Alumni

Governor Appoints Toro Alum to CSU Board of Trustees

July 26, 2023 By Lilly McKibbin

Jonathan Molina Mancio making Toros hand signal.

On June 29, California Governor Gavin Newsom appointed recent CSUDH graduate Jonathan Molina Mancio to the California State University (CSU) Board of Trustees, the oversight and regulatory body for the entire 23-campus system. Mancio will commence his two-year term as student trustee in Fall 2023, when he will also begin attending Cal State Fullerton’s Master of Science in Higher Education program.

Mancio graduated from CSUDH in May 2023 with his bachelor’s degree in business administration and a strong record of student leadership and advocacy experience. During his time at CSUDH, Mancio’s peers elected him president and CEO of Associated Students, Inc. (ASI), a position he held from 2021-2022.

From 2022-2023, he also served as vice president of finance for the California State Student Association (CSSA), an organization which advocates for CSU students’ needs and engages students in higher education policymaking. In fact, it was Mancio’s engagement with CSSA that ultimately sparked his interest in the CSU Board of Trustees.

“CSSA opened my eyes to how the Cal State system works as a whole, not just as individual campuses,” Mancio says. “It motivated me to apply to be a student trustee, because I wanted to continue serving with a broader impact.”

Mancio applied for the position through CSSA, interviewing for the position with representatives from all 23 CSU campuses. After conducting the application and interview process, CSSA presented the Office of the Governor with a selection of recommended names. The governor then made the final decision on who would serve.

“When I got the news that Gov. Newsom appointed me, I was speechless for the first time in my life,” Mancio says. “I was very excited. It’s a big honor!”

As student trustee, Mancio is looking forward to learning about the Board’s priorities for the upcoming year, working closely with his fellow trustees, and bringing a student perspective to the Board. He also hopes to increase awareness among CSU students of the Board’s impact on their education.

“It’s really important for students to pay attention to the Board of Trustees, because they make decisions that directly affect every CSU student across the system,” Mancio says. “Tuition increase is one of the issues coming up in September–it’s something students really care about.”

Mancio also has advice for current and incoming Toros, drawing from his own experiences as an undergraduate leader and student advocate.

TIME: UPS Is Failing Part-Time Workers Like Me

July 25, 2023 By Lilly McKibbin

Source: TIME (authored by CSUDH alumnus Cesar Castro)

Like many working-class people of color living in Los Angeles County, I work to support myself and my family. This includes my four younger siblings and single mother.

I work hard at UPS part time and just completed my degree in labor studies at California State University, Dominguez Hills. I’m a proud member of Teamsters Local 396, which represents transportation and sanitation workers in Southern California. As a shop steward, I apply my knowledge to help my co-workers at UPS advocate for themselves.

Every worker should be able to sit directly across from their employer to negotiate the working conditions they deserve. I’m honored to do that, serving on the UPS Teamsters National Negotiating Committee as we bargain our new five-year union contract covering more than 340,000 workers at UPS. We have had enough and we are ready for the contract we deserve at UPS.

Unfortunately, when we got to the part of negotiations where we bargain over wages, we hit a big roadblock. UPS walked away from the table on July 5, refusing to give the Teamsters a last, best, and final offer. It was disheartening to hear that from the employer I work so hard for, an employer that made a record-setting $100 billion last year. Part-time employees work extremely hard to make this company its profits, and we deserve to share in that success.

As thousands of UPS Teamsters practice picketed, rallied, and mobilized across the country, UPS bowed to the pressure, and on July 19, reached out to the union to resume negotiations next week. UPS needs to deliver a fair contract with the wages we deserve.

As a part-time worker at the UPS Compton hub, I make $18.85 an hour. UPS advertises that their jobs pay an average of $95,000 a year, but that’s not what I’m making. My co-workers and I struggle to make ends meet on low wages, especially in a state like California, which has among the highest living costs in the U.S.

Inflation is rising, and necessities like rent and food are becoming increasingly difficult to afford. Housing is a major expense for individuals and families. According to a recent National Low Income Housing Coalition report, a worker must earn an hourly wage of $42.25 and work full-time to afford a two-bedroom apartment in Southern California. For cities like Los Angeles, Berkeley, and San Diego, a single person must make more than $76,000 to “live comfortably,” according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Living Wage Calculator.

