Public art project brightens parts of Folsom Boulevard, strengthens Sac State’s ‘anchor’ ties

Posted on June 22, 2023 by Daniel Wilson

Originally published June 22, 2023, by Sacramento State University Communications

A new project is bringing more color to a stretch of Folsom Boulevard.

Art wraps designed by Sacramento State students now adorn six city-owned utility boxes on Folsom between Power Inn Road and South Watt Avenue. Senior Graphic Design students created the wraps during the 2022-23 academic year as part of a course taught by Professor John Forrest.

“Anytime we have an opportunity to bring in an outside entity that needs help, it benefits the students because it puts them in a position where they’re dealing with a real scenario in a way that goes beyond what we can simulate sometimes within the classroom,” Forrest said.

The project was a partnership among the Folsom Boulevard Coalition, and Power Inn Alliance (PIA), and the University, said Tony Lucas, Sac State’s associate vice president for Business and Administrative Services and a coalition member. Support also came from Vice Mayor Eric Guerra.

“I drive that route every day, two times a day, and I’m just so proud of seeing the work and impact that our students are having on the community,” Lucas said. “And, by the way, this is their community, too. They’re getting a chance early on in their … careers to have direct engagement with the community.”

An Anchor University grant financed the $5,000 project. The grants provide support for community-engaged research and projects that are meant to have lasting impact.

“The projects are really to help try to transform the lives of our students, get them connected,” said Elisa Trimboli, Anchor University partnerships manager. “So, now they have professional development and personal opportunities from this, and then also work with equity issues, which I think is important.”

Forrest’s students were split into multiple groups to work on two projects – the art wraps, and Sacramento State 75th Anniversary exhibit in the University Library – with about 30 students devoted to designing the wraps. The designs tell stories of the area’s agriculture, history, and more.

“The students met with Folsom Boulevard Coalition members to discuss concepts and then collaborated with their teams on the creative graphic designs,” said Sue Brown, who co-chairs the coalition along with Maria Gutierrez. “This project is a win-win, as it is a résumé builder for students while helping us beautify Folsom Boulevard.”

The group chosen included Juancarlos Sanchez, Alissa Horton, Crista Nauta, Thavie Keary, and Kelly Ho.

“I drove down the street and checked them all out, and it was just so cool,” said Nauta, who graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design. “It was a very big learning experience, and being able to collaborate with everyone … it was fun.”

Sacramento-based Allstar Wraps & Graphics installed the wraps, which are made from a durable vinyl signage material that can be cleaned of graffiti easier than the original utility box surfaces.

A second phase of the project, paid for with $5,800 in funds raised by the local community, will add wraps to five SMUD boxes, utilizing more of the student designs, Brown said. Sac State and the Coalition are exploring additional opportunities for future projects.

“We loved the artwork so much, we said, ‘Well, can we use artwork from the other teams, too?’ ” Brown said. “The coalition is grateful for the partnerships with Sac State, the PIA, and others to improve the corridor.”

Designer Sanchez, who also graduated in May with a bachelor’s in Graphic Design, called the wrapped boxes “absolutely amazing” and said the experience helped prepare him for the workforce.

“When it comes to the research phase, the designing process, meetings, we were able to manage ourselves,” he said. “So, I think going into the workforce after college, it’s definitely going to help me out, understanding how to work more efficiently as a team.”

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Sac State, and here’s why: Vira Sypyuk

Posted on June 15, 2023 by Daniel Wilson

Originally published online June 15, 2023, by Sacramento State University Communications. Published previously in our physical 75th anniversary Sac State magazine.

When Russia invaded eastern Ukraine in 2014, Vira Sypyuk and her husband saw no future for their daughter in their beleaguered country.

They packed up and moved to Sacramento, where Sypyuk’s husband had relatives. Sypyuk said the transition was tough, especially for her family.

“It was challenging, because you start over everything from zero,” said Sypyuk, who was born in Ukraine and had also lived in Russia. “I am very thankful that I knew already (English). It was easier for me, but it was hard for my daughter and, especially, my husband.”

To ease the transition, Sypyuk volunteered in her daughter’s classroom, where she fell in love with American schools and ultimately was inspired to become an educator.

