As the marketing and public relations coordinator for Associated Students, Inc. (ASI), Raven Emmert is all about making connections and doing her best for the students she serves. “College is a really impactful time in one’s life and I want to ensure that CSUDH students are using their college experience as an opportunity to grow, lead, and blossom,” she says. In her role with ASI, Emmert manages the group’s social media accounts, as well as meeting with local media outlets to get the CSUDH story out to the public. Her typical day starts by reviewing the ASI social media accounts, “to see if any comments or DMs need to be responded to, and to see how our latest posts are doing.” Emmert ... Read More
Students
Laura Warrell Talks Books, Jazz, and Publishing
It took more than two decades, four unpublished manuscripts, and scores of rejection letters before Laura Warrell brought her first book into the world—the acclaimed novel Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm, which was published by Pantheon Books last year and recently issued in a paperback edition. A lecturer in the English department at CSUDH since 2017, Warrell discussed the challenges she’s faced as a writer, her approach to the craft, and the inspiration for her debut novel during an evening of conversation on Oct. 4 at the Marvin Laser Recital Hall. The event, co-hosted by the departments of English and Women’s Studies, was introduced by Debra Best, professor of English, and featured a ... Read More
Staff Spotlight: Elizabeth Hernandez
As the director of TRIO Student Support Services at CSUDH, Elizabeth Hernandez gets to spend her days helping students and giving back to those who reflect her own educational journey. “These are students like me—first-generation college students,” says Hernandez. “What I enjoy most about my job is assisting those students, helping them overcome barriers, and witnessing them achieve their goals!” Hernandez is a native of Wilmington, Calif., where she grew up with her parents and four siblings. An American of Mexican descent, she was the first of her family to attend and graduate from college, earning a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice management from CSUDH in 2012, and a master’s ... Read More
Immigrant Justice Center Celebrates ‘Reopening’
The Toro Dreamers Success Center has provided critical resources for CSUDH’s undocumented community since 2017. Going forward, that support will continue under a new name that better aligns with its core mission and values—the Immigrant Justice Center (IJC). A formal ribbon-cutting event was held at the center’s office on the first floor of Loker Student Union and upstairs in the Palm Courtyard. Students, alumni, faculty, and staff celebrated the reopening with food, music, cultural experiences, and an open house that highlighted key services available to CSUDH’s undocumented community. The center offers undocumented students a range of services and amenities, from academic and ... Read More
CSUDH Alumna Fills Vanna White’s Shoes on Wheel of Fortune
When co-host Vanna White tested positive for COVID-19 before Wheel of Fortune shot their “Teachers Week” episodes in July, the hit game show called on a CSUDH alumna to fill in—2023 California Teacher of the Year Bridgette Donald-Blue. “I’m not sure how I was selected, but I was very excited to receive the call,” says Donald-Blue, who currently serves as a K-3 Math Intervention Teacher at Coliseum Street Elementary in downtown L.A. “I am very honored to have had this incredible opportunity and am extremely grateful.” Viewers of the Monday, Oct. 2 episode were surprised to see long-time host Pat Sajak walk out by himself, rather than accompanied by White. He ... Read More