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Fall Term Sees New Faces on Campus

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Students walk on the CSUDH campus during the first week of the fall 2023 term.

In past years, New Student Convocation at CSUDH marked the formal start of the academic year. First-time and returning students joined faculty, staff, family, and friends to celebrate an exciting journey of personal and educational discovery. Energy, passion, and not a little swagger featured prominently in the festivities.

This important tradition was reluctantly cancelled this year after heavy rainfall from Tropical Storm Hilary saturated the Activities Field on campus and made it unsuitable for the celebration. President Thomas A. Parham says that despite the cancellation, the underlying message of the event is something he wants all Toros to take to heart not just as the fall term begins but throughout the academic year.

Frankie Williams
Frankie Williams

“Convocation has always been an essential academic ritual for me. It’s a moment when we all come together and commit to a set of values and principles that guide this educational institution,” says Parham.

“More than this, convocation is a time when I assure our students that I see them and that they belong here at CSUDH. Some may feel excited about being admitted but might not be convinced that they really belong. I want them to know that they do, and that we’re ready to support them with everything from basic needs and mental health services to financial aid and individualized academic advising in our new Student Success Centers.”

Above all, says Parham, students need to have confidence in themselves and know that it is a sign of strength to ask for help when they need it. “Everybody is capable of succeeding. I believe that, and I need our students to believe that. If you find yourself struggling, remember that your time at CSUDH is not an individual effort but an exercise in collective survival. We are all in this together.”

The community of scholars beginning their academic journey this fall at CSUDH reflect a wide range of backgrounds and experience. Some have overcome steep barriers to the pursuit of their dreams. Others have faced physical and emotional challenges. All have worked hard to be here.

Diego Barahona
Diego Barahona

At 16, Frankie Williams is likely one of the youngest members of the incoming class. She graduated from Students on the Academic Rise High School in Lancaster with an associate’s degree from Antelope Valley College and begins at CSUDH as a Presidential Scholar.

Williams was born with spina bifida and uses a wheelchair, crutches, and a leg brace to aid mobility. “It can be difficult navigating life with a disability,” she says. “People always look at you differently.”

Williams hasn’t let that hold her back. She plans to study art and might eventually pursue a career as an educator like her parents. “Right now, I’m just excited to see where college will take me. It’s kind of nerve-wracking because I’m adjusting to it at the same time as I’m adjusting to adult life and learning to do things for myself.”

Since about the age of five, Diego Barahona wanted to be a professional soccer player. He grew up in the Baldwin Hills-Crenshaw area and attended Cathedral High School. “College was never really a part of my future plans,” Barahona says. 

Destiny Ramirez
Destiny Ramirez

After graduation, Barahona spent two years training with Major League Soccer teams, first with the LAFC and then with the Las Vegas Lightning. He worked out alongside international stars Gareth Bale and Deni­s Bouanga. “I was a little star-struck by Bale, but he gave me some great advice,” says Barahona. “He told me to keep my head down and work hard, and that nothing ever comes easy.”

At age 20, Barahona decided to give college soccer a chance. “I texted Coach Pat and Coach Eddie to let them know I was interested in CSUDH. I saw what they were trying to build last season, and I wanted to be a part of it,” he says, adding that his decision to major in communications might help him down the road with media sessions.

Destiny Ramirez says she chose to pursue a master’s degree in social work at CSUDH because of her own experience in the foster care system. “I spent about a year in the system. My teen years were hard. I had a social worker who helped me at a time when there was nobody else to do that,” she says. “I’ve seen the impact that social workers can have, and that has inspired me.”

Ramirez was raised in Montebello and earned her bachelor’s degree in social work from CSU Los Angeles. She hopes to work as a school counselor. “I’ve seen the impact that social workers can have in the lives of students, and that has inspired me to want to help others the way I got help when I needed it.”

Lorelei Fuller
Lorelei Fuller

Also a member of this term’s incoming Presidential Scholars, Lorelei Fuller says she’s always put her education above everything else. She graduated McBride High School in Long Beach as valedictorian and chose CSUDH over several other larger schools.

