Spotlight:
Commencement 2009
Kinesiology graduate Amanda Anchondo, front, celebrates commencement with fellow graduates. Photo by Kelly Lacefield
Some 50,000 friends and family members of graduates attended commencement ceremonies. Photo by Kelly Lacefield
U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, left, walks with CSUF President Milton A. Gordon. Photo by Peggy O’Donnell
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell delivers his keynote address. Photo by Stephen Weissbart
CSUF's Outstanding Professor Mohinder Gewal leads the commencement processional. Photo by Patrick O’Donnell
Curtis Schlaufman, CSUF's Associated Students president, speaks at commencement. Photo by Patrick O’Donnell
Dean Anil K. Puri applauds the graduating business students. Photo by Stephen Weissbart
Business grad JenMay Ravelo stands out in the crowd with her personalized mortarboard. Photo by Stephen Weissbart
Elementary school principals Lorraine Test and Preston Perez received doctoral degrees in educational administration and leadership at CSUF through a joint program with UC Irvine. Photo by Patrick O’Donnell
Nursing grad Raymond Austin Nation, center, gives two thumbs up to graduation. Photo by Peggy O’Donnell
There's no mistaking these four grads, who make up the class of 2009. Photo by Peggy O’Donnell
Political science grad Linda Vasquez shows off her honor society medallion. Photo by Patrick O’Donnell
John Aguirre, women's studies and Chicana and Chicano studies major, poses with his siblings. Photo by Patrick O’Donnell
Political science grad Christopher Coombes, right, and his father, Stephen Coombes, an engineering lecturer and CSUF alumnus. Christopher Coombes is a third generation Titan. His grandfather, Arthur L. Coombes, was the first in his family to graduate from CSUF. Photo by Kelly Lacefield
WanJung Lin, center, earned her master’s degree in education with a concentration in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. She celebrated commencement with her twin sister and church members, who arrived bearing gifts. Photo by Patrick O’Donnell
President Milton A. Gordon. Photo by Patrick O’Donnell
CSUF sorority sisters pose for a commencement photo. Photo by Peggy O’Donnell
Business grads Joanna Monugian and Amy Barrientos. Photo by Peggy O’Donnell
Business grad Charlesetta Medina poses for a photo with her family. Photo Stephen Weissbart
A personalized mortarboard expresses gratitude for parental support. Photo by Peggy O’Donnell
These grads don't miss any messages as they check their phone texts. Photo by Stephen Weissbart
Environmental studies grads Sama Wareh and Teresa Lloro-Bidart chat before their commencement ceremony. Photo by Kelly Lacefield
Jaeil Jung, right, came all the way from Korea to see his cousin Donna Kim, a Santa Ana College professor, cross the stage at commencement Saturday. She earned her master’s degree is in education with a concentration in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. Photo by Peggy O’Donnell
The extended family of Nicole Roca, 21, turned out for commencement festivities. From her uncle, Dino Giambrone, far left, to her 91-year-old grandmother, Mary Fiamingo, center, they came, mostly from San Jose. Roca is earning a bachelor's degree in theater arts in August. Photo by Peggy O’Donnell
Carmen J. Cortez, once discouraged from attending college, graduated with her B.S. in biological science, a $101,500 National Science Foundation fellowship and a full scholarship from UC Davis, where she will begin doctoral studies in the fall.
Sripathmanathan Srikailainathan survived gunfire and internment during Sri Lanka's violent civil war, and emerged a scholar. Along with his master's degree in electrical engineering, he is the recipient of two of CSUF's top graduate honors.
Diana Lira pursued her bachelor's degree in international business to help her parents, who had lost a company to mismanagement and bankruptcy. Now, she is planning her departure for Mexico where, as a Fulbright Scholar, she will work and study for a year.
S. Sattar Langary survived Taliban bombings in his home country, Afghanistan. Now, he is completing his master's degree in sociology at Cal State Fullerton as a Fulbright Scholar. He plans to pursue a doctoral degree next.
Guardian Scholar Adam Bateham was born without legs. He knows nothing about his biological parents and doesn't know if he's Vietnamese or Cambodian. But, but there is one thing he knows for sure: He is certain about his future.
Environmental studies graduate Sama Wareh travels to Syria, learns about that country's water crisis and makes an award-winning documentary about it. A free public screening in Titan Theater is scheduled for noon, June 13.
Graduate Gail Marlow Taylor explores history of alchemy and wins the university's Giles T. Brown Award. Her thesis translates Persian physician and chemist Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Zakariya al-Razi's 1,000-year-old "Book of Secrets."
Jose Soza graduates with a bachelor's degree in biological science and scores the university's coveted Kenneth L. Goodhue-McWilliams Award for Outstanding Service in the Health Professions.
Graduates Mia N. Arterberry, Ammaji Malla and Raymond Austin Nation are this year's recipients of the university's President's Associates Awards for their scholastic achievement, leadership and community service.
Catherine M. Solórzano, a nurse for more than 20 years, is this year's recipient of the CSUF President’s Associates Outstanding Graduate Student Award. She is completing her master's degree in nursing this summer.
Graduates Baban Pal Singh and Sam H. Muhaidly are this year's recipients of the Alumni Association's Outstanding Graduate Award and Outstanding Senior Award, respectively.
Patricia Patten, a veteran nurse who was a health care volunteer with Hurricane Katrina victims, has completed her bachelor's degree in nursing, and is this year's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Award winner.
Eight President’s Scholars — Mia N. Arterberry, Badi Eghterafi, Jean Fiddler, Jennifer Fujikawa, Jennifer Romano, Javier Serna, Aaron Thomas and Katherine Vander Veen — have completed their undergraduate degrees with honors.
Eight Guardian Scholars — former foster children Adam Bateham, Michelle Cadwell, Tarae Graves, Sean Guthrie, Elizabeth Long, Karen Mays, Joy Tehero and Martha Torres — have completed their undergraduate degrees.
America Arias earns her bachelor's degree in communications and is listed as one of the Top 100 Journalism Students in the nation by U Wire, dubbed the “Associated Press wire for college newspapers.”
CSUF Army ROTC Battalion makes 2nd lieutenants of 13 graduating students. The newly minted officers now are continuing officer training at military bases throughout the U.S. as they await deployment.
Victor Macias, Charlesetta Medina and Matthew Gallizzi are putting their degrees to work. Using their entrepreneurial skills, Macias is creating an E-fitness website that will provide customized fitness plans, Medina is creating a networking directory business and Gallizzi, who has created business opportunities for himself since he was 9, is looking forward to a new venture.
The first class to complete the Master of Social Work program includes 18: Kimberly Basaker, Mercedes Marti, Denese Boyer, Gretchen Cabrera, Veronica Gonzales, Kylie Nguyen, Young Nguyen, Deanna Echevarria, Brenda Carigma, Glenna Hobbs, Alexander Lane, Olga Moreno, Patricia Elizarraras, Nicole Humphreys, Lindsay Parker, Veronica Diaz, Emi Itagaki and Tess Pham.
Susan Goo, Rachel McClanahan, and Heather O’Bier have completed coursework this month and Valerie Valles will complete coursework in December. They are the first to graduate with master's degrees in nursing, school nursing concentration.
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