“I grew up in a family that served people,” said Sypyuk, whose father is a pastor. “I was taught to help and care for people.”

She attended American River College before transferring to Sacramento State, where in 2021 she earned her bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies with a minor in History. Sac State was an easy choice because she wanted to stay close to home.

“I wasn’t very young when I started school here,” Sypyuk said. “I have already family, and I needed to take care of them, and I couldn’t move somewhere. And Sac State is one of the best universities to choose, so it’s privilege to live here. … Why would I choose something different?”

Sypyuk is now pursuing her master’s degree in School Psychology, saying she could be a better resource for kids as a school psychologist than as a teacher.

“I’m an extremely sensitive and empathetic person, and it’s been always with me, before this program,” she said. “I would give the last what I have (such as money or food) for a person. When I got in this program … it matches to my goals. I always wanted to help kids.”

When Russia attacked Ukraine in February 2022, Sypyuk knew she had to help people in her homeland, specifically the hundreds of young children who, left without parents in wrecked cities, were relocated to safer areas in the western part of the country.

“We needed to buy beds and clothing and beddings and food and everything for these kids, so they could stay there for some time before they transferred them to (other parts of) Europe,” Sypyuk said.

Sac State Graduate and Professional Studies Professor Stephen Brock heard of the work Sypyuk and her family were doing and asked her to assist him in interpreting a webinar for mental health professionals in Poland and Ukraine.

“She is an amazing person as well as a skilled graduate student,” Brock said. “This is a personal as well as professional issue for Vira. Having family members that are very much affected by the conflict has been very stressful.

“Yet, despite that, she is not only able to keep up in a very demanding graduate program, but is able to help others.”

Sypyuk, who speaks English, Russian, and Ukrainian, assisted the National Association of School Psychologists in developing and interpreting a document offering guidance about how displaced families can cope with the war.

Sypyuk soon will serve in a yearlong internship as a school psychologist before entering the workforce full time. She is also participating in a practicum where she counsels Sacramento-area Ukrainian and Russian kids.

“I help them with their emotions and … mental state because they are very stressed,” Sypyuk said. “They never see their house ever again because it’s destroyed, in some cases. It’s very hard for kids. It’s hard for adults, but for kids, even more.”

She said she hopes to work in a public school district with a high population of Ukrainian and Russian students because she can connect on a cultural level. She also wants to have a private practice, as well as possibly teach psychology to others.

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Sac State, and here’s why: Aissatou Fall

Posted on June 15, 2023 by Daniel Wilson

Originally published online June 15, 2023, by Sacramento State University Communications. Published previously in our physical 75th anniversary Sac State magazine.

The trees, culture, and diversity at Sac State connected immediately with Aissatou Awa Erykah Fall when her sister took her around Sacramento during her senior year of high school.

The cuisine was another attraction.

“(My sister) showed me around, went to many food places,” Fall said. “We came to Sac State, we even went to Jamba Juice. That was my first time at Jamba Juice. I love it so much.”

Those attributes, along with a chance to pursue Civil Engineering and her sister’s own success at Sac State, convinced Fall to enroll in the fall of 2021.

Inspired by her uncle, a civil engineer, Fall said she is deciding whether to focus on environmental or structural engineering, but wants to keep her skills diversified.

Fall was born in San Francisco and lived in Marin County until she was 4 years old. She moved with her family to Senegal, West Africa, where she lived until she was 17.

She said she wants to use her education to give back to the places she’s lived.

“There’s just so many infrastructures that aren’t done,” she said. “The bridges we have (in Senegal) that are actually functional and good are limited. There’s so many different things that you’re, like, ‘Why isn’t this finished? Why isn’t this done?’ Like the roads. I know I could help.”

On campus, Fall stays active as president of the National Society of Black Engineers and a member of the Black Student Union and Society of Women Engineers.

During the Fall 2022 semester, she mentored middle school students as part of the College of Engineering and Computer Science’s Tech Art Summit program, which exposes underserved children at a local charter school to STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) to get them interested in engineering.

Ultimately, Fall said her goal is to work in civil engineering and help areas in need, particularly Black and low-income communities.

