STAN Magazine Spring 2023

CELEBRATING

ENGAGING LEADERSHIP

A Word from the PRESIDENT

It seems like it was only a short while ago that I joined our mighty Warrior community and wrote my first message for STAN Magazine as the University’s newest president.

I remember seeing the campus and being captivated by its beauty, which is especially apparent in the spring — a season that represents renewal and growth.

As Stanislaus State kicked off the spring semester, the University has been abuzz with activity, and we’ve had so much to celebrate.

In February, we shared the results of a powerful economic impact and upward mobility report of our campus and our alumni. According to the report, Stan State contributed a whopping annual impact of $770.5 million to our six-county service region in 2021-22. For every dollar students invest in their education, they receive a return of $12.10 in higher future earnings. And, for every dollar invested in Stan State, California receives $14.50 in return. The report clearly captured Stan State’s contributions to the economic vitality of our region.

We also saw the long-awaited return of two signature campus events: our Warrior Athletics’ Crab Feed and the President’s Gala, both of which help raise money for scholarships that support our students. And we welcomed scores of Warriors to campus for Homecoming festivities.

And we unveiled the J. Burton Vasché Library Donor Wall, which raised more than $1 million during The Next Chapter fundraising campaign for the University Library, an effort led by community members John and Jeani Ferrari, who received honorary doctorates from Stan State in 2022, and Stan State alumna and Foundation Board director Marlene Stante (’72).

As you know, I announced my intent to retire at the end of the 2022-23 academic year after spending the past seven years as Stanislaus State’s president and 39 years in higher education. It has truly been the greatest privilege and honor of my life to serve this remarkable institution, our students, faculty, staff and alumni who are the heart and soul of our University.

We’ve accomplished so many milestone achievements in the past seven years. I am grateful for everyone who has shown up to help make Stan State a powerful and transformative engine of social mobility and economic hope for our students, their families, the Central Valley and beyond.

I am indebted to the incredible leadership, friendship, vision, generosity and dedication of our campus community, board members, advisory members, donors, elected officials, community-based organization leaders, fellow presidents and chancellors, leaders of business, industry, K-12 education, the arts and social service agencies who have all been vital partners in supporting Stan State and our students.

My heart is full of pride at how hard everyone has worked to position Stan State to reach an even brighter future, and I am confident that the University will continue to soar to exciting new heights thanks to the collective efforts of our campus community members, friends of the University and ardent supporters. Because of you, we continue our strong commitment to being the Central Valley’s premiere institution of higher learning dedicated to providing residents of all ages the breadth and depth of education they need to ensure the region’s economic prosperity and robust opportunities

Farewells are never easy, but I will always cherish Stan State and everyone who cares about this remarkable campus. My dear husband Allan and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts for making this journey a priceless and life-changing experience for us.

I am, and will forever be, a proud Warrior.

Warmly, Ellen

STAN Magazine is published by the Office of Communications and Public Affairs in the Division of University Advancement at Stanislaus State.

President Ellen Junn

Vice President for University Advancement

Michele Lahti

Senior Associate Vice President for Communications, Marketing and Media Relations

Rosalee Rush

Director for Communications and Creative Services

Kristina Stamper (’06)

Senior Writer and Content Specialist

Donna Birch

Trahan

Content Specialists

Gina Oltman

Lori Gilbert (’91)

Stay in touch!

Phone: (209) 667-3131

cpa@csustan.edu

Marketing Specialist

Kristen Sederquist (’13)

Digital Communications Specialist

Sara Balisha (’13)

Senior Graphic Designer

Steve Caballero (’21)

Graphic Designer

Katie Dowling

Associate Director of Marketing & Digital Strategy

Mandeep Khaira (’02)

Photographer

Merri Hansen

Media Production Specialist

Frankie Tovar (’11)

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Stanislaus State serves a diverse student body of more than 10,000 at two locations  in the Central Valley — a beautiful 228acre campus in Turlock and the Stockton Campus, located in University Park, a 102-acre site in Stockton’s historic Magnolia District. Widely recognized for dedicated faculty, high-quality academic programs and exceptional value, the University offers more than 100 majors, minors and areas of concentration, along with 15 master’s degree programs, seven credential programs and a doctorate in educational leadership. We are a proud member of the 23-campus California State University system.

This Page: Colorful foilage near Willow Lake signals the arrival of spring at Stan State. On the Cover: President Junn and her husband, Allan Greenberg, arrive on campus in 2016. We reflect on her oustanding accomplishments during her time at Stan State on page 16.

NASA LAUNCHES STAN STATE PARTNERSHIP

NASA has scheduled a spring landing at Stan State.

The agency, for the first time, awarded a grant to the University, worth $520,000. Spread over five years, it covers the installation of two atmospheric instruments atop Naraghi Hall of Science to support faculty members Wing To, associate professor of physics, and Horacio Ferriz, professor of geology, and up to six student researchers per year.

A spectrometer called Pandora will assist To’s work in measuring wildfire fallout and its effect on air quality. Aeronet, a photometer,

studies solar radiation and measures pollution.

The NASA instruments are scheduled to be installed in late May.

For two years, Ferriz has utilized data from PurpleAir and other basic air sensors to study particulates. His work has engaged students at Modesto Junior College, Columbia College and Merced College with an eye toward attracting future Warriors.

To has spent an equal amount of time researching the flow of smoke and pollutants from California wildfires. He and Stan State student researchers are working with Lawrence Livermore Laboratory scientists to study the atmospheric effects of wildfires and how their toxic air is spread.

The NASA instruments will broaden their ability to monitor that air flow.

Ferriz’s research focuses more broadly on the spread of pollutants in the Central Valley. The equipment will enhance his work and he views this partnership as an opportunity for Stan State students to connect with people at NASA, opening the door to potential careers.

TOP 10 IN CALIFORNIA

Stanislaus State keeps rising to the top when it comes to providing students with a high-quality education. Last fall, online magazine MONEY included Stan State on its list of California’s Top 10 universities along with Stanford University, UC Berkeley and UCLA.

To generate its ranking of the Golden State’s 10 best colleges, MONEY looked at the top-scoring schools on both its main ranking of 623 colleges and its selective colleges list of 48 schools, with a focus on the schools most students can attend, according to the magazine.

MONEY wrote: “Stanislaus State is an affordable college that enrolls a high number of students from lower-income backgrounds. One of the reasons it scores high in MONEY’s rankings is because it serves those students so well.”

