September 15, 2005
By Paula Selleck

Members of the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce rose to their feet to applaud Cal State Fullerton at the group’s 26th annual statewide convention held last month in Oakland.

The standing ovation from the 500 gathered for the event’s closing banquet came when CSUF was named the recipient of the Chair’s Award, in recognition of the university’s superior record of awarding degrees to Hispanic students.

Cal State Fullerton leads the state and is fifth in the nation in the number of bachelor’s degrees awarded to Hispanics, according to Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education, which reported in May on statistics collected by the U.S. Department of Education.

CSUF President Milton A. Gordon accepted the award from Melinda Guzman Moore, the organization’s outgoing chair. She is also a CSU Trustee and partner in the law firm of Goldsberry Freeman Guzman & Ditora LLP.

“Education plays such a significant role in the state’s economic and social development,” said Moore. “The award to CSUF is for all of its successes in graduating Latino students with undergraduate degrees.

“I’ve been very impressed with the campus. It is full of diversity in all areas; it has what I would refer to as principles of community that start with the leadership and permeate the campus,” she added. “It was no surprise to me that through Dr. Gordon’s leadership, CSUF is No. 1 in the state of California. . . . This is a significant milestone both for the community and the state.”

Gordon said he was gratified by the award for its significance in supporting the mission of the chamber and by the reaction of those gathered for the occasion. “It’s about preparing those who are going to be able to take their place,” said Gordon, noting that the newly elected chair of the CHCC Board of Directors is a CSUF graduate.

At the convention, the mantle was passed from Guzman Moore to Henry Mendoza (B.A. business administration-accounting ’81), managing partner of the accounting firm of Mendoza Berger & Co. LLP of Irvine.

“Clearly, we are making a mark on the economic development of the state of California with the success of our alumni,” said Don Castro, special assistant to the president, who attended the event and noted that graduates in the audience approached “to say they are proud be Titan alumni.”

Silas Abrego, associate vice president for student affairs, observed that the standing ovation for CSUF among Hispanic business leaders was indicative of an organization whose members “so much value education.”

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