Cohort 2019-2020

Hello! My name is Evelyn Cortus, and I am a fourth-year senior at CSUN studying Deaf Studies and Communicative Disorders and Sciences. CSUN has been a place for me to be actively involved in many different clubs and organizations. In addition to my participation in the R.E.D. Leadership Academy, I am also a part of the New Student Orientation (NSO) as a Matador Mentor and the CSUN Chapter of the National Student Speech-Language and Hearing Association (NSSLHA) and the executive Chair of Public Relations. I absolutely love the diversity and focus on inclusion at CSUN. Each of the organizations I am a part of focus on the inclusion of all students within its scope, and it has made me very appreciative of the things that make each student unique. When I’m not at school, I partake in a few different hobbies. I am a huge cinephile. I love the experience of going into a movie theater and experiencing new stories through film. I also enjoy going to the gym. It has become a ritual of self-care for me that I am grateful to have access to. Regarding the R.E.D. Leadership Academy, my biggest takeaway is that it gave me the opportunity to network with other student leaders within different fields and taught us how to interact and make connections where there may not seem to be any on the surface. Additionally, I learned about the key features of people I admire and how I can make those a part of me through the use of short-term and long-term goals. I look forward to making even more connections through this program in my time at CSUN.

Hello! My name is Adrian De Leon, and I am a Second-year, Psychology major! I am involved in New Student Orientation, the Blues Project, and the Center for Achievement in Psychology Sciences-- or CAPS club for short. My favorite thing about CSUN would have to be the sheer size of the campus. Being at the heart of the San Fernando Valley, you get to meet so many people from so many walks of life just by being here, and you can learn a whole lot just by striking up a conversation! My hobbies span a wide range of activities, from reading to dancing, but whatever the case, I also strive to be completely immersed! Now, the R.E.D. Leadership Academy has taught me a lot of things about myself both professionally and personally, but the biggest takeaway would be that a good leader must first learn to lead themselves, as once they have their vision in order, then they have the power to do the same for others. The example of becoming your best self is enough to inspire people to try their absolute hardest!

My name is Andrew Diaz, a second year majoring in Sociology and minoring in Psychology. I am a mentor in the Mentorship Program, an orientation leader in the New Student Orientation program, a cast member of TAKE XXXII, and a member of Lambda Chi Alpha.

My favorite part of CSUN is the opportunity for growth that all the programs and organizations provide. Without involvement, I would not have grown the way I did in such a short time. When I am not working on assignments for class, I enjoy polishing my graphic design skills in InDesign or Photoshop. I also work on my comedy skills because I never know when I might need to crack a joke amidst all the seriousness that is professionalism.

Through the R.E.D Leadership Academy, I will always remember that the two most important qualities a social leader can possess are empathy and perspective.

Hi! My name is Douglas Lee and I am a senior here at CSUN majoring in English – Creative Writing. In my time here, I have been a Park Council Director and a Resident Advisor in the Student Housing. Most recently, I am involved with the R.E.D Leadership Academy. I was a very involved student in high school, so it felt right to get involved in college too and I am very glad I did. I’d say that my favorite thing about CSUN has become Professor Higgs. People don’t usually make a big impact in class and in my life too often, but the most I’ve learned here has been from that man (definitely a top tier professor). Some of my hobbies include music and poetry. Singing is a big passion of mine and I am also teaching myself how to play the guitar. I also love to write poetry and prose. It’s a good way to express things that go on in my mind that aren’t easily explainable. Being a part of the R.E.D Leadership Academy helped me grow in many areas. One of my biggest takeaways from being involved in this was learning to be more confident in my style of leadership. I was always hesitant that my style of leadership was not authoritative enough but being in the Academy help me learn that having confidence in my own style of leadership is better than trying to pretend.

My name is Crystal Lopez, I'm currently a third year, and I'm majoring in Marketing. My involvement on campus includes being a student assistant to Tseng College, and I have a Director position for Professional Events in the organization ALPFA. I have also had the opportunity to begin my first fashion internship in marketing in West Hollywood. One of my favorite things about CSUN is how diverse the campus is, it gives students an opportunity to learn from different cultures and experiences. A hobby of mine is to read nonfiction books on my free time, as well as going to the gym on my free time. My biggest takeaway from the R.E.D. Leadership Academy is learning how to lead with empathy, learning from other people's experiences and appreciating myself entirely more as an individual/leader. I feel as a young adult we tend to reflect more on our values and choices, and when I re-evaluate my choices, I can better take action to demonstrate my growth as a person.

Hello! My name is Carlos and I am a senior, Finance Major, and Chair of Finance for Associated Students. My favorite thing about CSUN is the large diverse student body. I love to play guitar and go to the gym. Realizing that I unconsciously sabotage myself during stressful situations was one of my biggest takeaways from the R.E.D Leadership Academy. It made me more aware of myself and created opportunities for myself to create conscious positive behaviors.

Hello, my name is Wendy Pham. I am a 2nd year at CSUN studying Kinesiology- Exercise Science. I am involved with Unified We Serve, which is a volunteer organization on campus. My favorite thing about CSUN is the community atmosphere that welcomes me and the opportunity to meet many people with different backgrounds. My hobbies would be listening to jazz music, reading, painting, or enjoying a glimpse of nature. My takeaway from the R.E.D Leadership Academy was being able to hear inspirational wisdom to grow as an individual and see a new outlook from other heavily involved leaders in the group.

Hello! My name is Christian Ross. I am a fourth-year senior majoring in Finance w/ an emphasis in Financial Analysis. I am a member of the following: Residence Halls Association, Black Male Scholars, and Associates Students Finance Committee. My favorite thing about CSUN is the diversity we have on campus and how much CSUN makes it feel like a home away from home. One hobby that I love to do on a daily basis is Meditate. We live in a new busy world with varying distractions so being able to calm your mind is very important. The biggest takeaway I have from joining the R.E.D Leadership Academy is how much of an impact I can make on students as being a leader. R.E.D Leadership Academy not only teaches us how to become better leaders, but they taught us the definition of a real leader and not someone who just tells people what to do. Being a leader means looking out for those in your organization while staying consistent with your vision.

Hello! My name is Nikolas Morrison-Welch and I am a senior midway through completing my fourth year as an Environmental and Occupational Health Science major. I've had the opportunity to reflect upon my experiences here at CSUN and think about all the opportunities being a matador has given me. I have been and still am, a scholar in BUILD Poder, the current AS senator for the College of Health and Human Development, and a member of EOHSA for the past 3 years. My favorite thing about CSUN is all the hidden gems like the fountain in Mike Curb and quiet spots of relaxation like our Oasis. After finishing the R.E.D. Leadership Academy my biggest takeaway was that I needed to place more trust in others if I wanted to be an effective leader. I never realized how much I disadvantaged other members of my executive board by not giving them the chance to succeed in completing meaningful work for the club and fulfilling the constitutional duties they willingly volunteered to do.