Income inequality in the United States has grown dramatically for decades. The wealthiest Americans are getting richer while the rest of us struggle to keep up. Prices for goods and services are increasing, but paychecks are not keeping pace. The result is a growing number of workers who are forced to choose between paying for rent or groceries, and that’s simply not acceptable.

This trend is reflected in the wages of part-time workers at UPS. UPS Teamsters are united around negotiating wages that respect the vital role we play in the company and the economy. The starting rate for a part-time UPS worker is $15.50 an hour. We do important work and are essential to the company’s success, but we are not paid accordingly. This is a multibillion-dollar corporation that can afford to do better by its workers.

Raising wages for part-time workers is the right thing to do. It’s also good for the economy. When workers have more money to spend, they put it back into their communities, supporting local businesses and creating jobs. This boosts economic growth and benefits everyone, continuing a cycle of shared progress.

UPS needs to raise wages, so this company’s workers can live with dignity and security. Part-timers at UPS, like myself, overwhelmingly want full-time jobs. We often have to wait years for that opportunity and, in the meantime, work for wages that cannot sustain an individual, let alone a family.

The best way for UPS to retain dependable workers is by paying us enough to live and creating opportunity. The system that currently exists at UPS means workers have to cobble together multiple jobs to make ends meet. This is not good for us, and it is not good for the company. It’s time for UPS to recognize the important role that part-time workers play in the company’s success and make some serious investments in our labor for the long-haul.

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 Culiacán, 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 Díaz Barragán 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. Barragán’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!”

Staff Spotlight: Gilbert Hernandez

June 15, 2023 By Kandis Newman

As a CSUDH graduate himself, Gilbert Hernandez feels right at home in his role as Senior Alumni Relations Specialist. It allows him to get to know lots of his fellow alumni, while also giving back to the student community by helping connect them with Toro graduates as mentors and advisors.

“I know what it’s like being a student,” he says. “So many people gave me advice or support through my academic career, going above and beyond to ensure that I had the help I needed.” He’s happy that a large part of his job consists of assisting in making those connections for the next generation of Toros.

Hernandez oversees the CSUDH Alumni Association. In that role, he does everything from assisting members with their benefits to working with IT to troubleshoot alumni access to Toromail. Hernandez is responsible for training student assistants to provide top-tier customer service to CSUDH alumni, both over the phone and in person. He also maintains the CSUDH Alumni website, the office’s social media accounts, and writes a majority of their communications to alumni.

“With the strategic plan and current graduation initiatives in mind, we aim to help our students get the most out of their college experience, while preparing them for life after graduation as alumni,” says Hernandez. “Once they are alumni, it’s our duty to keep engaging them through events and programs that bring them back to their alma mater.”

Hernandez keeps himself extra-busy by also serving as the campus Unit 9 representative for the CSU Employees Union and sitting on the Executive Board. In addition, he serves on the campus-wide Health and Safety Committee and is a floor warden for Welch Hall.

Meeting his fellow alumni is one of the best parts of his job, says Hernandez. “Many alumni maintain a strong connection to their program or to staff that have helped them get where they are now. This rings true with me, as a lot of people that I work with were here when I was a student. The campus is rich in history if you talk to the right people. I’m not one of them, however!” he laughs.

Hernandez has been working on campus for 16 years, having been recommended for a role in the Human Resources department due to his work as a student assistant in the President’s Office during his undergraduate career. He worked in HR for eight years, volunteering for several commencement ceremonies. “I eventually began covering the alumni table at commencement–not knowing this was foreshadowing my eventual role in Alumni Relations.”

Since moving into the Alumni Relations office, Hernandez’ proudest accomplishment has been establishing the annual Dodgers game event and expanding it to the entire campus community. A huge Dodger fan himself, Hernandez and his team changed the game from an alumni-only event, opening up tickets to students, faculty, staff, and families. As a result, the game is now one of the highlights of the year for many in the Toro community.

“It has become not only a fun and successful event, but one that brings different generations of the campus community together,” says Hernandez.

That community is what makes working at CSUDH so special for Hernandez. “Although we’re a public institution situated in one of the nation’s most populous counties, we are family at DH. People know each other on a first-name basis and give warm greetings when you see them.”