MONEY first announced its 2022 national rankings last May and placed Stan State No. 19 on its “Best Colleges in America” list. The national list was compiled by ranking schools on criteria within three categories: quality of education, affordability and outcomes which included employment and earnings after graduation.

“We are proud to be a student-focused University that is deeply committed to supporting our students and positioning them for success,” said Stan State President Ellen Junn. “This ranking, which places our institution among the best in the state, is evidence of how well we accomplish this.”

In addition to the recognition from MONEY, The Princeton Review recently ranked Stan State’s  Online Master of Business Administration (OMBA) program among the nation’s top 145 online MBA programs for 2023 and BestAccreditedColleges.org included the University on its list of the Best Bachelor of Criminal Justice degrees at No. 20.

WE ARE THE EQUITY CHAMPIONS

For the second year in a row, The Campaign for College Opportunity recognized Stanislaus State as a 2022 Equity Champion for Higher Education. The organization lauded the University’s successful implementation of the Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT), which makes the pathway for community college students to transfer and earn a bachelor’s degree more efficient and cost-effective.

In an announcement made last fall, the organization — which is dedicated to expanding college access, improving college completion rates and closing racial equity gaps in education in California — named Stan State as a top performer in two categories: Champion of Higher Education, which reflected that more than half of Stan State’s 2021 undergraduate transfer students earned an ADT, and CSU Equity Champion for Latinx Students, which recognized that more than half of the campus’ 2021 Latinx undergraduate transfer students earned an ADT.

Stan State stood out in ensuring a high proportion of transfer-seeking students enrolled and provided them with a guaranteed pathway to earn an undergraduate degree. Compared to traditional transfer students, ADT students

earn their bachelor’s degree nearly twice as fast, making it more likely for them to complete their degree. Prior to the inception of the ADT in 2010, the process of transferring from community college to a four-year institution was difficult due to inconsistent requirements demanded by different systems, schools and departments.

As an Equity Champion of Higher Education, Stanislaus State plays a pivotal role in ensuring underrepresented, minority and marginalized Californians have an equal opportunity to attend and succeed in college, which in turn builds a vibrant workforce, economy and democracy.

‘HEDDA ON FIRE’ TRAVELS TO SCOTLAND FOR EDINBURGH FESTIVAL FRINGE

A new play conceived by two Stanislaus State alumni and started during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic is headed to Scotland in August to be performed at the massive Edinburgh Festival Fringe, which bills itself as the “single greatest celebration of arts and culture on the planet.”

Titled “Hedda on Fire,” the play is a collaboration by Stan State Assistant Professor of Acting and Directing Carin Heidelbach (’91) and fellow alumna and playwright Jeanette Farr (’93). It focuses on an ambitious bacteriologist’s quest to solve the climate crisis while grappling with a difficult relationship, misophonia and eco-terrorism. It premiered at the campus’s Mainstage Theater in November.

The production has its roots in Heidelbach’s desire to focus a play on science in a way that is relatable and might help people identify and reject scientific misinformation in their daily lives, including some of the falsehoods spread during the pandemic.

The play’s protagonist is based on Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler, a character who is a strong, independent woman trapped by society’s expectations in the 19th century.

A group of a dozen Stan State students, faculty and community members will

perform the play four times at the festival. The Department of Theatre has a fundraiser underway to defray students’ travel costs.

Help Stan State Theatre students get to the 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe!

TWO WORLDS MEET

Stanislaus State Professor of Anthropology

and was designated as the February 2023 “Cable of the Month” by the U.S. State Department’s Public Diplomacy Office. This international distinction celebrates the collective and effective efforts of the public-private partnership.

More than 3,000 attendees in three provinces (Vientiane, Savannakhet, and Luang Prabang) attended the screenings. “The film reached audiences who would’ve otherwise not had the chance to see it — we tore down barriers,” said Arounsack.

government officials and families. During thousands of conversations and interactions held over these two weeks, there was a collective optimism and something inspiring about having one of their own involved with the film, Arounsack recalled. Attendees stayed for several hours after watching the film for a chance to talk with him.

Sponsored by the U.S. Embassy in Vientiane, Laos, The Walt Disney Company and The American Film Showcase, Dr. Arounsack led a national screening tour of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Raya and the Last Dragon.”

The program was the largest ever of its kind and engaged Laotians at all levels in creative storytelling about their culture

In Vientiane, the screenings at the U.S. Ambassador’s soccer field had a family-friendly picnic-at-the-park feel. Families lounged on the grass with traditional Laotian mats (saaht), giving the ambiance a local flavor. In Savannakhet at the Chaleun Cinema — one of the country’s fabled cinemas — the screening of Raya was the first film to be hosted more than 45 years. There were so many guests, the team ran out of chairs and had to borrow some from a nearby market.

The screenings drew a vibrant cross section of society: kids, elders, professionals, entrepreneurs,

“There was something special about seeing parts of themselves beautifully rendered in a global feature film,” he said. “At every screening, workshop and presentation we held, there were tears of joy, hope and pride flowing.”

The program also included three creative leadership workshops focused on team building and creating heroes. It was the first Youth Southeast Asian Leadership Initiative (YSEALI) workshop to include alumni from five mainland Southeast Asian countries (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam).

“I think it’s possible that this experience may have inspired a young person who will become a producer or a film maker 20 years from now and they will be changing the world by telling their stories.”

Steve Arounsack made a historic trip to Laos, his home country, in November 2022.

RUBEN MARQUEZ JIMENEZ RECEIVES NATIONAL AWARD IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

It took more than two years, but Stanislaus State student Ruben Marquez Jimenez finally received the Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF) Youth Award he won in 2019 while still a senior at Modesto High School.

Jimenez traveled to Washington, D.C., in September to accept the national award during two days of activities that included a Q&A forum at the White House with top Biden Administration officials, an awards ceremony, receptions and other activities hosted by the HHF, an organization that promotes cultural pride and cultivates Hispanic leaders.

When he won the award, HHF had a ceremony planned and sent out his $1,500 scholarship. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and all HHF activities were postponed.

When Jimenez finally traveled to the nation’s capital to receive his award, he stood in the White House, thinking about its history. It was a solemn moment for him, an undocumented immigrant who is president of Stanislaus State’s Pre-Law Society, a double major in political science and Spanish with minors in history and Latin American studies, and on track to graduate in 2024 with plans to attend law school.

“I’ve looked on the Internet and seen how many important people stood in the exact same spot we were in. That’s a place where celebrities can’t buy their way in; you have to do really meaningful work to be invited in,” he said. “It felt really nice to know that the sacrifices my parents made 18 years ago allowed me to get to a place like that.”

