A Voice for Stockton

Catalina Di Somma Becomes First Stockton Campus Grad on Alumni Council

by Lori Gilbert

The Stanislaus State Stockton Campus barely resembles the place where Catalina Di Somma earned her Bachelor of Arts in Social Science in 2016 through an accelerated program offered by University Extended Education.

“I was here at a time when it was a hidden gem and there was potential for it to become the campus it is today,” Di Somma said. “I didn’t imagine it changing, ever. To see it now — gray walls have color now; empty hallways have people, amenities and resources like the gym and food pantry — it feels completely transformed. And this is just the beginning.”

The Stockton Campus can be much more, Di Somma believes, and she hopes to help make it happen as a member of the Alumni Council.

“My goal is to be of service to the students, to be the face of Stockton on the Alumni Council,” Di Somma said.

Stockton Campus Dean Sarah Sweitzer met Di Somma at a city event and invited her last fall to an event welcoming then-Interim President Sue Borrego.

Not only did Di Somma see a different-looking campus, but she also met Alumni Council President Adrian Harrell.

Within a few weeks, Di Somma, who works for the San Joaquin County Office of Education overseeing after-school programs, had a virtual meeting with Harrell. Di Somma was a member of the Alumni Council by the end of the meeting.

“I am the first person to join the council from Stockton, so it feels like I better show up and show out,” Di Somma said. “It also feels like a great opportunity to connect with that campus and recruit people or let them know about the Alumni Council. Being that voice and being a part of that empowerment for students is truly a full-circle moment.”

Di Somma earned her degree from Stan State’s Stockton Campus by happenstance.

She had moved from Toronto to Lodi at 16. Her mom, a Lodi native, was through with snowy Canadian winters and wanted to return home. Di Somma made the move, and ready to begin her senior year, toured Tokay High School. She was overwhelmed by the emotional turmoil of moving to a new country and instead completed high school online with a Canadian school.

After earning her high school diploma, she wanted to go to work right away and landed a job as a security guard in an affluent Stockton community.

Di Somma was let go because her outgoing, friendly personality did not align with the demeanor of a security guard. That was her wake-up call to enroll in college and begin building a life where her kindness would be valued as an asset instead of a liability.

She enrolled at San Joaquin Delta College and began building a support system of friends she missed out on by not attending a local high school. When she discovered sociology, she’d found her calling.

Driving an old car she called Tallulah, Di Somma knew she could not commute several days a week to Turlock or Sacramento to complete her bachelor’s degree.

There was no recruitment of her out of Delta College as there would be now. She did a Google search for programs near her and found the Stan State Stockton Campus.

“I remember seeing ‘Get your bachelor’s degree in 15 months,’” Di Somma said. “Typically, I would zoom past that, because it seemed like for-profit clickbait. Seeing the Stan State logo was something that pulled me in. I found the best-kept secret, and it was tucked away on California Street.”

Di Somma met with the late Fred Hilpert, one of the creators of the BASS program. She was impressed with his presentation and joined the program’s third cohort.

“We didn’t have a cafe or lounge area for students. We definitely didn’t have nice massage chairs or a gym,” Di Somma said, laughing, as she reflected on the positive changes made to the Acacia Building. “We were grateful, though. We made the most of what we had.”

The students — mostly non-traditional older students with jobs and families – weren't at the Stockton Campus for its amenities. They were there to get an education.

I have seen this campus transform lives. It transformed mine.

Two months after graduating, Di Somma had a job as a family advocate with the Child Abuse Prevention Council of San Joaquin County. She has been at the County Office of Education for five years, until recently leading a youth workforce program.

“I’ve had different jobs,” Di Somma said. “They’ve all involved helping people in some way, which is who I am at my core. The degree I chose to obtain through Stan State paved the way for me.”

Some in her cohort earned advanced degrees. One is a professor. Another is a San Joaquin County sheriff’s deputy. Another is a school counselor.

“I look at the experiences of the people I went to school with, and we’re all thriving,” Di Somma said. “We started at this place that was looked at as a backup option or people didn’t value it for whatever reason. We did. I’m glad the reputation is being reshaped, because I have seen this campus transform lives. It transformed mine.”

That education now comes with a lot more amenities, including a new, under-construction academic building set to open in fall 2025.

Whatever else the students of Stockton feel they need is what Di Somma hopes to learn and propose to the Alumni Council.

“I would like to see more students feel proud and empowered to attend or say they’re from the Stockton Campus,” Di Somma said. “My long-term goal is making sure I’m an accessible resource to students there. I want to listen to the students and be the voice at the table for them.

“My intention is to really understand the who, why, when and what is happening now and be the driving force for positive change.”