Hernandez is also proud of his work in expanding the annual Homecoming celebration. “Our campus has so many reasons to celebrate its history. Even now, as we are breaking ground to accommodate the growing number of students and support the ideals they uphold, we celebrate the framework that makes our campus great and unique.”

His work in establishing the ToroConnect system is another point of pride. An online platform that connects Toro students with alumni mentors, Hernandez says the system allows students to “connect with CSUDH alumni to pick their brains about taking the right courses for a particular job, what life is like after graduation, or even moving to a new country for work.”

“Being an alumnus of Dominguez Hills myself makes my role a lot easier and more enjoyable,” says Hernandez, “because I’m working toward progressing my alma mater to a higher standard.”

Fun Facts About Gilbert Hernandez

Favorite movie:
The Dark Knight

First concert/last concert/best concert?
First: Scream 2 Tour w/ B2K & Lil Bow Wow
Last: Smokin’ Grooves Festival w/ Erykah Badu
Best: Busta Rhymes/Rick Ross/YG

What is your favorite place to spend time?
The beach

What is a place you’ve never been that you would most like to travel to?
Bora Bora

Cats or dogs?
Dogs

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

What’s your favorite childhood memory?
“Going home with the game ball after making defensive stops at both second base and
pitcher, while getting RBIs at bat during a Little League game.”

What is something interesting about yourself that others may not know?
“When I was a kid, I was in a Power Rangers commercial.”

Note: Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of the UCM team, we were unable to find this commercial on YouTube…

Daily Breeze: CSUDH Kicks Off Graduation Ceremonies with Long Beach Mayor as 1st Keynote Speaker

May 22, 2023 By Lilly McKibbin

Decorated floral graduation caps at 2023 Commencement

Source: Daily Breeze

Cal State Dominguez Hills kicked off two days of commencement ceremonies on Friday morning, May 19 – with an alum-turned-political leader serving as the keynote speaker.

Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson, who was elected to that post in November, addressed the colleges of Arts and Humanities, and Education on Friday, empowering the class of 2023 to work to change their communities for the better.

The ceremony at which Richardson spoke was the first of six, with three taking place Friday and the final three set for Saturday. State Attorney General Rob Bonta is slated to address CSUDH’s College of Business Administration and Public Policy during its commencement ceremony, scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

In all, the class of 2023 comprises more than 3,300 students, with more than 40,000 guests expected to attend the ceremonies at Dignity Sports Health Park’s tennis stadium, in Carson.

“Because of the leadership development legacy right here at Cal State Dominguez Hills, we have an opportunity to reimagine and renegotiate the covenant with our communities throughout our region,” Richardson said in his address, “to shape a future where our families and our youth can reach their full potential. You’re all a part of that legacy now.”

The mayor originally enrolled for classes at CSUDH as an 18-year-old in 2001. He was elected president of Associated Students, Inc. during his time there. But left the university a few years later, several credits shy of completing his degree, after he accepted a full-time job as a community organizer with a local labor union.

Years later – after rising up the city government ranks and winning a seat on the Long Beach City Council – Richardson returned to CSUDH and finished out his degree, earning a bachelor’s of art in philosophy in 2020.

Richardson represented Long Beach’s Ninth District for two terms before getting elected as mayor in November. He also served two terms as vice mayor – a total of four years – under his mayoral predecessor, current U.S. Rep. Robert Garcia.

Richardson has often talked about the leadership skills he developed at CSUDH.

“We’re proud of what the class of 2023 has accomplished and overcome – we all witnessed as you overcame incredible challenges,” Richardson said, referencing the coronavirus pandemic and the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder in 2020. “You confronted your generation-defining struggles.”

“By diving into uncertainty, you found grit and a spirit of determination to make a difference,” he added. “Despite your plight, you overcame – you understood the assignment.

Now, Richardson said, it’s time to celebrate. And after that, the mayor said, the graduates should make a difference in the world.

“Class of 2023, I want to empower you to go forth into the world and seek the opportunities in uncertainty,” Richardson said. “Know who you’re meant to be, stand up for what you believe, chart your own path and most importantly – make a difference in the lives of the next generation.”