Fall commended Sac State’s Antiracism and Inclusive Campus Plan, and the University’s work on issues relating to race and diversity. She also wants to see more Black professors, especially in Engineering classrooms.

“It’s just something I would have loved, to have someone to look up to a little bit,” she said. “I do see the efforts, and I do appreciate them a lot. Do I wish more? Yes, definitely.”

Fall, the recipient of multiple scholarships that helped her afford college, is scheduled to complete her bachelor’s degree in spring 2024. Her future aspirations include pursuing a master’s degree in Architecture.

She credits Sac State for its ability to welcome a wide range of students with varying interests, goals, and learning styles.

“(At) Sac State, it’s really what you want it to be. If you want to have a very full semester, be involved, it’s easy to do it,” she said. “And if you want to be less active or not involved, it’s easy to do that. I think it’s really just what you make of it.

“The resources are there. Now, you do have to own up to it and be involved. And I definitely (am) making my experience great.”

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On walls and elsewhere, campus comes alive with public art

Posted on June 15, 2023 by Daniel Wilson

Originally published online June 15, 2023, by Sacramento State University Communications. Published previously in our physical 75th anniversary Sac State magazine.

You might say art is in the air at Sac State, but actually, it is on the walls, and many other receptive surfaces.

Public artwork has long been a part of the University’s culture, but the “SACRAMENTO” mural, painted for the 2018 Wide Open Walls (WOW) festival, connected Sac State to the world of large, public works of art.

Since that bold addition — some murals have graced campus walls for decades — Sac State has added murals, sculptures, wraps, and other outdoor works that augment those found in indoor spaces.

In October 2022, Sac State and community artists painted eight murals on the south side of Santa Clara Hall in support of the University’s Antiracism and Inclusive Campus Plan (AICP). 

“I think they turned out great, and the response has been really positive,” said Marketing and Communications specialist Carol Nicknig, who organized the AICP mural project. “It’s to get people thinking, you know, versus something written that’s so literal, they can look at it and interpret it.”

During the 2019 WOW festival, three murals were painted at Brighton Hall, the Studio Theatre, and Lassen Hall.

Most recently, the sculpture “Tributary” was installed on the campus Welcome Center plaza.

The University has several reasons for emphasizing large, public works of art, beyond enhancing campus aesthetics, said Sheree Meyer, dean of the College of Arts and Letters. The art also amplifies stories and messages to make the campus more welcoming for the wider community.

“For too many years, a lot of art appeared and occurred only in fairly closed, somewhat elitist spaces,” Meyer said. “Monuments that appear, and all that is contested about monuments, really comes from and is shared by the public in a way that museum art is not.”

Sac State-created art also graces off-campus land. “Poppysaurus,” a color-splashed stegosaurus made of metal tubing, sits in the middle of the Ramona Avenue roundabout south of the University.

Meyer said the University is working toward hosting more temporary public art events and developing a public art policy to ensure temporary and permanent public art is brought to campus in a caring and responsible way.

“This is a lovely park-like space,” she said. “It should be filled with public art, and in an educational way, mapping that art so that folks have a sense of its history.”

Construction soon will begin on a new art building, which will replace the current Art Sculpture Lab facility and provide new opportunities for students to create and display even more of their work, Meyer said.

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Campus and community rally behind historic Hornet football team

Posted on June 15, 2023 by Daniel Wilson

Originally published online June 15, 2023, by Sacramento State University Communications. Published previously in our physical 75th anniversary Sac State magazine.

It was a season – actually a remarkable stretch of seasons – Sacramento State football fans will not soon forget.

The Hornets finished 2022 with a 12-1 record and were ranked as high as second in the nation, the latest chapter in a historic three-season run over four pandemic-interrupted years that has included three consecutive Big Sky Championships, three consecutive Causeway Classic victories over UC Davis, an overall win-loss record of 30-8, and a 23-1 conference mark.

The only 2022 defeat? A wild 66-63 loss to Incarnate Word in the Football Championship Series playoff quarterfinals on Dec. 9.

Fans on campus and in the community have taken notice, and game attendance has soared. A record 23,237 fans packed Hornet Stadium for the 2022 Causeway Classic.

