After more than 50 years of service, Cal State San Bernardino surpassed 100,000 graduates during its 2018 Spring Commencement ceremonies at the Palm Desert Campus and Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario on June 14 and 16.
More than 3,500 students participated; around 270 graduates attended the Palm Desert Campus ceremony, more than 1,170 participated in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences ceremony, nearly 700 for the College of Natural Sciences ceremony, about 515 for the College of Arts and Letters ceremony, more than 120 for the College of Education ceremony, and more than 730 students for the Jack H. Brown College of Business and Public Administration ceremony.
“Graduates – today you join a select group of outstanding, dedicated persons who continue to influence the world around us,” CSUSB President Tomás D. Morales said. “As new additions to the roll call of Cal State San Bernardino alumni, you become part of an amazing assemblage of talented, capable and reliable individuals. Men and women who are improving lives, expanding knowledge and enhancing both their professions and their communities.”
Morales presented several notable CSUSB alumni who are making a difference, including:
• Jean Stephens (MBA), chief executive officer of RSM International Limited;
• James Ramos Jr. (bachelor’s in accounting), Third District supervisor of San Bernardino County;
• Audra Wise (bachelor’s in biochemistry), neonatologist at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego and assistant clinical professor of pediatrics at the UC San Diego School of Medicine;
• Craig Arnold (bachelor’s in psychology), chairman and chief executive officer of Eaton Corporation;
• Catharine Reed (bachelor’s in psychology from the Palm Desert Campus), program director of the Auen Foundation and the Berger Foundation in Palm Desert;
• Diana Rodriguez (bachelor’s and master’s in marketing and master’s in education), president of San Bernardino Valley College;
• Nicole Cerwin Nichols (bachelor’s in communications), executive vice president of communications and strategy for the Oprah Winfrey Network; and
• Shelbi Wilson-Fields (credential and master’s in education), assistant principal of Slover Mountain Continuation High School in Bloomington.
During the ceremonies, each college recognized its chosen outstanding undergraduate student, graduate student, doctoral student and/or alumnus. The 2018 outstanding recipients were:
• College of Social and Behavioral Sciences: Nathaly Beltran (social work) as the Outstanding Undergraduate Student and Sam Worrall (clinical psychology) as the Outstanding Graduate Student;
• College of Natural Sciences: Rafael Alamilla (kinesiology) as the Outstanding Undergraduate Student, Maylen Jackson (health science and human ecology) as the Outstanding Graduate Student and Robert Tanguay (biology) as the Outstanding Alumnus;
• College of Arts and Letters: Graciela Troche (communication studies) as the Outstanding Undergraduate Student and Erika Quiñonez (English) as the Outstanding Graduate Student;
• College of Education: Olivia Bushem (counseling and guidance) as its Outstanding Graduate Student and Cherina Betters (educational leadership) as its Outstanding Doctoral Student;
• Jack H. Brown College of Business and Public Administration: Marlene Baumann (accounting) as its Outstanding Undergraduate Student and Rudy Morales Gamez (public administration) as its Outstanding Graduate Student; and
• Palm Desert Campus: Kaela A. Bonafede (psychology) as its Outstanding Undergraduate Student and Timothy Castro (business administration – management) as its Outstanding Graduate Student.
Also at the Palm Desert Campus ceremony, the university bestowed an honorary doctorate of humane letters upon Julia I. Lopez, one of California’s most impactful philanthropists and foundation leaders.
In his opening speech, Morales addressed the challenges in society and how CSUSB graduates are actively helping build a stronger community. According to the Public Policy Institute of California, the state needs to produce 1.1 million more college graduates by 2030 in order to meet economic demand and secure its future; the Inland Empire was named one of the three key regions needing to increase college enrollment and degree attainment to help reach that target.
“Each of you are part of the solution and now play a key role in improving our region and this great state,” Morales said. “The needs are many, the demands immense and the solutions elusive. As the Class of 2018, you now must answer the call, accept those challenges and discover a path that leads to resolution.
“Be assured that you are not alone in this pursuit. You are more than 100,000 strong, infused with Coyote pride, prepared to make a difference and fulfill the promise you embody today … As our university evolves and our alumni ranks grow, we will remain secure in the knowledge that our mission is true, our legacy is flourishing, and that, together, we are stronger!”