CSUSB Magazine
2020-21 Outstanding Graduate and Undergraduate Students

College of Arts and Letters

Loydie Burmah

Master’s degree, communication studies
Future Plans, Academic and Career:
Obtain a Ph.D. and eventually become a professor.
Inspiration:
Her parents – “They always communicated their support and continue to remind me that I can do anything I set my heart, mind, and intentions to. Moreover, to always do my best and persevere no matter what challenges arise.”
Mentor:
Communication studies assistant professor Liliana Conlisk-Gallegos – “She supported me throughout my most difficult moments, and always did what she could to connect me to resources, experiences, etc. that would enhance my growth.”
Proudest Accomplishment:
Graduating with a master’s degree.
“I was able to learn and work with faculty/students that I truly admire, continue to develop as a scholar, and teach. I’m just about to conclude this journey and remain humbled rather than prideful about what I had to do to reach this pinnacle. Moreover, I’m forever grateful to my community for assisting me.”

Miguel Angel Romera-Alvarez

Master’s degree, Spanish
Future Plans, Academic and Career:
Earn a Ph.D. in Spanish with the ultimate goal of teaching Spanish at the college level.
Inspiration:
His wife Paula. “Going back to school after working for over 25 years was her idea and I would have never taken the first step without her encouragement.”
Mentor:
Spanish professor Rafael Correa, who “was the first person to open his door to me and welcome me. A magnificent instructor, he opened my eyes to the great diversity of the Spanish language and cultures in America.”
Proudest Accomplishment:
Completing his master’s degree and being named the Outstanding Graduate Student.
“I was at a deficit compared to my much younger peers and I did a lot of hard work to catch up quickly. I persisted and my confidence grew every day and every semester and now I live by the motto “Nunca es tarde si la dicha es buena” (“It’s never too late if the happiness is good.)'"

Cheyenne Herbert

Bachelor’s degree, philosophy
Future Plans, Academic and Career:
Earn a master’s degree, go onto law school and become a lawyer.
Inspiration:
Her mother. “She has always been a strong and independent single mother that made sure to instill the importance of education into my life.”
Mentor:
Philosophy assistant professor Eric Bayruns-Garcia. “His approach to education highlights communities that are often neglected and wishes to change that trajectory.”
Proudest Accomplishment:
Completing her bachelor’s degree with a high GPA.
“It has not been an easy journey, but it has made me into who I am today.”

Adam Shimp

Bachelor’s degree, English
Future Plans, Academic and Career:
Go on to a master’s degree program, preferably in literature and pedagogical theory, and ultimately becoming an English professor at a community college.
Inspiration:
Jack Tapelshay, English professor at College of the Desert.
Mentor:
CSUSB English lecturer Stephen Lehigh. “I appreciate that he is always willing to play devil’s advocate, and how that helps push me to consider things I hadn’t before.”
Proudest Accomplishment:
Getting a bachelor’s degree.
“I wasn’t originally super passionate about the field, but I’ve grown to love the classroom, and the air of discussion between professor and student, which is why I stuck with English.”

College of Education

Sussan Ortega

Doctorate, educational leadership
Future Plans, Academic and Career:
Plans to seek an administrative credential and then look into publishing.
Inspiration:
Her family. She said her two children, Olin and Luna, “gave me strength when I thought I had nothing else to offer. My husband, Anthony Guaracha, inspired me to believe in myself. My parents, Maria and Jose Ortega, because of their sacrifices, reminded me daily how privileged I am to be where I am today.”
Mentor:
Six instructors including Enrique Murillo Jr., CSUSB professor of teacher education and foundations; Edna Martinez, CSUSB associate professor and co-director of the Doctorate in Educational Leadership program; Jaqueline E. Romano, CSUSB assistant professor of teacher education and foundations.
Proudest Accomplishment:
Being a mother. “Being a mother has activated a lens. A lens that sparks a voice as a parent, educator and member in my community. A lens that can contribute to academia a unique outlook on the private sector being public and how intertwined they are as a scholar.”
“I walked into CSUSB learning and navigating academia and walked out as a scholar contributing to research.”

Sandra Pearson

Education specialist degree, school psychology
Future Plans, Academic and Career:
Establish her career as a school psychologist and maybe pursue a doctoral degree in education.
Inspiration:
Her mother and CSUSB alumna Lorrie Havens ’91. “She went back to college when I was a kid, and I watched her work hard to obtain her goals of becoming a teacher. When considering going back to school, I had the confidence that I could be successful and meet my goals because I had watched her do it years beforehand.”
Mentor:
Psychology professor Sharon Ward. “She has believed in me, and has helped support me throughout my entire grad school experience.” And assistant professor of special education and counseling Roderick O’Handley. “Dr. O’Handley was the professor that pushed me outside of my comfort zone, challenged beliefs, and helped me to grow in ways I didn’t know I needed to!”
Proudest Accomplishment:
Being a mom. “I’m very excited that my kids got to see me work hard to achieve my goals of going back to school, getting my bachelor’s degree in 2018 and now my Ed.S.”
“CSUSB has supports set up to help all students succeed and define their future.”