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JOHN JACINTO NAMED FIRST-GEN ALUMNI OF THE YEAR

Stanislaus State recently named John Jacinto (’96) the recipient of the University’s 2023 FirstGeneration Alumni of the Year Award. Presented by the Stanislaus State Alumni Association, the award recognizes successful first-generation alumni in the University’s six-county region. Jacinto received the commendation during the President’s FirstGen Gala held at the Turlock campus on March 11. The First-Gen Alumni of the Year Award is given to those committed to supporting others in their pursuit of an education at Stan State and who continue to make important contributions to the University and region. Jacinto currently serves on the University’s Foundation Board of Directors and is a past president of the Board. “When you look at Stanislaus State, first-generation students make up most of the student body,” Jacinto said. “A college education can change lives — not only your own but the people around you,” he said. “That’s the dream, and that’s why it’s so important.”

Economic Impact Report Shows How Stanislaus State, Students and Alumni Contribute to the Region’s Economy

By Donna Birch Trahan

It’s a well-known fact that a substantial number of Stanislaus State students — approximately 74 percent — are the first in their family to go to college. When talking about their reasons for pursuing a college degree, many say they are positioning themselves for better career opportunities so they can help their family while also giving back to their community.

Stan State creates value in many ways: it influences the lives of students and their families, helps degree seekers hone employable skills, facilitates research and more. However, students aren’t the only ones who benefit from the presence of the University in the Central Valley. With more than 60,000 alumni, thousands of Stan State graduates are working and contributing to the Central Valley economy and quality of life — bringing their knowledge, creativity, imagination and entrepreneurship to the workforce.

A recent economic impact study and report unveiled in February highlights how much the University contributes to the region. Stan State partnered with Lightcast, a global leader in labor market analytics, to conduct the study.

Using data from the 2021-22 fiscal year, the report highlights Stan State’s economic impact in its six-county service region that includes Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Merced, Calaveras, Tuolumne and Mariposa counties. The study used a two-part approach, incorporating an economic impact analysis and an investment analysis to determine the benefits to students, taxpayers and society.

According to the study and report, Stan State’s total economic impact was $770.5 million — revenue generated by operations spending, research spending, student spending, volunteerism and alumni impact. Expressed in terms of jobs, Stan State’s impact supported 9,068 jobs in the six-county region.

“This study clearly demonstrates the compelling impact Stanislaus State has made in several areas by contributing millions of dollars to our city, counties and the region,” said Stanislaus State President Ellen Junn.

As a result of their education from Stan State, graduates receive higher earnings and increase the productivity of the businesses that employ them. In return for their investment, Stan State alumni receive a stream of higher future earnings that will grow throughout their working lives.

“All of these things tell us that a University education provides a host of benefits,” Junn said. “Our students and alumni are able to pursue greater professional and economic success, which improves outcomes for us all in the region.”

Stan State's Impact

For every $1

$12.10 Students gained in lifetime earnings

$529.4 million Alumni generated in added income for the regional economy

$2.30 in added tax revenue for every dollar invested in Stan State

annual

invested in their education Every dollar the state invested in the University provided a return of $14.50 in positive economic activity to California

View the Economic Impact Report

SPRING 2023 9

By Donna Birch Trahan

When Gökçe Soydemir talks about the San Joaquin Valley’s economy, people listen.

For just over a decade, shortly after he joined Stanislaus State as the College of Business Administration’s inaugural Foster Farms endowed professor of business economics, Soydemir and his team of student assistants have produced the San Joaquin Valley Business Forecast.

Published annually in the fall with mid-year updates, the report provides detailed information about emerging trends in the Valley’s economy. The report encompasses data from eight counties in the Valley that include Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Tulare, Kings and Kern counties.

With Soydemir leading the charge, the team analyzes indicators in several key areas: employment, inflation and prices, banking and capital markets and housing. The results serve as an economic bellwether for the Central Valley and give businesses, investors and consumers an idea of what may occur in the coming year.

The Foster family established an endowed professorship at Stan State because they saw a need for business forecast reports that focused on the Central Valley and supported the success of area businesses in their decision-making. Foster Farms, California’s largest poultry processor, is headquartered in Livingston.

“I’m grateful for the endowment because it’s made all that we do possible,” Soydemir said.

The report is a resource that can help businesses, investors, consumers and others make informed choices that can affect their bottom line.

Since its inception, the Business Forecast’s impact and reach have expanded.

Over the years, the forecast initiative has employed more than 50 student assistants and earned $200,000 in grants and contracts. More than seven administrative and academic departments, along with faculty and staff, have contributed to producing the report.

“We’ve become more visible and have gotten media calls throughout California and beyond,” Soydemir said, noting that the forecast has appeared in media outlets and personal blogs more than 225 times.

“We’ve gotten a number of grants that we wouldn’t have been able to get by focusing only on one or two counties,” he said. “For example, we received one grant because we were looking at Bakersfield and the Congressional Quarterly called us to find out what’s happening there.”

Soydemir has presented the report’s findings at numerous venues, from local governmental agencies and chambers of commerce to public utilities commissions and conferences. He has also served on the mayor’s economic task force for the city of Turlock.

Soydemir has been a scholar in the field of finance and economics since the mid-1980s. He earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from Middle East Technical University (METU) in Ankara, Turkey, a Master of Philosophy in International Finance from Glasgow University in Scotland and his doctorate in economics from Claremont Graduate School. Prior to joining Stan State, Soydemir was a professor of finance in the Department of Economics and Finance at the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley.

For more than a decade, Foster Farms Endowed Professor of Business Economics Gökçe Soydemir and his team have analyzed data to help regional businesses with decision-making that can impact their bottom line.

With expertise in econometrics — which uses economic theory, mathematics and statistical inference to quantify economic events and allows practitioners to extract useful information from available data — Soydemir joined the University in 2011 and produced the first Business Forecast in 2012, a few years after the Great Recession. The recession was the biggest economic downturn to occur in the United States since the Great Depression in the 1930s.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, during the Great Recession, the United States lost more than 8.7 million jobs, doubling the unemployment rate. Additionally, U.S. households lost approximately $19 trillion in net worth as the stock market plunged and homeowners saw their property values drop, leaving many underwater. The Valley, along with the rest of the country, saw a record number of home foreclosures.

When Soydemir released the first forecast report in 2012, three years after the Great Recession ended, a lot of people were still pessimistic about the economy.

“It was hard to convince people that things would eventually get better,” he said. “At that time, I was interested in finding out long-term forecasts to see when it would hit again.”

