Academic Affairs

Occupational Therapy Student Wins 2023 CSU Trustees’ Award

September 12, 2023 By Kandis Newman

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. She is currently pursuing her master’s degree in OT from CSUDH.

Lopez’s hard work and dedication have earned her a 2023 CSU Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement. The Trustees’ Award is the California State University’s highest recognition of student achievement, providing annual scholarships to one student from each CSU campus who demonstrates superior academic performance, personal accomplishments, community service, and financial need. In addition to the CSU Trustees’ Award, Lopez was named the 2023 TELACU Scholar.

“The life stories of these extraordinary students who have triumphed over personal hardships to stand among the university system’s most distinguished scholars are a testament to the transformative power of public higher education,” said CSU Interim Chancellor Jolene Koester in announcing the awards.

Lopez’s OT journey began during her senior year at UCI, when she started volunteering at an OT clinic as part of her studies. The COVID-19 pandemic limited her options, but she eventually found a clinic that was accepting new volunteers.

“I really liked it there,” she says. “I loved the people, the staff, and especially the kids I got to work with. I ended up getting offered a job there.”

Many of Lopez’s co-workers at the clinic had an OT background and were familiar with the program at CSUDH. “They spoke really highly of it and said to be prepared because it was really competitive. But I took a chance, applied, and got in! My peers were very happy for me because they went through the same process and knew how difficult it was.”

As a first-generation college student, Lopez is proud to be a part of the CSUDH OT community. “We have really amazing professors that bring a lot of great insights. They’re able to help us understand what we need to learn to be to become better professionals. Even though there’s a big cohort of us in the program, it’s divided into individual sections, which helps us get close to and rely on each other.”

After earning her master’s, Lopez would like to return to Santa Ana and work with children there. “I want to be able to give back to my community. I grew up there and know what kinds of struggles the people go through. I want to bring back the knowledge I’ve gained and bring resources back into the community.

“Basically, I just want to help kids so that they’re also able to do whatever it is that they want to do!”

CSUDH Alumna Brings Toro Pride to DC Politics

July 5, 2023 By Kandis Newman

Ruby Robles loves being where the action is. That’s one big reason that the CSUDH alumna’s current job, working in Washington, D.C., as the press secretary for Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, suits her to a T.

“I’m right here where the laws are made,” says Robles. “Washington, D.C., is at the center of the news all the time. I’m really drawn to that–the excitement and the atmosphere.”

As press secretary, Robles is part of Warren’s communications team and is responsible for everything from writing press releases and coordinating interviews to pitching stories to reporters or providing the public with background information on pending legislation. Robles also helps manage Warren’s social media platforms, so is deeply involved with both traditional and digital communications for the senator.

Robles is also proud to be the current president of the Congressional Hispanic Staff Association (CHSA), an official, bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Staff Organization, whose mission is to recruit, retain, and advance Hispanic staffers in the Senate and House of Representatives. CHSA supports its members by providing professional development, networking opportunities, job placement, and mentorship for Latinx individuals working in Congress. The group has over 400 members in Washington DC and across the country.

“I think the best part of my job is that my work can make a difference in the lives of lots of people,” says Robles. “I’m just one person, but I work for a senator that is always fighting for the right things.”

As an example of the work she takes so much pride in, Robles points to the Inflation Reduction Act, passed in August 2022. “That bill included the biggest investment to fight climate change ever. It also included provisions to lower the cost of prescription drugs. A lot of work went into that–a whole year of negotiations between lawmakers.”

“The staff played a really critical role in making it happen,” says Robles. “On my end, I drafted tweets about the difference this bill would make, and now that it’s passed, I continue to highlight the ways that people are benefiting from it. That’s one of my favorite things about my job. I’m able to fight for what I stand for and help make a difference.”

Born in CuliacÃ¡n, Sinaloa, Mexico, Robles’ family moved to Southern California when she was five years old, eventually settling in Pomona. She learned English while attending elementary school, showing the determination and hard work that have guided her ever since.

Robles didn’t always have her sights set on a career in politics. Upon graduating from high school in Pomona, she was accepted into CSUDH as a first-generation college student, majoring in international business. She soon discovered that business courses weren’t her thing and switched her major to a subject she had long had a passion for–art.

Robles’ mother was active in politics, having served as a local councilwoman for the National Action Party when the family was still living in Mexico. At her mother’s urging, Robles added a second major in political science to her art courses. “She wanted me to study something else as well, so I could get a good job after college,” she laughs. “I was like, ”˜Okay, fine, Mom, I will study politics, too.’ It’s a subject that I also really enjoyed.”

While studying at CSUDH, Robles grew more and more involved with the campus community. She volunteered in the Associated Students, Inc. office and found student government interesting and exciting. Robles also served as the president of the CSUDH Political Science Club and co-founded the CSUDH Arts Collective, the first art club on campus.

Robles got her feet wet in national politics while still a Toro undergraduate. She interned at the San Pedro district office of Rep. Nanette DÃaz BarragÃ¡n and found herself drawn to the work and the atmosphere. “I really enjoyed that experience. I thought this was something I could really see myself doing.”