“It brings tears to my eyes to see our campus community, alumni, and greater Sacramento community embrace Sac State football,” Athletic Director Mark Orr said. “This past season, we set the school record for overall and average attendance at games.”

The coach who led the 2019-2022 teams, Troy Taylor, saw his success open other doors, and on Dec. 10 he accepted the head-coaching position at Stanford.

Andy Thompson, who had been defensive coordinator for the Hornets since 2019, replaced Taylor.

Thompson acknowledged that a transition is under way, but the basic elements for success remain in place.

“Probably the biggest difference between Coach Taylor and myself is I work on the defensive side of the ball, and he worked on the offensive side of the ball,” Thompson said.

“We shared a lot of same values and worked together well, but it will be a little bit different just because I’m not him. We want to be innovative. We want to be exciting to watch.”

Returning players are motivated to keep things rolling.

“They’re going to basically see the same … team, but (a team that) just wants it a little bit more,” said third-year wide receiver Devin Gandy. “I’m going to go harder for everybody.”

Jared Gipson, also returning as a third-year receiver, said the community’s support inspires the team.

“It’s cool to see that we’ve built that kind of culture around here, so hopefully we’ll be able to keep it up,” he said.

The team plans to host community celebrations ahead of its first home game of the 2023 season on Sept. 9.

“This is us giving back to the community, just having them be proud of us,” Gandy said. “When they’re there and the stands are packed and stuff … it makes us feel good. And it actually makes us play harder.”

President Robert S. Nelsen, who is retiring and moving home to Texas in July, has been the Hornets’ most visible booster. He said he will continue to follow the team.

“With our outstanding coaching staff, talented returning players, and exciting incoming recruits, next season will be another you won’t want to miss,” Nelsen said. “I believe that we will be as good as, or even better than, last (season). I am going to miss being at the games, but I promise you that I will be watching every game on ESPN+, cheering the Hornets on to victory.”

Thompson said the team’s strategy will largely stay the same, with some adjustments.

“At the end of the year, we had some games where we didn’t play as well as a team,” Thompson said. “We want to try to be at our best for a longer period of time. I think that’s one thing we could talk about, as far as next year, improving, is not getting behind early.”

While winning a national championship would be a significant accomplishment, Thompson said his student-athletes’ educational success is even more important.

“The No. 1 goal … is to graduate our players every year,” Thompson said. “That is the ultimate pinnacle of their experience here at Sac State. We want them to walk out of here with a degree, and if they get a chance to win a national championship, that would be the second goal.”

Orr said the most impressive part of the Hornets’ success is that it is made possible through collective effort from players and their families, the team’s staff, Sac State’s faculty, and the community.

“As a native Sacramentan, I have always felt our community would rally around Sac State football if we had success,” Orr said. “The past three seasons, and especially most recently in 2022, have proven that to be very true.”

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President, students reflect on another record-breaking Commencement

Posted on May 23, 2023 by Daniel Wilson

Originally published May 23, 2023, by Sacramento State University Communications

The familiar purple beam that has lighted many a night sky over Golden 1 Center was absent, but smiles from thousands of green and gold-clad graduates shone bright during this year’s Sacramento State Commencement, May 19-21.

The downtown arena, home to the Sacramento Kings, hosted seven ceremonies over the three days to accommodate the record 9,574 eligible graduates. The thousands participating were cheered from packed stands as they crossed the stage, marking the end of one journey and the beginning of another.

This year’s ceremonies also marked the curtain call for President Robert S. Nelsen, who will retire in July. Nelsen has worked to improve graduation rates, enrollment, and access to campus resources as well as revitalize campus facilities and find innovative new ways to reach students.

“People often ask me now that I’m about to retire, ‘What do you want your legacy to be?’ ” Nelsen said during each of the ceremonies before listing accomplishments that marked his eight-year tenure, such as the 65,000 students who graduated during that time. “I want my legacy to be the Hornet Honor Code, a promise of a civil and caring campus where all feel at home.”

At the end of the final ceremony Sunday morning, Nelsen’s wife, Jody, joined him on stage.

“For 48 years, this woman has been by my side,” Nelsen said tearfully. “She has supported me, and she has supported you. I could never have done this job without her, and I could never have done this job without the faculty (and staff).”

