A student loan debt cancellation plan officially announced by President Biden last month will bring much-needed financial relief to CSUDH students, a handful of whom addressed the program’s impact during a roundtable discussion on Friday, Sept. 9. Nanette Barragán from California’s 44th district, and Assistant Speaker of the House Katherine Clark of Massachusetts’ 5th district, met with President Thomas A. Parham and seven current and former CSUDH students to hear their concerns and answer questions about the program. Skyrocketing tuition rates and the failure of Pell Grants to keep pace often mean that students from low- and middle-income families have few options beyond borrowing ... Read More
Alumni
CSUDH Women’s Soccer Aims to Exceed Expectations
Marine Cano, head coach of the CSUDH women’s soccer team, has one thing on his mind as his squad begins the 2022 season: “Respect.” After a disappointing 5-11-1 record in the 2021 season, the team was placed at the bottom of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) standings in this year’s preseason coaches’ poll. “I was kind of mad at first,” says Cano. “But now I’m kind of happy they picked us last. It really fired us up. We’re starting the season with a big chip on our shoulders. It will be great motivation.” For his part, Cano believes that this year’s Toros can make some noise in the CCAA. “We’ve got a group of young women who want to bring some notoriety to CSUDH,” ... Read More
CSUDH Alum’s Student Film Becomes Award-Winning Documentary
When Johnny Gonzales was a student in CSUDH’s Television Arts program, the topic for his student film was an easy choice. An aspiring water photographer, he decided to focus his lens on his intrepid colleagues who spent their days in the ocean, shooting action shots of surfers and bodyboarders. “I really wanted to tell their story,” says Gonzales. “Most people don’t quite get it—they have no idea what goes into getting great surf photos, and what it takes to get the perfect shot. I feel like water photographers are the unsung heroes of the surfing world.” The resulting 9-minute student film, “Surf Photography: The Watermen,” produced with fellow students Jon Domingo and Cynthia ... Read More
CSUDH Alumni Bring OT Skills to Their Texas Practice
CSUDH Occupational Therapy (OT) alumni Hiram Corona Martinez and Vanessa Yanez long dreamed of running their own practice – and in June 2021, their plans came to fruition with their Bravo Therapy & Independent Living Center in San Antonio, Tex. The married couple’s practice quickly become a success due to their patient-first focus on quality care. During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the couple began to recognize certain patterns in health care that they wanted to change and do differently, explains Yanez. “We saw a real lack of diversity in health care administration and management. Many of them didn't understand our culture, even though a lot of the patients and clients ... Read More
CSUDH Alumna Helps the Public Stay Healthy
During her first meeting as a member of the McNair Scholars Program, CSUDH alumna Kristi Sprowl (BS, ’16) was asked how she would impact the world if given the chance. Her answer: “I would like to create opportunities for people of color to live in equitable spaces, and also be a part of what health equity looks like for them.” Today, after years of hard work and study, Sprowl is living her dream as the community impact director for the American Heart Association in Atlanta, Ga., while simultaneously working towards a doctorate of public health at the University of Georgia. She attends night school with other working executives in the field—the people who will be “creating and ... Read More
