The nexus of the California State University is, of course, our students. What they accomplish, both as students and later as alumni, is the measure of our success. As the country’s number-one driver of social mobility, our 23 universities graduate more than 127,000 students every year. Many of those are the first in their family to earn a bachelor’s degree, and the contributions we receive from donors are essential to ensuring and expanding their success. Gifts, grants and endowments benefit students in myriad ways: They enable freedom to focus on academics, intellectual exploration, creativity, and self-care; state-of-the art programs, equipment and facilities; and opportunities to prepare for in-demand careers.
ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORTS DIVERSITY, COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
A commitment to diversity and community involvement is at the heart of a new scholarship created from a generous $20,000 gift by Jack B. Clarke, Jr., and Sheila Clarke to California State University, San Bernardino. Jack Clarke has served on the California State University Board of Trustees since 2020 and, together with his wife, Sheila, endowed the scholarship in early 2024. One scholarship will be awarded each year to support education-related expenses for full-time students who are involved in diverse student and community organizations. “The Clarkes have created a lasting legacy to ensure the academic success of CSUSB’s students far into the future,” said CSUSB President Tomás D. Morales of the gift, which represents the realization of Sheila Clarke’s vision to offer greater educational opportunities to first-generation college students.
GIFT FORGES A PATH FOR FIRST-GENERATION SUCCESS
When Yardi, a Santa Barbara-based property management software company, made its gift of $501,000 to California State University Channel Islands, it wanted to ensure not just a broad impact on students—at least 20 first-generation students will receive a renewable, full-tuition scholarship— but that the gift would have longevity.
Beginning in 2024 and continuing through 2032, the company will support two renewable $7,000 scholarships a year for full-time, first-generation, Pell Grant-eligible students in specific majors. Some 60% of CSUCI students are the first in their family to attend college. “We believe in the life-changing impact of a college degree, especially for first-generation scholars,” said Yardi Senior Vice President Jay Shobe.
One of the first Yardi Scholars, Jarrell-Eden Asuncion, is majoring in Computer Science. “This scholarship will assist me in reaching my goal by eliminating one of the main worries of the world: money,” he said. “I deeply appreciate the opportunities it will provide.”
NEW INITIATIVE WILL DRIVE MOBILITY FOR UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES
Students at California State University, Dominguez Hills—like many students at other universities—face numerous barriers to getting an education. One of those is inadequate transportation. A new program at CSUDH, the Center for Resilient, Equitable, and Sustainable Transportation (CREST), made possible by a $1.2 million grant from Toyota, will begin to address mobility issues for the university community and beyond.
Housed within CSUDH’s Center for Innovation in STEM Education, CREST will engage faculty and students in research, curricula and paid internships to find solutions to myriad mobility challenges. More than 95% of CSUDH students commute to campus. CREST will offer resources for accessible, affordable transportation options as well as 20 hybrid and/or electric vehicles for a carsharing program.
“This is a transformational project focused on improving quality of life and creating lasting change in the communities we serve,” said Kamal Hamdan, executive director of the Center for Innovation in STEM Education.
HUMANITIES MAJORS RECEIVE WORLD-CLASS EDUCATION AND ON-THE-JOB EXPERIENCE
Creativity, critical thinking, empathy, and an awareness of how the past informs the present and creates a potential for the future—these are some of the hallmarks of an education in the humanities. And while earnings by degree-holders who studied humanities are competitive with other majors, misconceptions persist about the viability of a humanities degree.
Now, thanks to a $5 million gift to the university from the Mellon Foundation, humanities students at California State University, Fresno will have access to paid internships. The university’s College of Arts and Humanities will use the funds to create new internship courses that embed career preparation into the curriculum. Speaking in appreciation of the Foundation’s generous support, Dr. Honora Chapman, dean of the College of Arts and Humanities at Fresno State, noted that “through earning income while also receiving academic credit towards graduation in their internships, our humanities students will become leaders by making an immediate impact on our Valley and creating a brighter future for themselves and their families.” It’s hoped, too, that the donation will enhance awareness of post-collegiate employment job prospects for humanities majors and promote the study of humanities.
BEQUEST HITS ALL THE RIGHT NOTES FOR BUDDING COMPOSERS
The New Music Ensemble at California State University, Fullerton focuses on instructing students in the techniques of contemporary concert music and preparing small group performances of contemporary music literature from the 20th and 21st centuries. Members of the Ensemble also have the chance to collaborate with industry professionals and create and arrange original scores.
