• What attracted you to CSUN? How long have you been the AVP of Student Success?
  • I am originally from the San Fernando Valley (Pacoima and Sylmar). CSUN was the first college campus my family and I ever saw up close. As a community college student at LA Mission College, I took part in a summer research program at CSUN that inspired me to pursue degrees in Molecular Biology (BS) /Cancer Biology (PhD). I came to CSUN on March 30th, 2020, just as the campus moved online in response to the pandemic and tried to immerse myself in all things student success virtually.

• What do you enjoy most about your role?
  • I enjoy engaging in discussions to boost equity-based approaches in high-impact practices housed in the Office of Student Success. I am blessed to work directly with leaders in the Learning Resource Center (Rashawn Green) and Academic First Year Experiences (Kim Henige) and work with them to promote strategies to address disproportionate impact in support programs such as Supplemental Instruction, Tutoring, Writing Center, University 100: Freshmen Seminar, and U301: Transfer Success. I enjoy meeting with Leaders of Tseng College, academic departments, Enrollment Services, and the Registrar to help build an inclusive summer experience (Pathways 2 Excellence/Early Start) for students who need additional support from CSUN to thrive. OSS staff actively working to form strong connections with Student Affairs (through Identity Based Resource Centers) and the President’s Office (Seal of Excelencia and Global HSI Equity and Innovation Hub). Finally, working with innovative colleagues in the Office (Zachary Helsper: Senior Strategist for Equity Initiatives, and Vanessa Hernandez: Student Success and Equity Programs Coordinator) to support student success is truly an honor.

• What is your proudest accomplishment?
  • I enjoy working with the Matador SUCCESS Series (MSS) planning committee to host our annual student success celebration. The MSS committee is a group of leaders committed to supporting CSUN students and contributing to programs that positively impact the student experience. I feel fortunate to work directly with faculty through the Student Equity Faculty Advocate Program. Drs. Frankie Augustin, Marquita Gammage, Monica Gallegos, and Natalie Schaal have all participated in the Faculty Advocate program, and their contributions to supporting equity-focused conversations institution-wide have been instrumental in moving the work forward. OSS also created foundational core values (Community Engaged Justice, High Impact Practices, Cultural Humility, and Inquiry-Driven Culture) and supported courageous equity conversations across campus. A very proud moment was working with programs across the institution in support of CSUN’s application for the Seal of Excelencia. As a new leader on campus, I was inspired by the work campus leaders have done to support student success. 

• What is the best way to get involved in guiding CSUN students to success?
  • There are many ways to get involved with the Office of Student Success. Anyone interested can join our mentoring community and Matador SUCCESS Series Planning Committee by emailing our office: student-success@csun.edu. OSS works across campus to solidify our commitment to equitable student success. Academic First Year Experiences is always looking for new collaborations in support of transfer success and freshmen seminar courses. Additionally, OSS works directly with new first-time freshmen over the summer and welcomes participation from folks interested in supporting new CSUN students as they transition to a 4-year university. The Learning Resource Center also engages in a variety of activities for faculty and students and always welcomes new partnerships. As part of the Identity-Based Resource Center report, OSS invites suggestions and feedback from campus constituents.