Fast forward 10 years: the San Joaquin Valley’s economy, along with the rest of the nation, wavered again, this time triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic that literally brought California and the nation to a standstill from March 2020 to June 2021.

This time, however, the number of people losing their homes was nothing like it was in the early 2000s, due to interventions by the federal government. And, while the unemployment rate has gradually risen in recent months, it’s nothing like it was during the Great Recession.

“The Valley’s economy has become more resilient and diversified and new businesses have come here since we started doing this work,” Soydemir said. “The unemployment rate has been low.”

Soydemir is proud of the work he and others have done over the years, but he is especially gratified by being able to provide Stan State students opportunities to do analysis work. Each year, he has hired anywhere from three to five students to work on the report, and not all of them have been business majors.

“We’ve hired liberal studies, math, history and English majors,” Soydemir said. “We want to give opportunities to students across the spectrum. Many have gone on to find good jobs. They are doing data analysis, and sometimes, they are nervous.

“But above all, the experience gives them opportunities to do hands-on work, learn and ultimately be successful.”

to

2023 Champions of the American Dream Honoree

Donna Birch Trahan, senior writer and content specialist, interviews Joe Duran, Stanislaus Equity Partners’ executive director and chief financial officer, in front of the J. Burton Vasché Library.

Building on a Tradition

Stan State Stockton Campus is Expanding Programming as it Awaits Completion of New Building

By Lori Gilbert

Alexander Countryman is 27, the son of a father in the military who moved 26 times during his childhood.

He’s found a home, he said, at the Stanislaus State Stockton Campus.

“I spend more time on campus than I do at home,” said Countryman, a business administration major.

Between pursuing his degree and working with Stockton Campus Information Technology Consultant Michael Tablett, Countryman puts in full days at University Park, where he’s surrounded by likeminded students.

“Students tend to be older or have more maturity than someone straight out of high school,” Countryman said. “You can tell they are here with a purpose. They understand where they want to be. They understand who they want to be, and they are trying to be that.”

Meeting the needs of students in Stockton and San Joaquin County has become a bigger ambition for Stan State.

Six full-time dedicated Stockton Campus faculty were added in the fall as was a full-time counselor from Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and full-time Basic Needs coordinator.

More classes are offered to students transferring as traditional college juniors, and to those interested in accelerated bachelor and certificate programs offered through the Office of Extended Education. Those include the Accelerated Second Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a hybrid-modality Master of Social Work, both offered only at Stockton.

The Teacher Education program, a longtime fixture in Stockton, recently reached an agreement to have student teachers placed in Stockton Unified School District schools.

Additionally, the Stockton Campus at University Park is getting a facelift.

A new $54 million classroom building is set to open in fall 2025 and will follow the scheduled summer 2025 completion of the renovation of the Magnolia Mansion.

In the meantime, the venerable Acacia Building has been given a fresh look.

The interior has numerous new study spaces with computers and charging stations. Comfortable lounge areas resemble spaces in the Student Center in Turlock, the outdoor courtyard has a colorful mural, and interior walls feature graphics portraying Warrior Spirit.

“Everyone wants to make a change for the better. That’s the reason I love coming to the campus. I want to help support that.”

- A LEXANDER COUNTRYMAN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION MAJOR

The building also houses a permanent Warrior Food Pantry, fitness center and expanded Library. There’s a new service space, the Canteen, with fresh food similar to that found in the J. Burton Vasché Library in Turlock, and a game room with darts and a pool table.

The Community Equity Research Center is based in Stockton, as is the new Innovation and Workforce Hub, which, as of February, has an executive director in Aubrey Priest.

“The overarching idea is about evolving our comprehensive branch campus into an intellectual and cultural hub for Stockton and San Joaquin County,” Provost Richard Ogle said. “We want to ensure that we have programs there that serve the specific needs and demands of the region.”

A marketing study and ongoing work with deans and faculty to assess regional needs have helped determine courses and programs being offered, Ogle said.

Dean of Extended and International Education Kari Knutson Miller came to Stan State in mid-2021 with an edict to expand programming in Stockton.

“Our demographics skew more to professional working adults who are working at a particular firm or industry or school,” Miller said. “They have complex lives, with childcare and eldercare responsibilities. We work with them where they are.

“We have good degree programs and are working on partnerships to expand our capacity to serve more students in these programs, to add to the program portfolio and to fill out these spaces that tend to be part of a continuing education.” It takes some adults time to settle on higher education as the right path.

“I graduated from high school in 2014, and it’s like night and day,” Countryman said. “The level of ambition is something different. I definitely feel like people going to college now are tired of the chaos in the world, and everyone wants to make a change for the better. That’s the reason I love coming to the campus. I want to help support that.”

The Stockton Campus is dedicated to making lives better and is poised to make an impact with its planned stateof-the-art building.

“It really is accelerating the evolution of the Stockton Campus to become more than a place where we simply teach,” Ogle said.

Stan State has had a Stockton presence since 1974, moving from night classes in a state building to classroom space at San Joaquin Delta College to acquiring the grounds of the former state hospital and rebranding it University Park in 1998.

Soon, it will make its first physical addition to the Stockton landscape.

“We remain immensely grateful to the state, legislators and the California State University for investing in our Stockton Campus,” President Ellen Junn said. “The growth of the Stockton Campus is an expression of our deep commitment to expanding educational access and opportunities to students in Stockton and San Joaquin County. The enhancements to the campus will provide broader access to programs that drive increasing levels of college degree achievement, professional opportunities and overall economic growth for Stockton, the region and the Central Valley.”

Old-fashioned wooden schoolroom desks have been replaced by modern furniture, including tabletops with white boards.

Architectural rendering of the new classroom building.

Inspiring Inclusive Engagement

By Donna Birch Trahan

When asked to describe her leadership style, Stanislaus State President Ellen Junn is quick to respond.

“I would say that I’m a serendipitous president,” Junn said. “Life is full of serendipity, and to me, that means having the right skill set at the right time when opportunities make themselves available. I’ve been very fortunate throughout my 39 years in higher education to be in the right place at the right time.”

Destiny may have steered her career journey, but the choices she made along the way were deliberate, each time placing her in a position to do more, aim higher and ultimately soar.

After spending the past seven years soaring at Stan State as its 11th president, 37 years in the California State University system and nearly four decades in higher education, Junn announced in January 2023 her intent to retire at the end of the 2022-23 academic year.

