Gabriella Amaya’s passion for occupational therapy stems not simply from a deep desire to be of service to others. “It’s about building and regaining people's independence by doing the things they love most and need to do,” she says. “I have so much drive for doing the best I can in my own life. I want to help my future patients do the same and to live to their fullest capacity, no matter what their circumstances might be.” Amaya grew up in North Hollywood, Calif., but moved to Palmdale in her senior year of high school. She graduated from California State University, Northridge, in 2021 with a degree in child development. She’s currently in the second year of CSUDH’s graduate program ... Read More
CSU Trustee Award
Chemistry Student Receives 2021 CSU Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement
California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) undergraduate Berenice Rojas is no stranger to hard work. Its value was instilled in her at a young age, as her Mexican immigrant parents toiled in the Yuma, Arizona sun as farmworkers to provide for Berenice and her two brothers. “They would start working at five or six in the morning,” says Rojas. “They would work all day, then come home at about eight at night.” Today, the third-year Toro student is doing plenty of hard work of her own, pursuing a bachelor's degree in chemistry at CSUDH. She wants to use the knowledge she gains at the university to help mitigate the effects of climate change in the Arizona fields where her parents ... Read More
