Toro alumna and high school music teacher Amanda Chavez never imagined that someday she’d be conducting on the stage of Carnegie Hall. But on March 12, that’s exactly what she did, marking her and her students’ debut in the illustrious New York City venue. Chavez and 55 of her students had been invited to perform as a featured ensemble for the "I Choose Love" festival organized by National Concerts. Chavez, who earned her degree in music education and minor in Asian Pacific Studies in 2013, is the Director of Instrumental Music and Department Chair of Performing Arts at Jordan High School (JHS) in Long Beach, where she also directs multiple ensembles. When she received the invitation to ... Read More
Alumni
Spectrum: In Focus with Rex Richardson
Source: Spectrum [Video] Host Tanya McRae sits down with Rex Richardson to discuss his upbringing and educational experiences at CSUDH, as well as how he is tackling critical issues as mayor of the City of Long Beach. "Cal State Dominguez Hills is really where I learned the meaning of service and leadership and advocacy," Richardson said. "It's a great institution rooted in civil rights, founded in the 60s, and I'll tell you that permeates through the culture on campus. "It creates a real culture that's rooted in community [...] that helps train individuals for greater degrees of leadership." ... Read More
Karen Bass Comes “Home” to CSUDH
“Do you want to make a point, or do you want to make a difference?” asked CSUDH alumna and Mayor of Los Angeles Karen Bass to a room full of students, faculty, staff, and community members. On Nov. 15, Bass was the featured speaker for the Presidential Distinguished Lecture Series, where she delved into her vision of civic engagement and leadership, guiding principles, and hopes for the future. CSUDH President Thomas A. Parham established the Presidential Distinguished Lecture Series to welcome prominent public figures to campus and discuss society’s most pressing issues. Bass’s invitation was doubly significant: she is the first alum to take part in the program, and the visit marked her ... Read More
Daily Breeze: Karen Bass Talks Leadership, Civic Engagement at Her Alma Mater, CSU Dominguez Hills
Source: Daily Breeze For the first time since becoming the mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass stopped by her alma mater, Cal State University, Dominguez Hills, Wednesday, to share some words of wisdom with an audience made up of students, faculty, staff and community members. The conversation, led by CSUDH President Thomas Parham, touched upon several issues, including homelessness, education and international politics, but its main focus was leadership and civic engagement. “One of the most important things at this stage of my life that I can do is to contribute and support and prepare that next generation,” Bass said. Born and raised in Los ... Read More
CSUDH’s Sonja Ulrich on Cult Survivorship and Healing
Not everyone is willing to unpack their past—particularly when it is traumatic or extreme. But Sonja Ulrich, lecturer of anthropology and behavioral sciences, unflinchingly owns her story and the hard-won lessons she has learned from her life experiences. For more than 30 years, she has been rebuilding herself in the aftermath of her tumultuous youth and involvement with the Rajneesh movement, which many experts describe as a cult. Born in Germany and raised by a single mother, Ulrich had what she describes as an “unstable” upbringing. Her mother, who faced many challenges as a single parent, became involved with European communes founded by Rajneeshees, followers of Indian guru Bhagwan ... Read More