“I love working, and I love this campus and all of you,” she wrote in her message to the campus community. “However, after more than a year of discussions with my family and much planning and preparation, this is now the right time. It’s time for me to make the transition and be fully present for all members of my family — my 93-year-old mother, my sisters, my son and his wife, and Allan, my dear husband — to enjoy this next phase of retired life.”

After seven years as Stanislaus State’s 11th president and 37 years in the California State University system, Ellen Junn will retire at the end of the 2022-23 academic year.

Michael Taylor

Stanislaus State’s Ellen Junn is the first Korean American woman to serve as president of a four-year public university in the United States.

When she took the helm at Stan State on July 1, 2016, Junn made history by becoming the first Korean American woman to serve as president of a four-year public university in the United States. Since then, she has dedicated her tenure to fostering student success, creating a congenial campus culture and increasing the University’s reputation for academic excellence, all while advancing diversity, equity and inclusion.

“It was important to me to be able to establish a level of trust for us all to be able to work together,” Junn said. “We were able to build and rebuild fundamental relationships and that sets the stage for future generations of students, faculty and staff at the University. I wanted to nurture a sense of hope, shared purpose, collaboration communication and trust.”

Junn was already a long-standing member of the CSU — the largest public four-year university system in the United States — before joining Stan State.

After earning both her doctorate and master’s degrees in cognitive and developmental psychology from Princeton University and her undergraduate degree in experimental and cognitive psychology from the University of Michigan, Junn was a lecturer at Indiana University Bloomington for two years. She then started her CSU career at Cal State San Bernadino as a lecturer and eventually earned tenure as an assistant professor. From there, she moved on to Cal State Fullerton. Junn went on to serve at three other CSU campuses — Fresno State, San José State and CSU Dominguez Hills — each time taking on more progressive roles and responsibilities.

When the CSU Office of the Chancellor launched the search for Stan State’s new president, Junn threw her hat into the ring. She was already familiar with the Central Valley from her time at Fresno State. The more she learned about Stan State’s unique qualities and its students, faculty, staff and surrounding community, the more she realized it would be a great fit.

Not only did the area remind her of the small farming community where she grew up in the Midwest, but many of the students mirrored her own background as a descendant of immigrant parents. The fact that nearly two-thirds of students are first-generation — just as her father had been — added to the appeal.

“Stan State is emblematic of the rich diversity in the Central Valley,” she said. “It represents an area of underserved communities, and I thought I could make a difference.”

And she did.

“Warrior Spirit is powerful, enduring and uplifting.”

President Ellen Junn

Ellen Junn (pictured fifth from the left) and several fellow CSU presidents pose during a visit to The White House.

During her tenure, the University received $64 million in funding to expand the Stanislaus State Stockton Campus, while the Turlock campus saw the multimillion-dollar renovation of the J. Burton Vasché Library and the grand opening of the University Student Center.

Early on, she established the Presidential Commission for Diversity and Inclusion (PCDI) and charged the group with creating the University Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan. She also established the Warrior Cross Cultural Center and several affinity groups for marginalized campus community members.

With student success a top priority, Junn launched the President’s Central Valley First-Generation Scholars Initiative. The first in the CSU system to support students from a specific geographic area — this First Generation Scholars Initiative provides highly qualified freshmen and transfer students with tuition, a laptop computer, an honors curriculum, internships and mentorships.

“The First-Generation Scholars initiative reinforces Stan State’s commitment to shaping the future of the Central Valley,” Junn said.

“I feel so passionately about this initiative, and I take great pride in personally sponsoring one of the first scholarship awards.”

Junn spearheaded the creation of CareerReadyU, a program that connects students with alumni, employers and opportunities that integrates academic and professional experiences in a variety of ways. By providing students with experiential learning activities and allowing them to explore various professional development topics, students build their skills and confidence, which gets them “career ready” to join the workforce after they graduate.

Stan State also saw its reputation for academic excellence flourish. The University has consistently been included on several regional and national college rankings. In 2022, MONEY Magazine named Stan State among California’s Top 10 colleges and ranked it No. 19 in the nation on its “Best Colleges in America, Ranked by Value” list.

Her time at the University wasn’t without challenges. The biggest by far was leading the University during the COVID-19 pandemic. She credits the students, faculty, staff and administrators for their resilience and Warrior Spirit.

When asked about her favorite memories of Stan State, her list is abundant — from mentoring students and celebrating with Warriors and their loved ones during Commencement to participating in community events such as last fall’s Warrior Expo and local Fourth of July and holiday parades.

But most of all, she’s honored to have been part of a campus that aims to make its members and supporters feel a sense of belonging as they work toward shared goals that uplift not just individuals but the entire region.

“Overall, one thing I’m proud of,” said Junn, “is being able to come in and build, create and sustain an ethos of collaboration and working together.”

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President Ellen Junn celebrates the holidays with with campus community members inside the University Student Center.

President Ellen Junn and President Emerita Marvalene Hughes.

During a dedication ceremony in 2017, President Junn said the Peace Pole symbolizes the hopes and dreams of all people.

California State Univeristy’s celebration of Ellen’s leadership.

Celebrating President Junn’s Key Accomplishments at Stan State

Scan to learn more about President Junn’s time at Stanislaus State.

Faculty

Dean of Research and Graduate Studies

Dr. Haley Ye

Accolades

Rise in national rankings

Top 10 Best Colleges in California

development of

Diversity

Reinstatement of the Career and Professional Development Center Career Ready U (CRU)

created spemi

The Division of Strategic Planning, Enrollment Management and Innovation radically transformed data infrastructure; with Vice President Gitanjali Kaul as a driving force, SPEMI has been critical to CSU’s Graduation Initiative 2025 and student success.

Campus Technology & WiFi upgrades

Child Development Center

Stockton Campus

Enhancements, Investment & New Future Building

university Student Center

J. Burton Vasché Library

WELCOMING WARRIORS

The University’s inaugural Warrior Expo event brought scores of prospective students to campus to experience Stan State live and in-person.

BY LORI GILBERT

From the University Library to the Main Dining Hall and University Student Center, the grounds were teaming with throngs of people along with tables and booths staffed by members of student clubs and organizations, academic programs, student services and administrative departments ready to answer questions and provide information about Stan State: what it’s like to attend, its academic programs,

The Maxwells, from Fresno, had come to pay an in-person visit to the University, which is one of the colleges Talia is considering attending. The father-daughter duo was among the many prospective students who participated in the University’s first-ever Warrior Expo. Held last October, the daylong event gave students, their families and community members an opportunity to experience what it means to be a Warrior. Approximately 2,000 people

Future Warriors had the opportunity to talk with representatives from organizations, majors and student services. Additionally, the University offered multilingual tours of the participants were invited to join Current students were also invited to participate in Warrior Expo bringing their parents and

family members. All attendees were provided with a free lunch and were able to enjoy entertainment, swag giveaways, games and familyfriendly activities that continued throughout the day.