“I’ve been interested since high school in the inequalities of our society, and I want to find ways to serve communities of color, which so frequently get underserved by our justice system,” says Fuller. She chose CSUDH in part because of its commitment to diversity and social justice, and she hopes to continue her studies in law school after graduation.

Fuller admits to feeling a little anxious about college but says she’s ready for the challenge. “I think it’s time for me to do big things. I love being on campus. It just feels like the next four years are going to be very good.”

Being present and active on campus is something that Parham strongly encourages. “I don’t want our students to have drive-by interactions where they go to class, get a sandwich at the student union, and then drive home. I want them engaged in different internships and research projects. That’s all part of a robust college experience.”

Like Fuller, Parham sees good things ahead for CSUDH. “This is an exciting time in the Toro Nation. I am proud and honored that they have selected California State University, Dominguez Hills as the place that can nurture their dreams and aspirations.”

CSUDH to Bolster Racially Diverse Educators with $22 Million Gift from Ballmer Group

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Teacher doing building activity with young children.

The historic gift marks the largest donation ever given to CSUDH.

More than 1,000 new teachers of preschool and early elementary school grades will start work in the Golden State over the next six years thanks to two new programs being launched at CSUDH, following a transformative gift announced today.

Ballmer Group is committing a historic $22 million to CSUDH over six years, marking the largest donation ever given to the university. The majority of the gift will fund scholarships for students through the university’s Toros Teach L.A. program, which will help address California’s severe shortage of early childhood educators by preparing, graduating, and placing culturally competent, racially diverse teachers and leaders in schools across the Los Angeles region.

“This program, supported by a generous gift from Ballmer Group, will have an outstanding impact on communities with a high need for credentialed preschool and early childhood educators,” said CSUDH President Thomas A. Parham.

“It will support communities of color by creating a pipeline of teachers working and staying in the area, and improve those educators’ ability to create positive outcomes for their students through the use of culturally competent pedagogies.”

California’s early education workforce faces a serious shortfall of teachers, with some estimates putting the need at nearly 10,000 educators as the state expands access to transitional kindergarten to all 4-year-olds by the 2025-26 school year. CSUDH’s Toros Teach L.A. program will include two initiatives to address this need: Early Childhood Excellence and Black Educator Excellence. Through these, the university will build equity-embedded credentials, help districts recruit and support their Black educators and all educators of Black children, and enable educators to forge successful teaching careers with less debt and improved career retention.

“We are excited to work with Ballmer Group toward educating and mentoring culturally responsive teachers for the preschool-3rd grade classrooms of the Los Angeles region,” said Jessica Zacher Pandya, dean of the College of Education at CSUDH. “With this generous gift, we can offer this training to more future teachers, who can then serve the communities they come from while helping to alleviate this critical need for the state.”

The grant supports scholarships for up to 1,200 students, allowing them to earn bachelor’s degrees and PK-3 or K-8 teaching credentials. The program also includes training and upskilling for current teachers, including new units needed for the PK-3 credential once it becomes available and certificate coursework for current teachers who want to improve their ability to teach ethnically diverse learners.

“This significant, impactful gift accelerates our rollout of the new PK-3 credential, while also fostering a diverse pool of future educators,” said Mi-Sook Kim, dean of CSUDH’s College of Health, Human Services and Nursing, which houses the Department of Child Development. “Our Child Development program will also support current teachers looking to upgrade their learning and earn a new credential to progress in their career.”

Ballmer Group’s grant to CSUDH was paired with a gift of $11 million to California State University, Long Beach, to support similar programs on that campus.

“Early education is a game-changer for giving kids a fair shot in school and life,” said Kim Pattillo Brownson, Director of Strategy and Policy for Ballmer Group. “Teachers are vital to this work, and CSUDH and CSULB will now be able to support LA’s future early educators through scholarships, degree programs, and partnerships to support our children’s learning.”

Connie and Steve Ballmer co-founded Ballmer Group in 2015 to focus on improving economic mobility and opportunity for children and families in the United States who are disproportionately likely to remain in poverty. Ballmer Group directs its philanthropy to help ensure that a person thrives through a healthy birth and stable family, a safe childhood and adolescence, a good education, and a career that can support a family.