After spending a year abroad studying international relations in London, England, Robles wanted to resume her work in politics. She landed a summer internship in Rep. BarragÃ¡n’s Washington office and found that she felt right at home. “It felt like I was living a dream,” says Robles.

In 2018, following her internship in Washington, she returned to Southern California to finish her last semester at CSUDH. While attending school as a full-time student, she interned on the congressional campaign of Gilbert R. Cisneros, Jr., who was running for a recently vacated seat in a battleground district covering Los Angeles, Orange, and San Bernardino counties.

When Cisneros won the election, Robles stayed with his team, moving back to DC to serve as a staff/press assistant. She worked with him for a year before joining Sen. Warren’s presidential campaign in 2019.

“I really wanted to work on a presidential campaign for a candidate that I believed in,” says Robles. “So I applied to work for Senator Warren’s presidential campaign. I didn’t think I would, but I got the job and joined her social media team.” Robles moved up to Boston to work at the campaign headquarters.

A couple of months after Sen. Warren’s presidential campaign ended, Robles saw that a job in the senator’s office had opened up. She applied and got the job as a press assistant. Robles was promoted to deputy press secretary a year later, then into her current role as press secretary.

Going forward, Robles plans to continue on her current path and see where it takes her. “I can’t really see myself not working in politics. There are just so many different levels to explore.”

For Robles, the most important lesson to be learned from her success is, “Don’t be afraid to dream too big! You can do it. I never thought that a person like me, an immigrant from Mexico, would end up in a place like this, working in Congress. You’ve just got to dream big and go for it!”

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

June 1, 2023 By Kandis Newman

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.”

Staff Spotlight: Miguel TerÃ¡n LÃ³pez

May 17, 2023 By Kandis Newman

Miguel TerÃ¡n LÃ³pez, assistant to the dean and college communications lead for the College of Education (COE), isn’t just a CSUDH staffer – he’s also a proud alumnus of the university, having graduated with a double bachelor’s degree in Spanish and Chicana/o Studies.

“As an alumnus of CSUDH, what I enjoy the most about my job is knowing that I am giving back to this campus and contributing to our students’ success, especially to first-generation students who come from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds, just like I did,” he says.

TerÃ¡n LÃ³pez has been at CSUDH for almost 13 years, landing a part-time staff position in the Department of Modern Languages soon after graduating. From there, he transitioned to the Department of History, then to the COE’s Division of Graduate Education, eventually landing in the Dean’s Office.

While there’s no such thing as a “typical day” in his position, TerÃ¡n LÃ³pez’s tasks include coordinating meetings for the dean with internal and external groups, interfacing and providing support to students, staff, and faculty in the COE, managing the college’s social media channels, and leading or supporting COE events throughout the year.

“Everything about working at CSUDH is special, but particularly knowing that we are serving a student population that will benefit immensely from earning an undergraduate or advanced degree,” he says. “Nelson Mandela said, ”˜Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,’ and I wholeheartedly agree with this belief!”

TerÃ¡n LÃ³pez is proud of the fact that each day, he plays a small part in CSUDH students’ journey to reach their academic goals, and break stereotypes. As he puts it, “Former President Hagan’s theme during his tenure was ”˜America Happens Here,’ and current President Parham’s theme is ”˜Transforming Lives that Transform America.’ I take both of these themes to heart, because I truly believe that our students are the future and that they will create a better tomorrow, and I am proud of being able to contribute to this transformation.”

His contributions have been recognized by the university, as TerÃ¡n LÃ³pez was the recipient of the Staff Award of Excellence in Student Success in 2015.

Prior to landing a job at CSUDH, TerÃ¡n LÃ³pez worked as a laborer on construction sites. He sometimes reflects on this occupation and its heavy physical workload, which could have been his life if he had not continued his education. “I used to carry buckets of mixed cement, sand and rocks up flights of stairs, and now I help build lives instead of buildings,” he says. When he’s not working, TerÃ¡n LÃ³pez is a self-proclaimed “homebody” who loves to spend time with his family, listen to music, or watch movies. In fact, he’s got a collection of about 1,000 movies and is running out of space to store them all. “Thankfully, we now have digital formats that can be stored in the cloud!” he says.

Fun Facts About Miguel TerÃ¡n Lopez

Favorite movie:
V for Vendetta

Favorite book
The Autobiography of Malcolm X

Favorite song
“LatinoamÃ©rica” by Calle 13. “It celebrates the struggles and resilience of Latin America.”

Favorite food:
Authentic Mexican food!

If a movie was made about your life, who would you want to play you?
Diego Luna or Gael Garcia Bernal

What inspires you to get up in the morning?
“Becoming a better version of myself than I was the day before.”

Describe yourself in three words:
“Genuine, friendly, perfectionist”

From Skid Row to College Graduate

May 17, 2023 By Kandis Newman

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. “I 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!”

Text example — _{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!”