Vice President for Strategic Planning, Enrollment Management and Innovation Gitanjali Kaul called the event “an outstanding success” with campuswide participation.

“Our Director for Admissions and Outreach Miguel Pulido worked with all divisions — including Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, Business and Finance — to put that day together,” Kaul said.

Eligible students who submitted a fall 2023 application prior to Warrior Expo, experienced the excitement of picking up their admission packet and celebrating the achievement with their loved ones. Admissions counselors provided application support and offered conditional on-the spot admission to more than 35 students, who each received rousing applause from admissions staff members, a Titus bobblehead and were invited to take photobooth pictures with President Junn to mark the occasion.

“It was a joy to watch these students come out with their families, waving Stan State banners,” Kaul said. “I remember some of those joyous moments from that morning.”

As nearly all California State University campuses have suffered

enrollment declines during the past year, Warrior Expo was created to assist in recruiting students. It was one of the strategies Stan State enlisted to get prospective students engaged after the COVID-19 pandemic limited in-person visits and activities.

In addition to the Warrior Expo event, last fall from September to November, the Admissions and Outreach Services team attended approximately 250 events across the state of California consisting of college fairs, transfer days and college nights, counselor conferences, admissions presentations and application workshops. The goal of these efforts was to increase enrollment and support incoming students throughout their college admission journey.

Talia, the Fresno senior who plays for her school’s girls’ basketball team, was invited to Warrior Expo by Stan State Women’s Basketball Coach Wayman Strickland.

“He thought this would be a perfect time to come because we could see what the campus has to offer both academically and socially,” DeAndre Maxwell said of Strickland’s invitation. “He said this would be a perfect day to get information, see what the campus provides and what support is available to students.

“As a parent, it’s good to come out and experience the University with my kid. The people have been kind, the campus is nice, and the coach has been awesome.”

And, come fall, Talia Maxwell will join the University as a mighty Warrior.

A rmed with bags containing Warrior swag, high school senior Talia Maxwell and her father DeAndre Maxwell strolled through the Quad at Stanislaus State, taking in the scene.

Running Headlong Into the National Spotlight

SENIOR KAELA DISHION’S ALL AMERICA CROSS COUNTRY

FINISH PUTS STAN STATE PROGRAM ON THE MAP

By Lori Gilbert

As she stood at the starting line of December’s 2022 NCAA Division II Women’s Cross Country Championship at University Place, Wash., Kaela Dishion knew it would hurt.

For the first time in her 10-year running career, the Stanislaus State senior was suffering from an injury, right hip pain she believes was caused by new running shoes. She hadn’t trained in two weeks, other than on an elliptical.

“The gun went off and I remember the first step I took, my body was shell shocked,” Dishion said. “I guess there was so much adrenaline that the pain wasn’t really there.”

Talent and desire overcame discomfort, and she finished the 6K race in 34th place in 21:16.5 to earn AllAmerican honors. She’s the third Stan State women’s cross country runner to be among the top-40 finishers at nationals to become an All-American, the first since Carrie Luis in 1994.

The Warriors’ 18th place finish at nationals and Dishion’s recognition ended a fall Warrior Athletics season punctuated with great success by women’s teams.

Dishion and her teammates advanced to the nationals for the second consecutive year after winning

the 2022 NCAA Division II Women’s Cross Country West Regional Title for the first time, and they won the California Collegiate Athletic Association for the second consecutive year.

The women’s soccer team tied for the CCAA regularseason championship, its first title since 2013, and the volleyball team, led by husband-wife coaches Lauren and Stephen Flowers, went 19-10, their .655 winning percentage the best in school history.

The cross country team, though, created national buzz with Coach Darren Holman’s seventh season.

“We are in that conversation when people mention schools that are the best for running in the west region or in the country in Division II. In the past, we weren’t,” said Holman, named NCAA Division II West Region Coach of the Year and for the second consecutive year, CCAA Coach of the Year.

The success is built on Holman’s creating a supportive atmosphere, the addition of Assistant Coach Courtney (Anderson) Heiner (a Stan State Hall of Fame member who was the 2014 national champion in the 1,500), individual talent and teamwork.

That was exemplified in Dishion’s nationals experience.

“I was thinking when we were driving to the race, ‘This is your last cross country race. It’s going to hurt. You can do it. Run for everybody else,’” she said.

Cross country depends on individual performances, but also team support. When Dishion and fellow senior Najwa Chouati suffered flu-like symptoms at regionals, their teammates turned in their best races to secure the team championship.

Dishion, who had been expected to win the individual regional title, with the flu and a sore hip finished fifth.

A top-15 finish at nationals was expected, too, and even though she finished 34th, she’d already done plenty for Stan State’s program.

A highly recruited runner out of Bret Harte High School in Angels Camp, Dishion went to Division I St. Mary’s College in Moraga. After two years she realized it wasn’t a good fit and chose to transfer to Stan State.

Holman had been her first coach when he started a running club for youth in his hometown of Sonora. He’d helped her discover a love of running.

“There was a lot of judgment,” Dishion said. “My coming from DI to DII alarmed a lot of people, but at the same time, I think some people respected it, because they knew I was recruited by a lot of big-name universities.”

She trusted Holman.

A champion-caliber runner at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo whose post-collegiate career was ended by injury, Holman rediscovered his love of running when he began coaching his son and other youth.

His athletes succeeded, prompting an invitation to coach the Stan State men’s and women’s teams.

It took longer than expected to build his programs, although there were individual successes, and the men’s team finished 11th at nationals in 2019 having never before reached that level in school history.

Now, Stan State is known for distance running and drawing recruits from afar. Landing a runner as talented as Dishion helps. The rewards were mutual.

Holman helped her script a dream senior year, and if the injury interfered with better late-season finishes, she’d already shown what Stan State had done for her.

Dishion had broken St. Mary’s school record at Santa Clara University’s Bronco Invitational when she ran 20:36 as a sophomore in 2019.

In October, at the same meet in front of all who questioned her decision to run at Stan State, Dishion finished in 20:00.

“That was special,” Dishion said. “It showed me the training was working. I was running much faster than I’d ever run before.”

It was the beginning of many performances that put Stan State, and Holman’s program, on the map.