Commencement 2023 Highlights Perseverance

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Graduates celebrate at Commencement 2023 as confetti falls on the crowd.
CSUDH graduates celebrate the end of one journey and the start of another at Commencement 2023 on May 19.

More than 3,300 proud Toros walked the stage at Commencement 2023 in Dignity Sports Park Tennis Stadium, supported by the joyous cheers of family, friends, and fellow students. Six ceremonies held on May 19-20 honored the commitment and persistence displayed by the Class of 2023, which ended one journey with a flip of the tassel and now begins another.

In his opening remarks, President Thomas A. Parham celebrated the individual achievements of this year’s graduates and reminded them that their journey was only just beginning. “Every year, as we bear witness to the hard work, perseverance, and achievements of our students, we are reminded why education is the great societal equalizer and continues to be the civil rights issue of our day, helping to transform the lives of students and their families,” Parham said.

President Parham poses with a graduate.

“I am proud that even as so much of society seems bent on tearing things down, here at CSUDH, we are dedicated to creating—creating community, creating ideas, creating inventions, and creating the equitable and just society we strive toward.”

In his keynote address during the first commencement event, Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson acknowledged the role CSUDH played in his personal and professional development. “The seeds of leadership, representation, inclusion, and compassion were all planted here. They blossomed, and now manifest throughout my life.”

Richardson, whose wife also attended CSUDH, added: “That’s what makes Cal State Dominguez Hills so special. Its commitment to opportunity, social mobility, and justice are woven into the very fabric of the university.”

California Attorney General Rob Bonta addressed graduates on Saturday afternoon, reminding them not just of the significant challenges they faced on their academic journey, but also the accomplishments they made along the way.

“What each of you had to endure of the last few years was unprecedented—a global pandemic, a virtual world, and constant uncertainty. You also had a front-row seat to some of the greatest threats to our society—hate, xenophobia, and racism,” Bonta said.

“Your generation hasn’t let that hold you back. Instead, you’ve declared Black Lives Matter, marched for our lives, demanded real climate action. You’ve been impatient for change, and rightfully so. I urge you to keep being impatient for change. Keep being intolerant of injustice because you aren’t just the leaders of tomorrow. You’re the leaders of today.”

More photos from all six ceremonies are available. You can find them in this Commencement 2023 archive.

Athletics Offers ‘Wider Lens’ on Academic Excellence, Says CSUDH AD Eric McCurdy

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Athletics Offers ‘Wider Lens’ on Academic Excellence, Says CSUDH AD Eric McCurdy

For CSUDH Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics Eric McCurdy, intercollegiate athletics are more than just an entertaining diversion—they’re a way for universities to spread the good news about what they’re doing everywhere on campus.

“Athletics are the front porch of any university,” says McCurdy. “There’s an entire section of the newspaper dedicated to what we do. Any time we get a chance to highlight our athletic success, it gives people an opportunity to look deeper and see the university through a wider lens.”

McCurdy sees the athletic department as an extension of the CSUDH mission. Successful teams bring alumni and the community onto campus, maybe for the first time in years. “Athletics gives you an opportunity to showcase the remarkable things that are happening on campus. We want people in Carson and the surrounding communities to stay home and say, ‘This is my number one educational choice.’”

“When you talk about sports, people get excited,” he adds. “We want to make sure that we’re doing things the right way, so that we can showcase everything else going on at the university, far beyond what we’re doing in athletics.”

Born in Waco, Texas, McCurdy grew up in Tulsa, Okla., with his parents and sister. His grandfather and father (a doctor of veterinary medicine), attained degrees at the Tuskegee Institute, known today as Tuskegee University. As McCurdy puts it, “Education is the foundation within my family.”

McCurdy’s father instilled a strong work ethic in both of his children. “My father was an average student who studied hard to get straight A’s. He believed that for every hour of class time, you would study for two and a half hours. He took that same philosophy in sports to develop my sister and I.”

