The Snap Inc. Institute for Technology and Education (SITE) at CSUDH honored three local primary and secondary teachers for outstanding achievement in curriculum development and commitment to equitable and engaging computer science education during the second annual SITE Awards held on campus on Dec. 2. Housed within the College of Education (COE), SITE was founded in 2022 with a $5 million gift from Snap Inc. and a transformational mission of making computer science an integral part of K-12 education in Los Angeles. “We’re here today to celebrate three amazing local K-12 teachers,” said Mike Karlin, director of institute and host of the SITE awards event. “As a former K-12 teacher, I ... Read More
Awards
Homecoming — The Encore Hits All the Right Notes as Alums Show Their Toro Pride
The sounds of live music and the scents of local food vendors filled the Sculpture Garden at CSUDH on June 22 as an estimated 500 alumni, faculty, administrators, and their family members marked Homecoming 2024 in an event dubbed The Encore. Severe storm forecasts earlier in the year preempted a week of festivities originally scheduled in February. The warm June weather could not have been more accommodating as attendees relaxed in the shade, danced to the music of DW3 and the CSUDH Jazz Ensemble, or mingled with fellow alums in the beer and wine garden. Cedric Hicks, Sr., Carson city councilmember and graduate of CSUDH along with his parents, wife, and daughter, reminded attendees ... Read More
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
Benefactors Give Big to College of Ed in Annual Scholarships for Aspiring Educators
The distribution of scholarships each year by the College of Education (COE) demonstrates the generosity of CSUDH’s many benefactors, but it also reinforces the university’s commitment to education and to the training of our next generation of educators. “We’re awarding more than 40 scholarships today, totaling more than $100,000,” said Jessica Pandya, dean of the COE, during opening remarks at an awards ceremony on April 27. “In the current context, with the state budget as it is and with rising tuition costs, these dollars are so critical to our students’ success.” Thomas A. Parham, President of CSUDH, gave a warm welcome to student recipients and their parents, as well as the many ... 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
