informs all these roles and serves as the touchstone for his humor is a deep connection to community. “Comedy is being able to speak my truth in a funny way that resonates with people in my community,” says Trejo, who returned to his alma mater to screen two episodes of his new six-episode PBS docuseries Roots of Comedy. “And if you’re not in the community, you’ll get a deeper understanding of it.” The screening and subsequent panel discussion took place at the Marvin Laser Recital Hall on Oct. 15 as part of the university’s Hollywood ... Read More
Alumni
Homecoming — The Encore Hits All the Right Notes as Alums Show Their Toro Pride
The sounds of live music and the scents of local food vendors filled the Sculpture Garden at CSUDH on June 22 as an estimated 500 alumni, faculty, administrators, and their family members marked Homecoming 2024 in an event dubbed The Encore. Severe storm forecasts earlier in the year preempted a week of festivities originally scheduled in February. The warm June weather could not have been more accommodating as attendees relaxed in the shade, danced to the music of DW3 and the CSUDH Jazz Ensemble, or mingled with fellow alums in the beer and wine garden. Cedric Hicks, Sr., Carson city councilmember and graduate of CSUDH along with his parents, wife, and daughter, reminded attendees ... Read More
Toros Take Local Mayoral Races
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 ... Read More
CSUDH Alum’s Student Film Becomes Award-Winning Documentary
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 ... Read More
CSUDH Alumni Bring OT Skills to Their Texas Practice
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 ... Read More