That effort and attention to detail resulted in both McCurdy and his sister becoming top-flight soccer players and athletes. “I’m dating myself here,” he laughs, “but we would watch VHS tapes on soccer skills, and for every hour we watched, we put in two and a half hours practicing those techniques.”

All of that hard work paid off, as McCurdy became one of the top high school soccer players in Oklahoma. He was the state’s leading scorer during his senior year, which led to a scholarship to play at the University of Alabama, Birmingham (UAB).

Even with that success, McCurdy says he still wasn’t the best athlete in his family. “I don’t say it often, but my sister was a better athlete than I was,” he laughs. “She broke a state record in track, played softball, and was an All-American in soccer.”

McCurdy graduated from UAB with a BS in psychology and a minor in physical education. (He later went on to graduate cum laude with a master’s degree in coaching and athletic administration from Concordia University.) He went right to work in the UAB athletic department after graduating, where he was mentored by legendary basketball coach Gene Bartow, the school’s athletic director at the time.

“He was known as Clean Gene,” says McCurdy. “He made sure that everything I learned was aligned with character and integrity. He was all about doing things the right way and making sure that you really were student-athlete centered.”

McCurdy brought the same nose-to-the-grindstone approach to his work as he did to his soccer career. “For me, success is all about two things that have nothing to do with athletic ability – attitude and effort,” he says.

After a few years at UAB, McCurdy moved to Houston to work with the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, spearheading their youth soccer programs. He helped develop a club soccer program called the Houstonians for the city’s top “at risk” youth players. “I’m very proud that during my time there, we were able to get 18 student-athletes on full-ride university scholarships,” he says.

He then moved up the street to the University of Houston, where he served as the men’s basketball director of operations/athletics. “The last six years I was there, we had the highest men’s basketball GPA for a semester and a year in the history of the university. And we didn’t just excel academically, but athletically. We went to the NCAA tournament for the first time in 18 years. Now they’re a powerhouse!” he adds.

In 2010, McCurdy moved to Seattle, where he took the executive director of athletics position for Seattle Public Schools. He also served as the President of the city’s Metro League basketball program, a hotbed of talent that has put several players into the NBA, including 2023 Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero, and current Denver Nuggets starter Michael Porter, Jr.

McCurdy credits his time in Seattle with helping him better understand the needs of modern students. “We created a forum for student-athletes, where they had a voice and were able to tell us what was happening in their world,” he says. “This is where education and the NCAA are moving now. You’re outdated if you don’t listen to students and understand them and their needs.”

Before coming to CSUDH, McCurdy spent four years founding and running his own consulting firm, aiding mission-oriented organizations and advising on improving learning and working environments. He also provided guidance for potential student-athletes and their families through the NCAA recruitment and transfer portal process.

McCurdy sees himself as the perfect fit for the role of CSUDH associate vice president/director of athletics, due to its focus on student success. “As I look around this university, everybody cares about one thing – the students,” he says. “The leadership here is phenomenal, and I appreciate how faculty and staff collaborate to support the students in every way. I’ve worked at three Division I schools but haven’t seen anything like it.”

While acknowledging that attaining resources will always be an uphill battle at a Division II school, he is thrilled at the potential he sees at CSUDH. He is excited about the university’s plans for a new health and wellness center, which will give students a place to exercise and work out without leaving campus.

“I think it’s going to be a game changer for us,” he says. “We’re changing from a commuter college mentality to a destination university. We are improving our housing as well, so now students will have quality facilities for a well-rounded campus experience. Our leadership at CSUDH is changing the landscape for a student body that is one of the most diverse in the western region. Eventually, students will be able to go from class to playing a little ball, swimming, or lifting weights to the dining hall and then back to their dorm. The future is bright.”

McCurdy’s connection with students is what keeps driving him forward, and his goal is to ensure that Toro student-athletes “have the best experience in the world,” he says.

“What excites me is getting up every day knowing that we’re making a difference with students who are going to transform lives out in the world,” says McCurdy. “Students come here when they’re 18 years old, and are here until they’re 22 or 23. They become young men and women under our watch. We’re shaping young men and young women to be the future.”