College of Natural Sciences

Yue Zhou

Master’s degree, computer science
Future Plans, Academic and Career:
Pursue a Ph.D. in natural language processing and start a career in academic research.
Inspiration:
“Sentiment Analysis and Opinion Mining” by Bing Liu, “a great researcher and a distinguished professor at UIC.”
Mentor:
Faculty in the School of Computer Science and Engineering – professor Kerstin Voigt, assistant professor Yan Zhang, and professor Haiyan Qiao.
Proudest Accomplishment:
Three papers advised by CSUSB professors. “I gave talks and presentations on natural language processing at international conferences and at CSUSB.”
“Learning is a process of acculturation.”

Michael Pierce

Bachelor’s degree, biology
Future Plans, Academic and Career:
Attend the California University of Science and Medicine in Colton and ultimately become a physician.
Inspiration:
His father, sister and fiancé – “These are the people who are consistently encouraging me through difficult times and give me the motivation that I need to succeed.”
Mentor:
Biology associate professor David Rhoads and biology professor Nicole Bournias-Vardiabasis. “These two professors have dedicated a great amount of time helping me through my undergraduate career.”
Proudest Accomplishment:
Getting accepted into medical school.
“At CSUSB, professors within the biology department invested in me; I wasn’t just a student ID number on their grading report. All of the professors of the biology department were all in love with their specialty and wanted to share their experiences with all of their students.”

College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Holly Timblin

Master’s degree, psychology
Future Plans, Academic and Career:
Obtain a doctorate in clinical psychology and become a practicing clinician focused on evidence-based interventions for populations who have experienced trauma.
Inspiration:
The “amazing people in my life who mentored me and advised me throughout my university career.”
Mentor:
Psychology professors Kelly Campbell, Christina Hassija and Jodie Ullman; and psychology assistant professors Jacob Jones and Brittany Bloodhart.
Proudest Accomplishment:
Accomplishing a publication within her first year of her graduate program and participating in research competitions. “Obtaining a publication was a major goal of mine when I started my graduate program!”
“My experiences at CSUSB have prepared me for doctorate level training, as well as experience in the workplace.”

Fernando Sanchez

Bachelor’s degree, history
Future Plans, Academic and Career:
Earn a Ph.D. in history from U.C. Berkeley and ultimately enter the academic field as a university professor.
Inspiration:
His grandfather. “He is an immigrant from Mexico. He worked very hard so that his children could have a better life.”
Mentor:
History assistant professor Isabel Huacuja Alonso, and history associate professors Kate Liszka and Ryan Keating.
Proudest Accomplishment:
Getting into grad school. “It is the most difficult goal I set for myself and accomplishing it gives me the confidence to set even higher goals.”
“CSUSB has many amazing opportunities for history majors. The entire department has been extremely helpful and encouraging.”

Jack H. Brown College of Business and Public Administration

Danny Chung

MBAs in supply chain management and in cybersecurity
Future Plans, Academic and Career:
Become a chief executive officer for a Fortune 500 company and a successful business owner.
Inspiration:
His supportive family and great family friend, Michael D. Baughn.
Mentor:
Accounting and finance professor Francisca Beer, public administration professor Kimberly Collins, information and decision sciences professor Frank Lin, and information and decision sciences lecturer Matthew Winters.
Proudest Accomplishment:
“I believe it is not feasible to deem any one particular accomplishment as one that I am most proud of. Each of my accomplishments have built upon each other.”
“As cliché as it sounds, it really is not about the destination, but rather, the journey to get there. From my professors and mentors that have guided me, to my colleagues and peers at CSUSB that I have partnered with, to the knowledge and skills that I have attained, and to the empathy and compassion I have come to understand – CSUSB has certainly brought the best out in me.”

Liliana Orellana Ojeda

Bachelor’s degree, business administration with a concentration in finance
Future Plans, Academic and Career:
Get her master’s within a year or two and complete the CFA program.
Inspiration:
Her oldest cousin and her uncle.
Mentor:
“I think I have had many during my life; I would not say I have a specific person who is telling me what to do next, but in this wild adventure that life is I have found different people that sometimes with just a minute of their time had made an impact in my life.”
Proudest Accomplishment:
Buying her first house at 23, graduating community college with the highest honors, and graduating summa cum laude from CSUSB.
“I think of CSUSB as an opportunity, as a trampoline that is making me jump higher. After I came to the U.S., a lot of people told me to give up my dreams of having a career and going to college, but I am so glad I didn’t … CSUSB has given me the opportunity to grow not only in knowledge but as a person.”

Palm Desert Campus

Sofia Torres-Crespo

Bachelor’s degrees in psychology with a concentration in industrial and organizational psychology, and in business administration with a concentration in management
Future Plans, Academic and Career:
Obtain a master’s in industrial and organizational psychology from CSUSB, and have a career in human resources.
Inspiration:
Her peers inspired her to be involved in student leadership positions and participated in many campus organizations and activities.
Mentor:
“As a first-generation college student, I have been consistently encouraged by my mother and grandmother to pursue a higher education and create my own future.”
Proudest Accomplishment:
Being accepted to the I/O graduate program. “It recognizes my student leadership, academic achievements, and pursuit of higher education. I look forward to continuing to develop myself as an academic and professional this upcoming fall semester.”
“With these established values, I persisted in achieving my academic goals with the support of faculty, staff and peers at the Palm Desert Campus.”