Thanks to a $2.5 million bequest to the Bob & Terri Niccum New Music Scholarship Endowment, there will be many more opportunities for making beautiful music. “The scholarship endowment will help remove financial barriers for students studying new music theory and composition. By reducing financial constraints, students can pursue their passions with less worry,” said Arnold Holland, dean of the College of the Arts at CSUF. “This generous gift will expand access to music education, promoting diversity and inclusivity within the community of student scholars. These individuals will be empowered, communities will be enriched, and artistic innovation and expression will be advanced.”
ALUMNA PAYS IT FORWARD TO HELP OTHER STUDENTS IN RECOVERY
Among the numerous barriers that can make it harder for a student to earn a degree, addiction is one that isn’t as discussed. For Marci T., a critical decision at a very low point in her life eventually led her to sobriety—and to California State University, Long Beach, where she found both emotional and financial support.
Now the chief financial officer of two companies is giving back to Cal State Long Beach by funding a scholarship for students who are in recovery from drug and/or alcohol addiction and have maintained one or more years of sobriety. “For me, it’s important not only to give back to others who are working to get sober in the 12-step program, but—having been able to start and grow my own business as an entrepreneur-–I am able to give back to people who aren’t alcoholics,” said Marci, who created the Friends of Bill W. Scholarship, an annual $100,000 scholarship for four students.
Named after the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, the scholarship is renewable each academic year if a student continues to be sober, meets regularly with a counselor and maintains a 2.5 grade-point average.
SUPPORTING STUDENTS PHYSICALLY, EMOTIONALLY AND ACADEMICALLY TO SUCCEED
In fall 2025, California State University, Northridge will open the doors to a first-of-its-kind resource center that provides food, clothing and wellness services to help meet more students’ basic needs. The 6,000-square-foot center—to be called the Valera NEST, an acronym for “Nurturing Environment for Students to Thrive”—is made possible by donors Debbie Valera, Milt Valera, Rick Levy and Barbara Levy.
Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo helped secure $6 million in the California state budget for the project. “As a CSU graduate who supported myself through college, I remember what it was like to pay rent and not have enough left over to have a full dinner some nights,” said Schiavo. “These important resources, housed all in one location, will allow students to focus on their education and not finding a place to sleep or when they will have their next meal.”
The Valeras also support the Educational Opportunity Program Milt & Debbie Valera Resilient Scholars Program (EOP RSP), one of three CSUN programs that expand academic access to low-income, educationally disadvantaged, first-generation students.
The EOP RSP is now part of the CREA Scholars Program, established at CSUN in fall 2023 through a $260,000 contribution from the CREA Foundation, part of an Indianapolis-based company that finances the development of affordable-housing communities across the country, including many in California. The scholarship has already made a difference for students who receive an average of $5,000 annually.
GIFT ENABLES FORMER FOSTER YOUTH TO “FOCUS ON GRADES INSTEAD OF FINANCES”
According to the National Foster Youth Institute, every year, more than 23,000 teenagers age out of the U.S. foster care system, but only about 3% to 4% go on to earn a bachelor’s degree. Raising those numbers dramatically is the aim of the California State University, Sacramento Guardian Scholars program.
That effort received a big boost when the United Way California Capital Region announced it would give 10 Sacramento State students $500 a month for a year as part of its new Collegiate Guaranteed Income Program for former foster youth. “It’s surreal to know I have these funds to feel secure and not have that worry so I can focus on my grades instead of finances,” said Jaliyah, one of the student recipients. “To have strangers love you and uplift you to push you to be your greatest, you can’t match that.” Housing, food insecurity and unexpected expenses are among the reasons former foster youth don’t finish college, said Linda Howe- Ram, Guardian Scholars’ director of Foster and Community Youth Initiatives.
Sacramento State president Luke Wood, a former foster youth himself, experienced housing and food security as a student at the university: “I understand the immense challenges this population faces in pursuing higher education … This program will alleviate some of the financial burden, allowing our students to focus wholeheartedly on their studies and personal growth.”
HISTORIC DONATION ESTABLISHES ENDOWED CHAIR IN NIKKEI STUDIES
San Francisco State University is home to the oldest and largest Asian American Studies department in the country. The recent landmark gift of $4.2 million by the Henri and Tomoye Takahashi Charitable Foundation ensures the longevity and impact of the department’s work in Nikkei Studies, which centers on the history, culture and experiences of the global Japanese diaspora and its intersectional communities.