He signed off by saying “P Nelly out,” referring to an affectionate nickname given to him by students. He then shouted “Stingers Up!” four times while again fighting back tears as “Pomp and Circumstance” played and the final procession of students began.

Before each ceremony, a kickoff “Grad Jam” with a DJ and music, emcee, and giveaways greeted attendees as students found their seats on the arena floor and friends and family made their way into the stands.

Graduates adorned their mortarboards with creative and colorful decorations and phrases, such as “I Mastered It! MBA,” “I’ve been Accounting Down the Days,” and “Five Years Later…” in reference to a popular “SpongeBob SquarePants” meme.

While lined up near the stage, awaiting the big walk, one graduate shouted, “I’m just soaking it in!” to his family in the bleachers. Others took selfies, adjusted their stoles and caps, and accepted fresh leis from loved ones in the crowd.

“It was a long time coming,” said Sierra Raymond, an English major who graduated in a cap decorated with sunflowers and the words “On to the next chapter.”

“To go through the whole pandemic and stuff, it’s really crazy to see so many people I know graduate and not get this … it feels really special to have this,” she said. “I’m the first of my parents’ kids to graduate. It’s a big moment, not only for me but for my family, and I’m really happy to be here.”

Parents and other attendees shared the good feelings.

Mindy Lareze said her 23-year-old daughter, who worked and attended college full time, graduated with a degree in Fine Arts and wants to pursue a master’s degree and teach at the college level.

“She was juggling a lot, and she’s done that continuously throughout the process,” Lareze said. “I can’t say enough about her. I’m so proud. She’s the most talented person I know.”

Among graduates were seven Deans’ Awards recipients, recognizing the top students in each academic college. Two of those students also received a President’s Medal of Honor.

Two honorary doctorates were given to individuals who have demonstrated excellence in society, and President’s Medal for Distinguished Service awards recognized two community members who provide outstanding service to the region.

For the first time, Sac State bestowed honorary bachelor’s degrees on two individuals, Stephen Googooian and Aaron Nevin Rehman. Rehman, a Biology student, died in a car accident in 2013. His family, including siblings Xavier and Jeanette both graduated with Biology degrees this year, accepted the posthumous degree.

Googooian, a History student who was badly hurt in an automobile accident, accepted an honorary bachelor’s degree.

Hanna Archibasova, who graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s in Nursing, came to the United States by herself as a refugee from Ukraine, speaking little English. Determined to combat inequities in health care, she decided to become a nurse.

“Hanna, keep following your dreams,” said College of Health and Human Services Dean Mary Maguire during the HHS ceremony May 20. “You are an inspiration to all of us.”

While speaking at the podium, Archibasova offered words of encouragement and reflection to her peers.

“Let me tell you a little secret,” she said. “Dreams can come true. I want to say thank you for not giving up on your dreams and persevering in your goals.”

Berenice Ledesma graduated with a degree in Spanish and said she wants to be a translator.

“In order to smile, you have to cry first. I cried a lot,” she said. “There were family problems, and then school was a little bit hard, but I’m here now.”

Yutthachat Thao, who graduated with a master’s degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, also highlighted the importance of having a strong support system.

“There’s been many times where I (wanted) to give up, but with the help of my family, my friends, (and) professors, they kind of (helped) me push through all of this, and now that I’m here, it feels great,” he said. “This is one of the most amazing things I’ve ever felt.”

Senior writers Cynthia Hubert and Jennifer K. Morita contributed to this report.

To see more Commencement 2023 photos, view our gallery here.

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Graduate student works to improve disability culture, create inclusive spaces and community

Posted on May 15, 2023 by Daniel Wilson

Originally published May 15, 2023, by Sacramento State University Communications

Rachel Stewart lives by and has built a career around the phrase “nothing about us, without us” — a longstanding mantra of the disability community.

The saying encompasses the idea that anything directly affecting disabled people should involve input from and collaboration with the disability community. It is the ideal behind everything to which Stewart has dedicated her professional efforts. At Commencement, May 19, Stewart will graduate with her Doctorate in Educational Leadership (Ed.D.).