Fun Facts About Eric McCurdy

Favorite movie:
The Shawshank Redemption

Favorite book
The Bible

Favorite song
“Can You Stand the Rain” by New Edition

Cats or dogs?
Dogs

Favorite food:
Tacos

Least favorite food?
Vegetables

If a movie was made about your life, who would you want to play you?
Denzel Washington

Favorite childhood memory?
“Going fishing with my mom, dad and grandmother.”

What’s a place you’ve never been that you would most like to travel to?
Turks & Caicos

What’s something interesting about yourself that others may not know?
“I am a Star Wars fanatic!”

If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
The power to make people happy.

Describe yourself in three words:
“Focused, structured, and routine.”

From Skid Row to College Graduate

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From Skid Row to College Graduate

Kevin Jones never expected to graduate from college. In fact, after graduating from high school in 1988, he made the conscious decision not to pursue higher education – even though his three sisters had all gone on to university studies.

“School and I were not friends,” recalls Jones. “All the way through elementary school, then in high school, I just wasn’t the typical kid. I was the nerdy type that wasn’t accepted. So by the time 1988 came around, I had made up my mind. I was done with school.”

Jones went so far as to hold a mock funeral in the backyard of his mother’s house, digging a hole and burying his textbooks in it. He had decided that the blue collar lifestyle suited him best, and spent the next three decades drifting from one job to the next. “Truck driver, security guard, nurse’s aide – I did anything you can think of that’s underpaid and undereducated.”

It wasn’t until 2014, when the Los Angeles native found himself unable to pay rent and ended up homeless on the streets of Atlanta, Georgia, that Jones decided to turn his life around.

“It was March 14, 2014,” he says. “I’ll never forget the date. That’s when I had the revelation that life was getting serious. All of a sudden, the light bulb came on. I asked myself, ‘What are you doing with your life? What happened?’ From then until now, I was on a path to change things. I didn’t know that the path would include about four and a half years of homelessness…”

That path has now led him all the way to the Commencement stage at Dignity Health Sports Park, where he will receive his bachelor’s degree in Africana Studies from CSUDH on Friday, May 19.

“I thought I would be stuck in that lifestyle forever,” he says. “And now I’m considering options for graduate school. It’s amazing.”

Upon losing his home in Atlanta, Jones drifted along, sleeping in his car or abandoned warehouses before adapting himself to living in local homeless shelters.

“I had to learn the system, because every shelter has one,” he says. “For example, you have to be in line for bed every day at the same time. You really have to figure out your life based on that system.” Jones moved from shelters in Atlanta to those in San Jose, Calif., before ending up on Los Angeles’ Skid Row.

It was while on Skid Row that Jones dedicated himself to self-improvement. “I told myself I had two options,” he remembers. “I can stay here at rock bottom or I can go in the opposite direction. I started working on a plan of growing up.”

While staying at the Union Rescue Mission in downtown Los Angeles, Jones enrolled in a program there aimed at helping get clients off the streets. “They have a program for anybody that’s serious about not being homeless,” says Jones. “It’s a one-year program. If you go through the program, by the end of it, they guarantee you an apartment and a job. They don’t just kick you out and say, ‘You’re on your own.’”

He started working at the shelter while still living there. Within a few months of starting the program, Jones was able to move into his own apartment. Again, it’s a date he’ll always remember.

“I moved out of the Union Rescue Mission on June 18th, 2018,” he says. “I jumped in a taxi over to the apartment that they had for me in Compton. I’ve been off the street ever since!”

Jones’ return to school happened almost by accident. He was walking through Lueders Park in Compton while a career fair was going on. As he walked past the Compton College booth, the woman working there asked him if he wanted to enroll in school.

“I looked at her, and strangely, I considered it,” says Jones. “I walked over to the booth and I thought, ‘You ain’t got nothing to lose, right? I signed up, and the next thing you know, it’s Fall 2019 and I’m enrolled in junior college. Then I started seeing some good grades—grades that I wasn’t even getting in elementary school.”

