People

Age and Obstacles Don’t Deter Anthropology Major from Pursuing Her Degree
After overcoming obstacles throughout her life, anthropology major Cecelia Lore is utilizing the CSU's fee waiver to pursue her degree.

Worth Sharing: Spring-Season Student Athletes Earn All-West Academic Honors
A listing of professional achievements by Chico State faculty, staff, and students.

The League Paves Pathways of Possibilities for Local Youth
The League changes the lives of local high school students. Just ask Markel Hardman and Kanye Parham, who just completed their first year of college and are now part of a push to make its impact even greater.

Five Faculty Recognized with Professional Achievement Honors
Faculty from across the University are recognized for their research, scholarly contributions, and excellence in academia.

Football Alumni Raise Funds for Athletics Scholarships
The Wildcat Football Alumni Board plans to award five scholarships during its annual summer gathering and fundraiser.

Office Hours: School of Social Work Professor Sue Steiner
With a heart for social justice and a drive to elevate communities. the School of Social Work's Sue Steiner was recognized with the Office of Civic Engagement's Civically Engaged Scholar Award.

Off-Road Vehicle Club Drives Mechanical Engineering Major Toward His Dream Career
Treyton Wood has devoted the last five years of his undergraduate experience to national competition of off-road vehicles. As a real-world, hands-on learning experience, it was foundational for his education.

Engineering Success: Students Solve Real-World Problems
From self-cleaning pool robots to a self-stabilizing spoon for Parkinson’s patients, engineering students demonstrate their ingenuity at the ECC Senior Design Capstone Project Expo.

Grad Student and Horror Fan LEAPs into Editing and Publishing
Horror publisher Benjamin Vandersluis credits Chico State’s “killer” English Department for expanding his view of the genre and sparking his love for literary editing and publishing.

Connecting Generations Through Understanding
On the cusp of receiving her master’s in psychology, Pa Yang (Psychology, ’21) reflects on the value of her work and the ideas behind it: making her community stronger, more connected, and (hopefully) happier.

Earth and Environmental Sciences Grad Student Driven by Social Issues
Graduate student Claire-Marie Kooi loves studying the Earth because "everything impacts something else." Kooi is making quite an impact as well in her work at UC Berkeley, and in the field of environmental justice.

Grad Student Farmer Grows Case for Marrying Agriculture With the Natural World
With her master’s thesis—a collaborative effort to study the effects of agroecology on her almond farm—Chico State graduate student Raquel Krach confirmed what the birds have been telling her. It’s working!

KCSC Radio Alumna Reflects on Chico’s Music Scene During the ’80s
Free-spirited alumna Toni Smith chose to come to Chico on a whim and ended up following her dream of becoming an underground DJ here.

Reflections on Retirement
University President Gayle Hutchison reflects on her storied tenure as Chico State's top official, during her final semester.

Baseball Alum Leans Into His Legacy
Chico State Baseball alumnus Eric Angerer reflects on holding the program's all-time record for times hit-by-pitch.

Passport to Self-Discovery
Since 2016, approximately 1,600 Wildcats have studied abroad at one of 200 locations across 35 countries. Students share their stories from both flight paths.

Journeys of Self-Discovery to Uruguay and Cuba
For Victoria Villaseñor, breaking away from routine and predictability was part of the experience she wanted during two experiences abroad.

Bollywood Dance Club Founder Finds a Sense of Home at Chico State
In two years, International student Aishwarya Gowda has already made her mark on campus. To her, the biggest impact has been finding herself and her community here on campus.

Embracing Chico State’s Welcoming Student Atmosphere
Haeryeong Cheong, who came to Chico State from South Korea to study animal science, reflects on his journey over the last three years.

Molecular Biology Student Turns ‘Beautiful Disasters’ into Lifelong Call to Service
Hikmat Abou Shahla has spent his formative years stepping up to help during seasons of global crisis. He is set to graduate and continue on the path of service.

International Relations Senior Makes the Most of Debut Trip to South Korea
When Mark Arey's dream of visiting Japan was put on hold during the pandemic, he embraced a year-long journey to Seoul and thrived during his first international trip.

Graduating Senior Follows ‘Role Model’s’ Footsteps to Florence, Italy
Harnessing a long-held desire to travel, political science and international relations major, Humberto Partida, made his own dream come true by studying in Florence, Italy for a semester.

Worth Sharing: Chico State Trio Acknowledged as ‘Women of Distinction’
A listing of professional achievements by Chico State faculty, staff, and students.

Wildcats’ Triple Threat: Myli Martinez
Basketball player Myli Martinez's three-point bombs have placed her in the program's record books.

Class Notes: Spring 2023
Whether it's starting a new business, writing a book, or achieving a lifelong dream, the Wildcat family continues to reach milestones. Alumni share professional and personal updates for spring 2023.

Path to Prominence
In 2016, Gayle Hutchinson began her presidential term with an ambitious punch list. Having checked off almost everything during the last seven years, she prepares to begin another chapter.

Business Double Major Ready for Life’s Next Big Challenge
More than 10 years ago, Hirra Khan moved from Pakistan to Gridley as a pre-teen. She will now graduate with one degree in business administration and another in business information systems, and an impressive work résumé.

Expanded CalFresh Eligibility Brings Food Access to More Chico State Students
More Chico State students can now qualify for CalFresh benefits to access food, thanks to expanded eligibility requirements.

Worth Sharing: Health Services Administration College Bowl Team Scores Wins
A listing of professional achievements by Chico State faculty, staff, and students.

Life of Hard Work Pays Off for Agricultural Business Major
Zion Brigham says coming to Chico State: “felt like going from a black and white TV to full color.” He graduates in May with an agricultural business degree and a clear vision for what’s ahead.

Fond Farewell: Retired Librarian Joel Leonard
With a strong personality and a lot of joy, Joel Leonard embraced his job as librarian as one with a primary mission of supporting students.

Rooted in Connection: The Wildcat Family Tree
Attending college is a significant milestone for any student, but for many, enrolling at Chico State is both a personal achievement and a family tradition.

Identical Twins Follow Different Dreams
Relying on each other for support, Vanessa and Viviana Mendoza discover their own identity in college.

Pitch-Perfect Wildcats
Thirteen sets of siblings have donned the cardinal and white of the Wildcats, and the men's soccer program’s legacy is becoming intergenerational.

Five Siblings Fulfill Father’s Dream
Salvador Hernandez left a remarkable legacy as his five children earned college degrees from Chico State, fulfilling his dream.

Mother, Son Turned Classmates Learn From Each Other
Kevin LaCombe and Evone LaCombe were overlapping kinesiology students for two semesters—an experience the mother and son called unique and inspiring.

Degrees of Hope and Opportunity
The patriarch of the Yang family wanted to see all of his children earn college degrees. All 10 of them did from Chico State.

Crossed Paths Lead Back to Chico
Recreation Administration majors Suzy and Paul McCreary fell in love at Chico State, and they built their lives around their shared love for their school and giving back.

Child Development Major Owes Success to Her Grandmother
Overcoming obstacles and adversity as a child, Abigail Resendez is ready to graduate with a degree in child development—and it was her grandmother who helped make it possible.

Chico State Recognizes 2022–23 Outstanding Faculty
These awards—among the highest at Chico State—celebrate eight phenomenal faculty for academic distinction, prominent scholarship, and commitment to transformative experiences.