“I cannot wait,” said Stewart, who earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from UC Berkeley in 2005 and her master’s in Rehabilitation Counseling from San Diego State University in 2011. “This feels so different. This feels extremely momentous. … There’s not a lot of people that get a doctorate.”

Stewart, who grew up in San Bruno, was diagnosed at 18 months old with a type of muscular dystrophy called spinal muscular atrophy. Though the disorder is genetic, no one else in her family had it. By age 5, she was using a wheelchair full time.

“It’s really all that I’ve ever known,” she said. “I think growing up, I didn’t really embrace my disability identity. I (had) what I would term ‘internalized ableism,’ because we’re acculturated in a society that does not view disability in a very positive light.”

She struggled to build confidence and maintain self-esteem, while learning to understand her place in the world.

“It wasn’t until I got to Berkeley, where I was suddenly surrounded by tons of people with disabilities, (it was) like the mothership — people with disabilities landed there,” Stewart said. “I realized that I had a lot more in common with other people with disabilities.”

Stewart is coordinator and counselor for Los Rios Community College District’s WorkAbility III, which assists disabled students in transitioning into employment. She said having a disability and working in the job helps her connect with the program’s participants.

“I do a lot of work helping students that have had similar backgrounds such as myself,” she said. “I think this kind of brings me to this whole idea of ‘nothing about us, without us,’ and if we’re designing programs and services for certain populations, those individuals that use those services or use those programs or need them are in leadership positions.”

Stewart wants to help develop disability cultural centers on college and university campuses. Nationwide, approximately 17 active centers exist, and several others are pending or in progress. All started through activism and advocacy by disabled students, Stewart said, and she wants to see a lot more.

“One of the things that I’ve seen is a lot of students are hungry for community, and they really want to have a safe space where they can go to find belonging, to talk about things that maybe other folks don’t understand,” said Stewart, whose dissertation focused on the creation of these centers through the lens of disability critical race theory. “That’s where I would really like to figure out a way to bring a disability cultural center, to the Los Rios district or even Sac State.”

Toni Newman, coordinator for Disability Services and Programs for Students at Sacramento City College, is part of the same Sac State Ed.D. cohort as Stewart. Newman, who is this year’s Outstanding Graduate Student Award recipient, hopes to work with Stewart on developing the centers.

“Rachel has been absolutely instrumental in moving us forward in changing how we think and talk about disability,” Newman said. “Her contribution to our campus at City College, her contribution to the Ed.D. program, her contribution to scholarship, her contribution to the disability community, it’s huge. We’re looking forward to … seeing more from her because of just who she is.”

Though much of her doctoral program occurred during the pandemic and she spent little time on campus, Stewart has high praise for Sac State, saying the community-like nature of the cohort helped her make it through.

“I think it’s just really allowed me to grow as a leader, and it’s given me the tools that I need as I’ve had to advocate for my program, and get additional funding and things of that nature,” she said. “So, yeah, it’s just been a really awesome experience.”

Elizabeth Morgan, an assistant professor in the Ed.D. program who served as Stewart’s dissertation chair, said Stewart is not only a phenomenal person but also an excellent student.

“She never gave up, and she didn’t waver in her commitment,” Morgan said. “She was very clear about the type of difference that she wants to make and, specifically, she really wants to be a part of changing the culture when it comes to understanding disability.”

Stewart’s ultimate goal is to utilize her knowledge and abilities to help others with disabilities advocate for themselves and to ensure the approach to helping the disability community is inclusive.

“I think, historically, too often, professionals have been placed in the role of helping people with disabilities,” she said. “I think that it’s important that we also figure out ways to empower and uplift those with disabilities so that their voices can be heard, and then they can have an impact on programs and services.”

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Dean’s Award 2023 – Holly Wilson uses triumph over her struggles to help others cope

Posted on May 5, 2023 by Daniel Wilson

Originally published May 5, 2023, by Sacramento State University Communications

For people who grow up experiencing trauma – whether physical or mental – learning to cope can be a long process.

Support systems for the traumatized are crucial.

Creating such systems is essential to Holly Rennee Wilson, 36. She will graduate summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in Child and Adolescent Development and be honored with this year’s Dean’s Award from the College of Education. Deans’ Awards are given annually at Commencement to seven outstanding graduating students, one for each of Sac State’s academic colleges.

