CSUDH graduate student Esmond Epuna isn’t someone who lets obstacles or challenges stand in his way – whether it’s a school abruptly closing its doors or the daunting task of a cross-country commute. Currently pursuing a master’s in cybersecurity, Epuna hasn’t let anything distract him from his dreams. Epuna graduated from high school in 2013, then started taking courses at El Camino College. He soon transferred to the for-profit technical college ITT Technical Institute. Within a few years, his studies were almost complete – but then ITT went out of business with no warning in 2016. “Right before I finished, I lost all my credits,” recalls Epuna. “ITT had to close down. I ended up ... Read More
DH Impact
These are the stories we’re proudest of. They’re the ones that remind us why CSUDH is here—for the impact this university has on the lives of our students, and in turn, the impact they have on their communities. Transformative and powerful, the people profiled here are the faces behind the slogans, the source of what makes CSUDH such an incredible place. Read on to learn more about these impressive Toros.
Occupational Therapy Student Wins 2023 CSU Trustees’ Award
Krystal Lopez is pursuing an advanced degree in occupational therapy (OT) for one simple reason. "I want to help people," she says. "A lot of us don't realize how much we take the things that we're able to do for granted, until we're no longer able to do them," Lopez continues. "Being able to help people regain their independence, become happier, and have a better life overall—that's what really inspires me." Born and raised in Santa Ana, Calif., Lopez is an OT graduate student at CSUDH. After graduating from the University of California, Irvine (UCI) in 2019 with a bachelor's degree in psychology and social behavior, she decided to transition over to OT studies for her graduate work. ... Read More
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 ... Read More
Toro Makes an Impact as Youth Commissioner
At 23, CSUDH junior Ricardo Ortega Martinez Jr. is already a veteran in California politics. “My advocacy and community organizing started at the age of 17,” says Martinez, a political science major whose early experience with foster care growing up in Huntington Park helped shape the focus of his current advocacy work. Martinez serves as youth commissioner for California's 5th District, which encompasses much of Antelope Valley and northeastern Los Angeles County. The Youth Commission was established in September 2021 by the Board of Supervisors to promote involvement by young people in public policy decisions. Youth commission members have direct experience with foster care, juvenile ... Read More
Physics Student Wins 2022 CSU Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement
When CSUDH physics major Jeisson Pulido was a child growing up in Las Cruces, an impoverished neighborhood in Bogotá, Colombia, he used to stare up at the stars in wonder. He never imagined that he would one day be working with the European Space Agency (ESA), helping to create a cutting-edge research satellite. “The resources in my neighborhood schools were very low,” he remembers. “I didn't receive a lot of education in math or physics, just the basics. I was never able to see myself studying in college or pursuing a science degree, because of the lack of funding in my schools. I was very good at math, but I didn't even know that subjects like astronomy or physics existed.” After ... Read More
