Being the first in your family to attend university is a phenomenal achievement—and one which too often requires overcoming barriers and hardships. That was the central message at CSUDH’s 5th Annual First Generation Celebration on Nov. 8, an event dedicated to the nearly 50 percent of Toro students who are forging this path for themselves and their families. Organized by TRIO Student Support Services, and in collaboration with 17 other departments, the celebration was part of a series of events designed to increase awareness of first-generation Toros and uplift their narratives. First Generation College Celebration Day is observed nationally on Nov. 8 to commemorate the signing of the ... Read More
Student Support
Male Success Alliance Induction Ceremony Returns to Campus
After a pandemic-enforced break, the CSUDH Male Success Alliance (MSA) held its first on-campus induction ceremony in four years this March. In all, 28 new MSA members were welcomed into the academic-focused support program for men of color. “The induction ceremony celebrates and honors these young men from different backgrounds, binding them together for a mission and cause that's bigger than themselves,” said MSA Director Hakeem Croom. “It charges our students to be conscious, competent, and committed, while striving for excellence in all their endeavors inside and outside of the classroom.” The MSA was founded in 2009 as a resource to improve access, retention, and graduation for ... Read More
Education is the Key for Black Resource Center Interim Director
For Trimaine Davis, the new interim director of the CSUDH Black Resource Center (BRC), education was his way out of a generational cycle of addiction and depression. Now, he dedicates himself to helping others find the same opportunities. “I really take this seriously and do what I can to make sure that the doors that were opened for me remain open for those who are falling behind,” he says. Davis has traveled a long, hard road to get to his current position at CSUDH. Born to a drug-addicted mother and absentee father, he was placed into foster care at birth. When he was five years old, Davis' paternal grandmother became his legal guardian, and he grew up with her in the hardscrabble East ... Read More
Staff Spotlight: Catherine “Cat” Jermany
The program director of CSUDH's Rose Black Resource Center (RBRC), Catherine “Cat” Jermany is dedicated to helping Toro students succeed. When the center opened in 2017, it was the only space of its kind on campus, and its success has paved the way for the Queer Culture & Resource Center, Latinx Cultural Resource Center, and more. Located on the first floor of the Loker Student Union, the RBRC provides a network of academic, personal, and professional support services for Black students at CSUDH. After coming on board as a program coordinator in 2019, Jermany was named the center's first program director in July 2020. “I'm proud of the fact that I have been able to contribute to ... Read More
The Chronicle of Higher Education: Finishing What They Started
Source: Chronicle of Higher Education Fourteen years, one baby, a marriage and divorce, and three job moves after Desirée Vanderloop started college, she's finally closing in on a goal that had always seemed just beyond her grasp. When she walks across the stage next May to receive her bachelor's degree at Morgan State University, she'll join a growing number of returning adult students who are being lured back by programs designed specifically for people like them. The skills Vanderloop learned on the job as her interests shifted from pre-med to health-care technology will apply toward her degree. So will 90 of the 102 credits she accumulated, one or two courses at a time, while ... Read More