“Honestly, it’s taken me so by surprise, and it’s been overwhelming, to say the least,” Wilson said. “I’m like, ‘there’s so many students here. I’m from a small town. There’s no way I’ll ever be seen here or noticed.’

“And I’m still worried, like, something bad is going to happen, (or) I’m not going to make it to the finish line. That’s what anxiety is.”

Wilson’s struggles with anxiety and complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) are a significant reason she pursued a career in psychological development and education.

Wilson was born in Modesto, the youngest of three children, and raised in Ceres. At age 11, she moved to Stockton, where she lived until returning to Modesto at about 22. Wilson’s mother and father were teen parents who did not attend college.

Her parents divorced when Wilson was a few months old. Her mother was in and out of rehab for substance abuse, and her father frequently was jailed. Wilson received support from her extended family and lived intermittently with her grandparents, a highly religious couple who employed tight discipline.

“My childhood is weird because I (had) this balance between strict Christian values of Mormonism. But with my mom, or my stepdad, or whoever, it was just like chaos,” she said.

After high school, Wilson attended Delta College but dropped out, unable to manage the pressure she felt. She worked in retail for several years and became a supervisor at a corporate chain. Wilson said she was fired from that job when she was six months pregnant. Again, she relied on family and friends as well as state resources while considering what to do next.

She eventually found education work as a paraprofessional in intervention, ultimately choosing to return to college hoping to improve “some of the structural social injustices in the school systems” she had observed.

Wilson graduated from Modesto Junior College with associate degrees in Social and Behavioral Sciences, Child Development, Early Childhood Education, and Psychology. She transferred to Sac State during the pandemic and realized she wanted to work with young adults rather than children.

“Originally, I was trying to be a credentialed special (education) teacher, which I’m still interested in doing,” Wilson, recipient of several scholarships and awards, said. “But I was realizing I’m really interested in the social-emotional aspects of some of the work, and so that’s kind of why I started exploring other fields.”

Wilson, who identifies as a cisgender pansexual, attends college while raising her son Levi with the help of her partner and fiancée Shannon Hess. Wilson continues working with an LGBTQ+ advocacy group at Modesto Junior College.  

Following her mother’s suicide, Wilson, then 23, struggled with alcohol abuse and depression. She said her own “reckless behavior and self-destruction” led to a suicide attempt. Now five years sober, Wilson said those experiences led to her desire to work with teenagers and young adults.

“(There are) a lot of people who might be in similar situations,” said Wilson, who will be the first in her family to earn a bachelor’s degree. “It’s easy to slip through the cracks because it’s really hard to see on the inside how bad it’s hurting, (and) what’s going on inside or at home.”

Sasha Sidorkin, dean of the College of Education, said Wilson created an after-school mentoring program for diverse youth in one of her Child and Adolescent classes. After graduation, Wilson plans to create a community center focused on art therapy, Sidorkin said.

“Holly exemplifies the qualities we seek in our students,” Sidorkin said. “Throughout her time at Sacramento State, Holly has actively mentored students in the Inclusion Special Needs Practicum and showcased her interest in counseling children. (She) has consistently demonstrated her commitment to early intervention and inclusion.”

Wilson also has been accepted to a Sac State master’s program in Child and Adolescent Development.

“I am so excited to continue this journey at Sac State, as this will be one step closer to teaching in higher education someday,” she said. “(Child Development) feels like home with my peers and professors, a place in education I belong, where I do the most healing as I seek to understand myself and others … (and work) to repair damage through alternative therapies to other trauma survivors.”

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Dean’s Award 2023 – Powering through problems leads to honors for Brennan Beell

Posted on May 5, 2023 by Daniel Wilson

Originally published May 5, 2023, by Sacramento State University Communications

When it comes to higher education, using brute force as an approach to learning might not be the first idea that comes to mind.

That method, however, worked best for Brennan Beell, 38.

“I didn’t want to play that role as a student, like, ‘Oh, yeah, I think I could do this problem, I’ll just move forward with it and maybe circle back to it later,’ ” Beell said. “I wanted to absolutely understand it from head to toe before I moved on.”

