We are excited to share the impactful contributions and outcomes of SDSU's Black Resource Center (BRC), highlighting the signifcant role philanthropy has played in our students' success.
Our heartfelt gratitude goes to our generous donors whose support has enabled us to enhance the academic and personal development of our students.
These contributions have not only provided fnancial support but have also enriched our students' educational experiences, fostering a sense of belonging and community. We are proud to report a 100% graduation rate among students who participate in BRC retention programs, with aspirations to reach 100% with continued support.
We extend our deepest thanks to our donors for their unwavering commitment to the BRC. Your contributions are making a lasting impact, changing lives, and supporting the next generation of leaders. We look forward to continuing this journey together, ensuring that every student has the resources and opportunities they need to succeed.
Tonika Duren Green, Ph.D.
Associate Vice President for Campus and Community Afairs Division of Student Afairs and Campus Diversity
Changing Lives through Program Support
Herbert J. Solomon Endowment for the Black Resource Center and Student Success
Thanks to generous funding from this endowment, this academic program has been enhanced by scholarships, programming, and the greatest needs to focus on student retention, mental health and well-being, and success.
Four students were selected as recipients of the Herbert J. Solomon Endowed Scholarship, enabling them to receive funding towards their academic and career goals and with an average GPA of 3.5. Additionally, 23 students joined a professional development trip to the African Coalition Conference held at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where students participated in professional development workshops, career navigation planning, mentor and networking connections.
Harold K. Brown Knowledge Education and Empowerment Program
The Harold K. Brown Knowledge Education and Empowerment Program (HB KEEP) continues to make an impact within the Black student community at SDSU.
With strategic planning, programming, and collaboration with campus partners such as SDSU Career Services, Cal Coast Student Financial Center, SDSU Alumni University Relations and Development Ofce, Southwest Airlines, and community partners such as San Diego Urban League Young Professionals, students were able to develop skills in leadership, civic engagement, career/professional development training, economic development, and networking.
Notable experiences included the Second Annual SDSU Black Career Fair with over 200 participants and 45 companies, professional development conference and career fair travel to New York, the Black Fashion Show with over 300 participants, and a collaboration with a huge fashion company and brand, Forever 21, a Vote and Amplify Campaign, Alumni panel event with over 100 participants, alumni and community guest speakers in the HB KEEP seminar class, and numerous community building events.
Gus & Emma Thompson Black Resource Center Endowment
This generous contribution of $5 million to San Diego State University's Black Resource Center (BRC) will create an endowment that supports the greatest needs of the Center and to advance the retention and success of our Black students at SDSU.
This gift has named the Black Resource Center in honor of Gus and Emma Thompson, a Black couple who were among Coronado’s earliest residents and played a signifcant role in supporting communities of color in the San Diego region.
This endowment will further the impact and mission of addressing the intellectual, mental, spiritual, and physical needs of our Black student community while improving student success through mentorship, career development, retention programming, and advancement opportunities at the Gus & Emma Thompson Black Resource Center.
The Dong brothers standing in front of their childhood home with their spouses. From left to right: Girina Dong, Lloyd Lee Dong, Jr., Ronald Dong, and Janice Dong
Living the Aztec Experience
Ayden Kpormegbey, Class of 2024 Class Level: Undergraduate Student College: College of Health and Human Services
Major: Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences
Ayden Kpormegbey graduated from San Diego State University this spring, 2024, with a Bachelor of Arts in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences.
Ayden will be attending the SDSU/UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in Language and Communicative Disorders to earn her PhD and will continue to conduct research in the Laboratory for Language and Cognitive Neuroscience with SDSU and UCSD.
Tajuddin Henry, Class of 2026 Class Level: Undergraduate Student College: College of Arts and Letters, and College of Health & Human Services
Major: Africana Studies and Public Health with a minor in leadership development
Tajuddin Henry, Henrieta Goodwin, and Solomon Scholar, class of 2027, majoring in Public Health, Leadership, and Africana Studies, was elected as the Executive Vice President of Associated Students at SDSU.
Additionally, Tajuddin received the Black Student Success Scholarship, sponsored by the CSU Foundation, awarded for the upcoming academic year to undergraduate students who have demonstrated leadership in increasing equitable access to higher education and undertaking community service that promotes anti-racism work and culture change to elevate Black excellence.
Aysha Walker, Class of 2026
Class Level: Graduate Student College: College of Engineering Major: Mechanical Engineering with an Emphasis in Bioengineering
Henrietta Goodwin and Solomon Scholar, Aysha Walker, majoring in Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering with an Emphasis in Bioengineering, class of 2027, maintained a 3.61 GPA.
She was accepted to the SUR Fellowship for Cancer Research in Miami, designed to train independent investigators interested in surgical oncology research in the areas of cancer biology, molecular therapeutics, tumor immunology, biomedical engineering, health disparities, population health, and clinical trial design/implementation.
“Congratulations, Aysha, on being accepted to the SUR Fellowship for Cancer Research!
Celebrating Shared Success
Statistics of Interest
Promotes interest in the University for potential students and their families, a strong sense of belonging, and overall academic success.
Create opportunities for Black students and afliate organizations to convene and engage in academic, social-cultural, community development, and networking activities.
Recent Highlights
The BRC ofers programming that fosters leadership and cultivates community for students. These programs support student success and address their critical needs in a safe, welcoming environment.
Each week, we serve more than 400 students despite the decline in Black/African American enrollment in local public schools (San Diego has 15,000 fewer Black students than 15 years ago). SDSU’s Black student population has remained stable at just under 5% over the last ten years, which is the average for all CSUs.
The Dong family donation of $5 million to SDSU's Black Resource Center will further the mission of addressing the intellectual, mental, spiritual, and physical needs of our Black student community.
The frst Henrietta Goodwin Scholars graduating class of 2023 had a 100% graduation rate.
“Just one Cal State campus, SDSU, has efectively closed its graduation rate gap between underrepresented and non-underrepresented freshmen students, as well as between Black students and non-underrepresented freshmen students.” CalMatters.org
Each week we serve more than 400 students
$5M
The Gus & Emma Thompson Black Resource Center Endowment will further the mission of the needs of our Black student community.
Helping to Build a Brighter Future
Rachael Stewart, Ed.D.
Title: Faculty Scholar
College: Student Afairs and Campus Diversity
Achievement: 2024 recipient of the J. Luke Wood Diversity Equity Inclusion (DEI) Award
Dr. Rachael Stewart has excelled in her work across various areas, including program development, curriculum planning, forming partnerships, conducting research, and enhancing students' careers and professional growth.
She is presently engaged in evaluating a program for the Henrietta Goodwin Scholars Program (HGS), and initial results indicate that the frst group achieved a 100% graduation rate.
This year, she collaborated with SDSU librarians and the research and innovation department to prepare more than 100 Henrietta Goodwin Scholars for exploratory research studies, which were showcased at the SDSU Student Symposium, known as S3. This event is a public platform where students from all academic levels can share their research, scholarship, and creative endeavors with the SDSU and San Diego communities.
She has also been advancing her academic pursuits in her feld of expertise, which includes studying organizational leadership, change, policy, and practices within educational systems. Her contributions include presenting her research, publishing a book through Corwin Press on the topic of belonging in schools, and ongoing work on a seven-milliondollar grant project with the College of Education’s Educational Leadership Department focused on promoting equity-driven leadership in PK-12 schools and higher education institutions.
“One of the goals of the HGS program is to support and encourage the continued growth and success of students, including exposure to graduate studies and career exploration. This research experience provided an opportunity for my students to understand the relevance of research in their daily lives and how to apply research in their academic and career journeys".