“Stan State is changing the running scene in California,” Dishion said. “There’s a stigma we deal with every day, that it’s DII and in the Central Valley. We’re slowly breaking that down and it has been great, proving what we can do.”

“Stan State is changing the running scene in California.”

Kaela Dishion

GETTING EXPERIENCE & GIVING BACK

Students Impact the Community Through Internships and Service Learning

By gina oltman

Stanislaus State students often consider their internships and servicelearning projects to be the highlights of their educational journeys. These activities give students real-world experiences and leave them excited to start their careers and improve their communities.

For the Stanislaus region, internships and service-learning projects not only contribute to an enthusiastic, career-ready workforce, they also deliver an economic benefit. During the 2020-22 academic year, despite pandemic restrictions that set back many internships and service activities, the estimated value of Stan State student service in the region was about $2 million.

There are numerous internship and service-learning opportunities offered by the University, and they usually fit into one of three categories: academic internships for credit, paid internships through HIREStanState or another careeroriented program, and service-learning

projects, which are often embedded in a class or offered through a focused program coordinated by the Office of Service Learning.

Service-Learning Project Shatters Misconceptions, Proves Invaluable

A good example of the power of service learning can be found in Heather Collins and Alex Massie, two anthropology majors who took Professor Richard Wallace’s ethnographic research methods class in spring 2022. They were among a dozen students in the class who participated in the second service-learning research project implemented by Wallace with the We Care shelter in Turlock. With assistance and support from the shelter’s team, the students interviewed 18 homeless men and reported on how they were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

First-generation college students who transferred from Modesto Junior College, Collins and Massie expect to graduate with bachelor’s

degrees in May and December, respectively. Both recently spoke enthusiastically about the servicelearning project at We Care, saying it gave them an experience they could never have found in a classroom or lab.

“One of the unique aspects of this project was that it was actually in the field, and we were actually training,” said Collins. “Interviews are like the bread and butter of our profession, so it is really important that we get good at interviewing and reading people to know how to approach the next question. This was excellent training for us. We don’t usually get experiences like this in undergrad classes.”

But the training and real-world experience was only part of what they gained from the project. As they interviewed the men, Collins and Massie got a better understanding of what it’s like to be homeless, changing any misconceptions they might have previously held and fostering a sense of compassion for the homeless community.

“A lot of stereotypes were shattered,” said Massie. “This is an unknown and often misunderstood community. People tend to have assumptions about other people, especially those who don’t have a voice in our society. But you really don’t know what people’s lives are like until you put in the work to talk to them.”

Collins and Massie were surprised to find a significant number of homeless men at the shelter were new to homelessness or held steady jobs. They were also surprised to learn that a couple of MJC students were staying at the shelter.

“I tear up just thinking about it. It was one of the ‘whoa’ moments,” said Collins, who, as a former MJC

student, could relate. “They were not the people we expected to see at a shelter.”

As the team of students transcribed, organized and coded their interviews using specialized software, another unexpected theme emerged: isolation.

“We started to see that the men were experiencing a lack of connectedness to others, and we just hadn’t thought of that,” Collins said. “There was a period when the shelter had to close, and the men had nowhere to go. They broke up their camps and spread out to social distance. If they had family who brought things to them in the past, those people stopped coming. The men just lost what little connection to other people they had, and that was what they really wanted to talk about.”

As the project came to a close, the team presented its findings to the We Care Board of Directors, staff and a group of Stan State faculty members that included Wallace.

“We all live with a deep sense of empathy for this community.”

— HEATHER COLLINS

From left to right: Heather Collins and Alex Massie

Even after the project ended, Collins, Massie and other students from the class stayed connected to the We Care shelter by signing up as a group to cook and serve meals on occasion.

“We all live with a deep sense of empathy for this community,” said Collins.

Collins and Massie said they are grateful for the chance to participate in the service-learning project and praised Wallace for his work arranging it and his excellent teaching methods. They also spoke highly of the assistance they received from We Care manager Debbie Gutierrez and the rest of the shelter team.

“I’m really thankful for the opportunity,” said Massie. “It was my first semester at Stan State, and I went in and was like, ‘Dang! This is what I can do at Stan State? They are going to show me how to do real things with real people?’ And it was beautiful. I loved it.”

STEM CareerReadyU Internship Builds Skills, Confidence and Relationships

Working as an intern in a Gallo Winery lab in Modesto is helping biology major Maria Olvera transition from student to professional, just in time for her graduation from Stan State in May.

In addition to giving her real-life experience in her chosen field, the paid internship has boosted Olvera’s confidence and erased any concerns she had about entering the workforce and pursuing a career.

“It has definitely helped me a lot. It made me realize that I do like production, especially quality control and assurance, and I like being hands-on in the lab,” said the native Modesto resident. “It also gave me more perspective on what it’s like to work in what might be called an

adult job in my profession. And now I actually have work experience that I can take with me in my career.”

A first-generation student who transferred from Modesto Junior College, Olvera was finishing her first year as a Warrior and participating in the STEM CRU program in spring 2022 when she noticed the paid internship opportunity posted on the University’s Accelerated STEM Pathways through Internships, Research and Engagement (ASPIRE) network.

She applied for the internship, which is paid by Gallo and structured as a seasonal job, sailed through the selection process, and soon found herself fulfilling the duties of a lab assistant from June to December – the duration of the 2022 grape harvest. As the season came to an end, Gallo extended the contract with Olvera into 2023, allowing her to stay with the company

As an intern in Gallo’s lab, Olvera analyzes the quality of wine about to be bottled. She checks the wine’s conductivity, pH, acidity, color, carbon dioxide content and turbidity.

Maria Olvera

through her final semester at Stan State and another grape harvest.

As an intern in Gallo’s lab, Olvera analyzes the quality of wine about to be bottled. She checks the wine’s conductivity, pH, acidity, color, carbon dioxide content and turbidity. She is also learning about lab techniques, best practices and the wine business from her co-workers, two of whom are Stan State alumni who have become mentors to her.

“I’ve built good relationships there, and I really enjoy working there,” she said.

After she graduates with a bachelor’s degree in biology, Olvera hopes to parlay her internship at Gallo into a regular, fulltime job. Beyond that, she hopes to someday work in the biotech and pharmaceutical industry finding cures for diseases.

When Olvera reflects on the past couple of years at Stan State, she thinks about how she once considered leaving the Modesto area to attend a UC or other large university where class sizes often top 100, and she would need to live in costly rental housing, hours away from her hometown and family.

It makes her glad she stayed local and even more appreciative of the internship opportunity she has been enjoying so much.