“All of a sudden, my brain turned on and I could do the work. As I kept seeing those A’s and B’s coming in, I thought, ‘I can do this, and I’m going to keep working and see how far I can go.’”

Jones graduated from Compton College in May 2021, and transferred to CSUDH for the Fall 2021 semester. There, the good grades kept coming, and Jones’ abilities were noticed by his professors.

“I was impressed with his excitement for learning,” says Donna Nicol, chair of the Africana Studies department, who became a mentor during his stint on campus. â€œI could tell that he really appreciated the opportunity to learn about his own history and culture. This type of perspective helped him make sense of the world he had experienced prior to pursuing higher education. He asked a lot of questions and wanted to study everything. In fact, getting him to focus on a single area of study within Africana Studies would be a challenge we faced as he progressed through his classes!”

Jones first encountered Nicol while taking her Black Movements of the Sixties course. “She blew my mind,” he recalls. “She was talking about this stuff I never knew existed. It’s kind of like when Keanu Reeves got unplugged from the Matrix and couldn’t believe what he saw. That’s what was happening to me in her class. She was removing my rose-colored glasses. I thought, ‘Kevin, you’ve been in the clouds all these years. This is what the world really looks like.’

“I was sitting in her class thinking about what I’d done and what I was going to do. After I got past the emotional aspect, then the inspiration to catch up and begin making a difference started to overtake me. I realized I couldn’t continue to kick myself for what I hadn’t been doing.

“As Dr. Nicol says, ‘Find a fight and get in it.’  So these last few semesters, that’s what I’ve been doing!”

Jones says that when he first went back to school, seeing the young faces of his classmates brought out a case of Imposter Syndrome. “It wasn’t about feeling like a fake as far as what I was studying and what I was planning on doing. It was feeling too old for the class.”

“I had an attitude of, ‘You really missed your time, man. Look at these young people. You can’t even be in the class with these guys. You should step aside and let the younger people take it.’ I struggled with that for a while. Then I started fighting through it, with the help of Dr. Nicol and a few other professors.”

They convinced Jones that his feelings were normal, and to learn to accept himself and move forward. “Dr. Nicol gives you that in your face/kick in the pants type of inspiration. If she sees somebody that she feels is serious about the work that they’re doing, she stays on them, to make sure that they get to where they’re supposed to go. Even though I had a burning passion inside, the fear dominated me for a long time. Now, I’m not so concerned about what other people think. I learned to stop derailing my own train.”

“Kevin is an inspiration for the older, returning student,” adds Nicol. “He not only came back to get his degree, but he also availed himself of the programs and services on campus. I nominated him to the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program through the College of Arts and Humanities.  This gave him the opportunity to present his research in public and interact with students all over the country. I am delighted to have been Kevin’s instructor and mentor. I expect great things from him!”

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Jones and Dr. Nicol embrace at Jones’ graduation ceremony.

Currently, Jones is weighing his graduate school options, while also building a local catering business. Ultimately, he sees himself in some kind of educational position. “I can see myself overseas, teaching English in Africa. That would be awesome.”

Above all, Jones is determined to make the most of the time he’s been given and the second chance that he earned. “I may have 50 more years to live. What am I going to do with it? There are so many things that society says you’re too old to do. What does that mean for people who are 50 and older? Does that mean you have to spend the next 50 just sitting around moping, or are you going to do something with that next 50?”

“I’m not going to sit around and wait for the nursing home. I’m going to do something with the rest of my time.”

Jones’ advice to his fellow Toros stems from his own experiences. “Don’t fear the process at all,” he says. “Every human being has a particular process. One person’s process might be homelessness, or it might be success straight out of high school. One person might have everything made out for them at the beginning, while another person might have a whole lifetime full of struggle, and then see some success later on. Whatever your process is, go through it, learn life lessons from it, and build from there.”

He also cautions against second-guessing yourself or letting negative emotions cloud your focus. “Whether you’re young or old, you will discover in life that you can be your own worst enemy. You might be afraid to speak up or take that next step in your life. Don’t let that happen!”