Even before the COVID-19 pandemic and its ensuing hardships, college students were not immune to the nation's widespread rise in mental health issues. Studies from the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) found that pre-COVID, one in four young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 had a diagnosable mental illness. Among college students nationally, a recent Mayo Clinic study found that 30 percent reported experiencing depression in the past year, while 50 percent said they had felt “overwhelming anxiety” during the same time frame. Paradoxically, the restrictions placed on in-person meetings and counseling have made receiving mental health services more difficult. Creative ... Read More
Staff
Staff Spotlight: Mario Villegas, Custodian, Facilities Services
Custodian Mario Villegas has been with CSUDH Facilities Services for almost seven years, contributing to keeping the campus looking great on a daily basis. As someone who says he “loves to learn something new every day,” Villegas is proud to work on campus and “be part of a community where people are encouraged to get an education.” In his position at CSUDH, Villegas is responsible for keeping his assigned area of the campus ship-shape. Whether he's cleaning classrooms or restrooms, or making sure the carpets are cleaned and vacuumed and trash is picked up, Villegas knows that he's making vital contributions toward creating a safe and healthy environment for the Toro community. “I do the ... Read More
Gerth Archives Wins New Grants
The CSUDH Gerth Archives and Special Collections has been awarded two grants to assist in cataloguing several of its notable collections. The archives received a $100,000 grant from the California State Library to support CSUDH's LGBTQ History Access Project. The funds will enable the archives to hire an archivist to catalog, arrange, and describe several collections related to the Southern California LGBTQ community. They will also allow the Gerth Archives to stage a speaker's series related to the collections. “The Archives is very pleased that we were able to get the grant because there are a limited number of prominent LGBTQ archives in the state,” says Greg Williams, director of ... Read More
Staff Spotlight: Paola Carbajal-Kerr
When Paola Carbajal-Kerr says, “I'm proud to be a Toro,” she means it. The CSUDH alumna and current residential life coordinator for University Housing has been studying or working on campus for 15 years–she joined the Toro staff right after graduating from the university. “I worked in Student Affairs as an undergraduate student programmer for the Multicultural Center (now Multicultural Affairs),” she says. “I had so many great mentors at the time that I decided to join their ranks in helping to support students!” In her current position, Carbajal-Kerr leads the programmatic efforts for students living in the Residence Hall, as well as supervising the work of the student staff in the ... Read More
Staff Spotlight: Teddy the Toro
Teddy the Toro has been high-stepping across campus for over two decades, spreading Toro spirit and encouragement at just about every event that takes place at CSUDH. A typical day for the “#1 Mascot in California” starts off with a quick check of their Instagram messages, followed by “meeting with campus squirrels for the latest updates.” The rest of their day is spent walking around campus, “checking in with my Toros,” according to Teddy. For Teddy, the best part of the job is “bringing laughter, joy, hope, and spirit to everyone.” The self-proclaimed “most likable figure on campus,” Teddy's proudest moments have been representing CSUDH at national mascot competitions in 2019 and 2020–the ... Read More