Philanthropy
Alum and CEO Creates Joy In Serving Others
After fleeing China as a child with his family, alum Norman Tu has found success in business and joy in life by making it happen all on his own.
Alum Establishes Scholarship to Support Students Advancing Social Justice
To honor George Floyd, alum Farshad Azad founded a scholarship supporting students fighting for social justice—40 years after he first experienced racism himself.
Answering the Community’s Call
Creating sanitation kids, supplying protective equipment, and donating blood, Wildcats put their heart into community service
Fond Farewell: Alumna and Philanthropist Marilyn Warrens
Marilyn Warrens' life was characterized by her steadfast dedication to civic and community service, which included a significant and lasting connection to Chico State.
The Power of Perseverance and a Gift
Scholarship support and determination are making animal science major Cassidy Sabral's dream to be a large-animal vet come true.
Engineering an Icon
Students and faculty within the College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Construction Management are key players in the rebuild of the Honey Run Covered Bridge and adjacent caretaker home.
Feeding a Grieving Community
While recreation administration students volunteer to feed meals for Paradise residents, they're also witnessing a community coming together.
Wildcats Rising
Three students share how they are moving forward in the wake of the Camp Fire, with support of a Strada Wildcats Rise Scholarship.
Destroyed Piano Plays on in Student Scholarships
The family of legendary professor C. Robert Laxson donated the insurance payout for a cherished heirloom lost in the Camp Fire to an endowment for music students.
5 Questions with Distinguished Alumnus Michael Halldorson
Inspired by his professor Janet Turner, Michael Halldorson ('69, '71) has devoted his life to a legacy of giving back and sharing art with others.
Navarrete Comes Full-Circle as New Director of Bands
Chris Navarrete has big shoes to fill as the new director of bands—and there's nobody better-suited to fill them.
‘Adopt An Acre’ Catches Critters on Camera
With support from the Adopt An Acre program, student researchers are using trail cameras to get a snapshot of the wildlife that roams the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve.
School of Social Work Secures $850,000 Gift for Superior Region Endowment
Chico State’s School of Social Work received an $850,000 donation for its Distributed Learning Program (DLP) to help provide accessible education in the North State.
Message on a Box: Chico State Alum Helps Feed Today’s Wildcats
Student employees at the Hungry Wildcat Food Pantry were unpacking a food delivery when they came across a hand-written note on one of the boxes. Who was JBM?
From Now On
Five students, faculty, and staff who lost their homes in the Camp Fire share how their lives have changed since that fateful morning. Each has their own challenges and hopes for the future.
Setting an Example
Jaime Valdovinos left his home in Mexico alone at age 17 to pursue an education. Now a first-generation college graduate eyeing law school, he hopes to be an example for his 14 siblings.
When Community Calls
The local foundation Alexa Benson-Valavanis shaped to support area nonprofits suddenly went global last fall as one of the main places to donate during the Camp Fire.
Imagineer Day Stirs Young STEM Minds
Led by the Society of Women Engineers, Chico State hosted more than 220 local K-8 students at its seventh annual Imagineer Day.
With Alumni Donations, Business Students Dress the Part
Dressing to impress can be a struggle for qualified but cash-strapped business students seeking jobs. That's where the Professional Attire Fund comes in.
12 Students Honored With Rawlins Merit Awards
The award—one of the largest and most prestigious at Chico State—celebrates scholarship, extracurricular activities, and outstanding academic and professional accomplishments.
Wildcats Rise Supports Hundreds of Students, Employees
The Wildcats Rise Fire Recovery Fund has distributed more than $661,000 to 534 students, faculty, and staff impacted by wildfire since early November.
Fond Farewell: Philanthropist and Honorary Doctorate Recipient Steve Nettleton
Steve Nettleton, known for his generous service to the community, was the second in the University’s history to earn an honorary doctorate.
Planting Hope, Harvesting Joy
For their final project, "Agricultural Leadership" students raised more than $35,000 in toys, blankets, backpacks, gift cards, and other gifts for schools and families directly impacted by the Camp Fire.
Alum Brings Healing with #ButteStrong Design
It took Chico State alum Zac Acker less than three minutes to sketch out the design, & when he posted it on the 12 Volt Tattoo Facebook page, it was clear the #ButteStrong design was a remembrance for what Paradise residents had lost in the Camp Fire—as well as what it still had.
Beer-Crafting Alums Respond With Resilience
Answering the call to raise money for the Sierra Nevada Camp Fire Relief Fund, brewers from across the country have signed on to sell Resilience, an IPA crafted from donated ingredients and packaged in Sierra Nevada cans.
Chico State Cyclists Circle up to Help Teammate
Some teammates are just teammates. But when one member of the Chico State Cycling Team asked for help building a line break around his home as the Camp Fire marched through the foothills, his teammates didn’t hesitate to help.
Chico State Greeks Join Forces to Provide For Evacuees
With Phi Kappa Tau leading the way in rounding up donations, Chico State fraternities and sororities came together with a big day-one donation drive to provide for evacuees and victims of the Camp Fire.
Teachers Help Teachers Color Classrooms with Love
School of Education students joined educators from across Butte County to Color a Classroom with Love, providing Paradise teachers who lost their classrooms in the Camp Fire with a start on the supplies they need to resume teaching.
Students Care for Evacuees’ Physical and Mental Wellness
Dozens of cots lined East Avenue Church in tidy rows, a stark contrast to the chaos from which Camp Fire evacuees fled. Every face reflected the effects of exhaustion mixed with terror, the air of uncertainty as thick as the smoke outside.
Student Team Lends a Hand to Help Livestock
Combining love of agriculture with large animal expertise, the Livestock Judging Team cleaned pens and fed donkeys, horses, llamas and other creatures displaced by the Camp Fire.
Harnessing the Power of Purchasers
Chico State purchasing staff put their unique expertise to work for the county's Camp Fire taskforce responsible for sourcing, buying, and paying for critical supplies.
Feeding Those Affected by the Flames
The nonprofit World Central Kitchen has served up thousands of meals for Camp Fire first responders and evacuees—efforts fueled by Chico State volunteers.
Creating Comfort and Order out of Chaos
When a group of Chico State students found a Camp Fire evacuation shelter in need of aid to track those in its care who were displaced, establish a medical records system, and help with filling prescriptions, they launched into action.
Answering the Call for Care
In the wake of the Camp Fire, all volunteers are being routed through the nonprofit Caring Choices. Students, employees, and alumni are helping lead the charge of vetting and assigning applicants where they are needed most.
University Foundation Board Aids Campus with Special Endowment Awards
More than $115,000 has been awarded to 12 programs and projects to enhance research and mentorship, increase hands-on learning opportunities, and support student success.
It all adds up for award-winning accounting alumna
As Ashley Casey has taken on greater challenges in her career as an accountant—making a professional name for herself on the state and national levels—she has also developed a love for giving back.
Living Her Dream
The opening of the Kristina Chesterman Memorial Clinic in Nigeria marked a dream come true, not only for its namesake but for faculty, classmates, and students who follow in her footsteps.
No Room for Error
Corina Yetter has waited more than 20 years to finish her bachelor's degree, and faced incredible odds along the way.
A Love for Humanity
In act of global service, nursing professor Faye Mitchell-Brown led a team 10 of students on a trip to provide health care in rural Mexico.
University Tackles Students’ Most Basic Needs: Housing and Hunger
After a 2016 report showed nearly one in four students in the California State University system is going hungry, Chico State aims to ensure no student faces food or housing insecurity while in pursuit of an education.