Academic Internship Focuses on Keeping Children Safe

Hannah Perez’s academic internship with Safe Kids Stanislaus County may have ended in December, but Perez enjoyed it so much she volunteered to continue working with the program.

“I’ll be helping them with car seat demonstrations on the weekends because it’s something I am passionate about,” said Perez, the mother of two young children who recently graduated from Stan State with a bachelor’s degree in public health promotion.

Safe Kids Stanislaus County is a coalition led by Doctors Medical Center and the Stanislaus County Police Activities League dedicated to keeping children safe. The coalition educates the public about ways to prevent childhood injuries with programs such as car seat checkups, safety workshops and sports clinics.

Perez’s one-semester academic internship with Safe Kids was a win-win for her and the community. While she provided a needed service to Stanislaus residents, she was learning about best practices for childhood safety, working with the public, teaching techniques and grant writing.

Her internship class project consisted of promoting and assisting with three Safe Kids car seat classes attended by about 30 first-time expectant parents.

“My goal was to get people to come to the classes, then we did a pre-test and post-test to see what their level of knowledge was before and after the class,”

she said. “I learned that many people don’t know all the details of car seat safety, and those details are important to keeping children safe. It makes you realize the importance of health education and that the way information is explained and sent out into the world is also very important.”

Perez says she occasionally encountered parents who were surprised to learn they had not been using car seats in the safest way possible, and she can relate. When she started learning about car seat best practices, she learned that just following the law isn’t always best.

“There are laws and regulations in place, and those might be only the minimum you should do. There might be extra steps you can take, and those are called the best practices,” she said. “For example, you can turn your child’s car seat facing forward when they turn 2, and that’s the law. But the best practice is to not turn them around until they are at least 40 inches tall, because that is safer for them.”

Those are the kinds of details Perez expects to learn in a 40-hour class she is taking to become a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician. She says the knowledge she gains while earning the certification will be invaluable in her volunteer work and her public heath career, much like the knowledge and experience she gained in her internship.

“I think my internship gave me really good real-world experience because public health isn’t about sitting in an office and doing paperwork,” she said. “It’s about getting out, dealing with the public, sharing important information and getting things done.”

Alumna Hannah Perez helps Shannon Hernandez, psychology lecturer, adjust a new car seat.

STUDENT SUCCESS

EXPERIENCE

Nursing Students Visit Ecuador to Study Health Care and Develop Cultural Sensitivity

By Gina Oltman

With their sights set on nursing careers, Raney Hicks and Emily Campidonica are determined to learn about other cultures so they can understand and be sensitive to all patients.

That is why the two nursing majors participated in Stanislaus State’s study abroad Ecuador Nursing Program at the end of the spring 2022 semester.

“It broadens your perspective and gives you more empathy for others, and that is important to us,” said Campidonica, as Hicks nodded her head in agreement. “The experience will help us understand people better, whether they are patients or just people we meet. Understanding and empathy are especially important in health care because patients are very vulnerable when they are sick.”

Officially called “Cultural Variations in Health Care: A Comparative Analysis of Cultures,” the faculty-led program is a 3-unit course that consists of two Saturday classes, a few evening classes and a three-week trip to Ecuador, where students learn about the country’s health care system while living with local families.

About 10 students sign up every year for the program, which is typically scheduled for the first three weeks of June. Since 2016, it has been led by retired lecturer Esther Harris, who taught in Stan State’s nursing program and grew up in Ecuador.

“Students who participate frequently say it’s life changing, but in different ways,” Harris said. “Some are struck by the spirituality of their hosts and decide to put more energy into that area of their lives. Others notice their host families always eat together and it is really important to them. They say, ‘Wow, we don’t do that,’ or their family used to do it and stopped, so they really want to make changes when they get home.”

By the end of the three-week program, the change in students is apparent.

“They grow personally and professionally in their world outlook,” Harris said.

For most of the program, students take daily classes while they live in Cuenca, a city of nearly 600,000 residents. They also visit Quito, the country’s capital, Guayaquil, Saraguro, Ingapirca, Mindo and the equator. As they travel through the country, they visit local hospitals and other health care facilities, tour a nursing school, listen to presentations by local health officials and stop at cultural sites, where they learn about traditional ways and meet Indigenous people. There is also free time and fun activities, like hiking on beautiful mountain trails.

Once students arrive in Ecuador, cultural immersion begins when they are introduced to their host families and head to their new, temporary homes.

“At first, the students are nervous because many of them don’t speak Spanish, and their host families don’t really speak a lot of English, so it can be a challenge,” Harris said. “But they work around it. By the end of the three weeks, the students always cry when they leave their host families. They really bond with them.”

Hicks and Campidonica agreed. They said their host families made them feel welcome from the minute they met them. Introductions were almost like a ceremony, they said, and it seemed like all the students in the group bonded with their families right away.

“As soon as I met my family, I just wanted to cry because it felt so warm, and I felt so loved, even though I just met them two seconds ago,” said Hicks, who continues to stay in touch

with her hosts by texting and exchanging photos.

While Hicks speaks some Spanish and Campidonica speaks less, both said their ability to communicate with their hosts did not rely on their Spanish skills.

“There are so many ways to communicate across language. That was an eye-opening experience,” Campidonica said. “We grew to love these people we could hardly talk to, and we just found ways beyond language to communicate.”

The host homes were modern with telephones and televisions, and the moms all texted each other on cell phones, much like in the United States. But the students noticed differences, too. People routinely greeted each other with a kiss on the cheek; homes had big gates and no front yards; on pick up day, trash bags were hung high on fences to keep them from stray

dogs; and paper products were never flushed down toilets.

The group visited a range of hospitals, from expensive hotellike hospitals for people with private insurance to mid-range regional hospitals to clinics and small rural hospitals with little equipment. While there, students noticed that hands were well-washed, but hand sanitizer, gloves and personal protective equipment (PPE) were uncommon. Campidonica and Hicks said they also noticed the strong influence of the Catholic church and frequently saw Virgin Mary statues displayed in hospitals.

The two students agreed that the experience will stick with them for years and influence how they interact with patients once they start working as nurses.

“It will definitely help us connect with patients, especially here in

the Central Valley, where we have a lot of diversity,” Hicks said. “Just being able to put myself in their shoes when I’m interacting with patients who have a language barrier or feel uncomfortable, that will really help.”

“There are so many ways to communicate across language. That was an eyeopening experience. We grew to love these people we could hardly talk to, and we just found ways beyond language to communicate.”

— EMILY CAMPIDONICA