It’s never been more important for young people of color to fully engage in civic life and to know they can shape the way we move forward as a state and as a country, says California Assemblymember Mia Bonta (D-Oakland). “On the eve of one of the most consequential presidential elections ever, we need to give our future leaders the tools they need to face these moments,” said Bonta. “They need to know they can do something.” Bonta visited CSUDH on July 17-20 for the ninth annual African American Leaders for Tomorrow program, an event coordinated by the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) and hosted by the Mervyn M. Dymally African American Political and Economic ... Read More
Administration
No Time To Waste: Toro Gets Her Psychology Degree at Just 19
From a young age, Mariah Sarabia understood that education was a vital lifeline to the future she envisioned for herself. “I knew the value of higher education,” she recalls. “When my parents immigrated from Mexico, they didn't have any education at all. My mom didn’t even speak English when they moved here.” Sarabia’s mother served as an inspiration, taking ESL courses to learn the language before attending nursing school and eventually becoming a licensed vocational nurse. “I saw how valuable higher education is, especially as a woman of color,” says Sarabia. “I knew that if I had an education and got a good paying job that I was happy at and interested in, no one could take that ... Read More
Shooting Star: DH Alum Creates Lasting Images for NASA
High-speed aerial photography is not something that CSUDH alumnus Jim Ross ever saw himself getting into. “Aerial photography was right in line with exotic dancing as jobs I never thought I would have in my lifetime,” he laughs. But despite some hiccups (so to speak) regarding motion sickness, Ross has now been shooting spectacular pictures of aircraft and other NASA projects for almost 35 years. He currently serves as the photo lead at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, Calif. His work was recognized in April 2024, when his picture of research pilot Nils Larson making aerobatic maneuvers was named NASA Photo of the Year. Born and raised in Bozeman, Montana, Ross ... Read More
Love and Resilience Crucial to Success of Project Rebound Grad Christopher Carson
Christopher Carson once found himself on a dangerous trajectory. He was born and raised on 107th Street and South Vermont Avenue, an area long acquainted with gang culture and the violence that accompanies it. “It’s what you’re used to when you live with it,” says Carson. “It’s what you know.” In 2016, a court convicted Carson of attempted murder and sentenced him to 12 years in prison. But for the steadfast love of family and friends, and the timely intervention of unexpected mentors, Carson might have succumbed to the hopelessness of the prison industrial complex and come to believe that he would only ever be defined by his mistakes. Instead, he joined some 4,400 other students on ... Read More
Kennedy Center Honors Toro Student Playwright
Whenever CSUDH student and aspiring playwright Wayne Sam needs inspiration or motivation, he glances over at an old typewriter that was given to him by his late grandfather. “He was a writer as well,” says Sam. “He really wanted me to write and pushed me forward. He promised me his old typewriter when he passed. It doesn’t work, but that’s not the point. It’s always there to remind me that there have always been people who believed in me.” All that motivation, inspiration, and belief has led to Sam being awarded the Distinguished Achievement Award at the inaugural Nathan Louis Jackson Playwriting Awards, part of the Kennedy Center’s American College Theater Festival. He won for his ... Read More