Upon transferring to Sac State from Lake Tahoe Community College during the COVID-19 pandemic, Beell continued to employ his all-out approach to studying. He describes it as working through challenges, reading his books, or spending as much time as needed on assignments until he feels like he totally understands a concept.

It paid off.

Beell is set to graduate magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and is the recipient of the Dean’s Award from the College of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS). Deans’ Awards are given annually at Commencement to seven outstanding graduating students, one for each of Sac State’s academic colleges.

“I’m more than grateful, to be honest,” Beell said. “To just be where I am is certainly a dream come true. I never thought this would happen.”

Beell overcame plenty to achieve success. When he was in his mid-20s, his 15-year-old sister needed a caretaker following a drug rehabilitation program. She could not be placed with her biological father or their mother because both had histories of drug abuse, so Beell stepped in, he said.

His sister’s probation terms dictated that she could not be around people she had associated with before her rehab, so Beell grounded her for several months. Eventually, she got a job and started down a better path.

“Things just kind of fell in place,” he said. “I don’t know if just the sheer fact of a little stability and money in her pocket made her realize that there was some warmth and security in that, but she turned her life around.”

His sister eventually graduated from high school, attended UC Davis, and graduated with a degree in Animal Biology.

“Through that process … was really when I started to take interest in my own academic drive,” said Beell, who had dropped out of high school after 10th grade.

“I knew it was (going to) be a little difficult because I didn’t really have … a lot of those core fundamental concepts of writing and history and mathematics. … So, I already knew I was at a disadvantage.”

During community college, Beell moved to Pollock Pines, about an hour’s commute from Lake Tahoe Community College. He and his wife were raising their young first son and Beell was working full time for the water quality department in South Lake Tahoe, removing debris from the water. He began working in that role at 18 and was promoted to supervisor toward the end of his time at community college.

Beell’s second son was born about this time, and Beell took on yet another responsibility in coaching his elder son’s youth soccer team. In addition, Beell frequently volunteered in his kids’ classrooms, something he did because he enjoyed it and it helped him bond with his children.

Beell had to adjust to attending Sac State classes mostly online at first, often sharing a small desk with his sons as they each attended their virtual classes during the pandemic shutdown.

Through it all, Beell’s full-speed-ahead approach to education carried him to educational success, leading to academic honors and opportunities to help his classmates.

“Brennan is an amazing story of persistence to finish his degree, while working to support others around him,” said ECS Dean Kevan Shafizadeh. “He has had many setbacks in his life, and his determination to help his family, then himself, then others is inspirational.”

After graduation, Beell said he hopes to apply his engineering skills to a field he wanted to study before he ultimately decided to attend Sac State.“I would love to definitely find myself in the biomedical field,” he said. “Whether it be furthering the quality control of prosthetics for people who lost an arm or leg, or some sort of person who has a speech impediment, or just needs assistance with activities of daily living.”

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Seven top graduates receive Deans’ Awards, and two are honored with President’s Medal

Posted on May 5, 2023 by Daniel Wilson

Originally published May 5, 2023, by Sacramento State University Communications

Every year, the dean of each of Sacramento State’s seven academic colleges bestows a prestigious award upon a student who stands out academically, professionally, and personally.

Recipients of the Deans’ Awards are considered the top graduates in their respective college and are selected by professors and administrators, who assess their academic and social contributions. These students exemplify what it means to be a Hornet, making an impact in the classroom, on campus, in the community, and in their personal lives.

Additionally, two of the seven students – Norma Sanchez and Aylaliya Assefa Birru – will be recognized with a President’s Medal of Honor, presented annually by President Robert S. Nelsen.

All of the recipients will be recognized during Commencement, May 19-21, at Golden 1 Center in downtown Sacramento.

Whether overcoming adversity, mentoring fellow students, advocating for and aiding in community outreach efforts, or meeting life’s challenges head-on with perseverance and strength, these students, many of whom started at the University during the pandemic, have gotten past roadblocks and succeeded in their educational aspirations.

As this year’s Commencement ceremonies approach, read each of the honorees’ stories below:

For more details about Commencement, visit csus.edu/commencement.

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