The Foundation’s donation establishes the first endowed chair in San Francisco State’s College of Ethnic Studies, the Henri and Tomoye Takahashi Distinguished Chair in Nikkei Studies. The university is at the forefront of curriculum development used by schools and universities nationwide, and starting in 2025, the new chair will focus on increasing awareness, understanding and appreciation of the historical and contemporary experiences of Japanese Americans and the worldwide Nikkei diaspora.
“It was clear to me that SF State and its graduates show a deep commitment to supporting minorities and the marginalized,” donor Masako Takahashi said. “It made me feel our funding could support a good place, a place for good.”
LANDMARK GIFT TO FEED BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WORKFORCE PIPELINE
According to predictions by the San Diego Workforce Partnership, the San Diego region will need to recruit 18,500 behavioral health professionals by 2027. Already, San Diego faces a shortage of some 8,000 workers in the field.
Two historic philanthropic donations totaling $20 million—the largest gifts in the history of California State University San Marcos—will go a long way toward helping to meet that need. A $10 million grant was made by the Price Philanthropies Foundation to create a groundbreaking three-year accelerated bachelor’s degree and workforce pipeline specifically for behavioral and mental health.
This was matched by an additional $10 million from Daniel J. Epstein, a director of the CSU San Marcos Foundation Board, and his wife, Phyllis. The degree pathway will provide hundreds of students with immersive, hands-on experiences through internships, simulations and real-world projects before they directly enter the region’s workforce, further bolstering the university’s standing among the top 1% nationally for social mobility.
FIRST-GENERATION NURSING AND MEDICINE SCHOLARSHIPS TO HELP CENTRAL VALLEY
“You have offered me hope that hard work, effort and persistence does pay off, and that there are good people in the world willing to help people just like me pursue their dreams,” wrote Jasmin Dominguez Cervantes, a recipient of the First-Generation Pre-Med Scholarship at California State University, Stanislaus in thanking Dr. Stephanie Brown and her daughters Lydia and Nelia Strachan for their support.
To date, the three women have donated more than $300,000 to first-generation pre-nursing and pre-med college students from Merced and Stanislaus in the hope that recipients might stay in the area, or return after completing their medical studies, to help grow the region’s pool of healthcare professionals. “The gift of scholarship is an opportunity to serve and nurture future generations by providing students with educational opportunities that my own children had at Stanislaus State,” said Dr. Brown. Fifteen students have received up to $12,500 annually for up to two years. All recipients are bilingual and were born and raised in the Central Valley.
EXECUTIVE’S DONATION TO HELP LIFT GUARDIAN SCHOLARS
Established in 2007, the Guardian Scholars program for current and former foster youth at San Diego State University supports more than 150 students—the largest number to date. Thanks to a $2.5 million gift from Jessica Sarowitz, a new level of support is possible. “Through her generous gift, Jessica Sarowitz is presenting our students with significant opportunities for achievement,” said Mary Taylor, SDSU associate chief diversity officer for Outreach Success.
“We are grateful for the confidence she is showing in our program and our students’ abilities to succeed.”
An active supporter of San Diego State, Sarowitz volunteers on the San Diego State University Campanile Foundation board of directors, giving her an up-close view of the university’s campus and student body. In specific, she values the spaces created to serve Latinx, African American, Native, and LGBTQ students and noted that SDSU is providing “an excellent education that will do well in the marketplace.” The CEO and managing partner of 4S Bay Partners also took time to learn more about foster youth. “I have a soft spot for this community, and I thought, what better way than to do something at SDSU?”
A GIFT TO GUIDE THE NEXT GENERATION OF SOCIAL JUSTICE ACTIVISTS
The Civil Rights movement had a life-changing effect on San José State University alumnus Bob Brownstein, who had the chance to see the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., speak when Brownstein was still a teenager. The former policy director and community advocate has generously included in his estate plans a gift to create a permanent endowment for the Africana, Asian American, Chicano & Native American Studies Center at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library in San José to provide stipends for student assistants working for the Center.
In addition, SJSU Spartans can now apply for the newly created Bob Brownstein Scholarship, awarded annually to students actively pursuing activities that address economic and social inequality. “I came of age as a lot of progressive causes and political events caused a shift in culture,” explained Brownstein. “Social and economic justice have been my core values for my whole adult life; if there are students that are just starting out and are interested in advancing these ideas, I want to do what I can to help them get an education.”
“The university represents an awesome opportunity to have a positive impact on this valley,” Brownstein continued. “San José State University still needs philanthropic support from alumni or others who recognize its values and want future generations to have the best educational opportunities we can give them. It makes a lot of sense for me to support SJSU.”