Alumni Association awards more than $8,000 in scholarships

Four alumni pursuing graduate degrees next academic year receive support

By California State University, Bakersfield

August 7^th, 2024

The California State University, Bakersfield Alumni Association recently awarded more than $8,000 in scholarships to four alumni who will be pursuing their graduate degrees on campus during the 2024-25 academic year.

Funding for the awards came from the Alumni Scholarship Endowment, established in 1990, and proceeds from fundraisers such as the CSUB Alumni Hall of Fame awards ceremony.

Our recipients include future teachers, counselors and more. We asked them to share, in their own words, a little more about their career plans and how the scholarship money will help them achieve their dreams.

Alumni Association awards more than $8,000 in scholarships

Jeff Luff

Studying: I am pursuing a master’s degree in social work with the goal of becoming a licensed mental health therapist. I believe many people will benefit from me earning my degree and becoming a mental health therapist. Furthering my education will allow me to reach my goals.

Future plans: I aspire to help others with achieving optimal wellbeing aspiration stemming from my losses. I am turning my life experiences into a positive outcome, and I am genuinely passionate about truly making a difference in the lives of many. This scholarship will afford me the opportunity to reach my goals.

What the scholarship means/how it will help: I am very grateful for the CSUB Alumni Association and their decision to select me as a recipient of their generous scholarship. This scholarship will help me tremendously in continuing to pursue my educational and career goals. After losing my mother and brother to suicide, I knew I had to take action. It became my calling to work toward ending suicide, which meant becoming educated with the knowledge and skills necessary to truly make a difference. I earned my bachelor’s degree in psychology from CSUB. When I chose to pursue graduate school, CSUB was my school of choice. I’ve enjoyed the campus, professors, administrative staff, and the overall environment. As a military veteran, I am especially appreciative of the Veterans Success Center. My experience at CSUB has been special, rewarding and memorable.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?: Thank you to the CSUB Alumni Association for your generous contribution. To achieve my goals and aspirations, I must continue to further my education. Your contribution will allow me to achieve my passion and future success while changing lives. I want to make sure everyone on this planet is certain that they have a place in this world, and they deserve to be here.

Fernando Hernandez Cortez

Studying: I am intrigued to be continuing in my second year of my master’s program and can’t wait to learn more skills and apply them in the K-12 education setting. I am passionate about helping the youth in Kern County in any way that I can. My goal is to eventually become a high school counselor and obtain an Ed.D. in the future.

Future plans: I aspire to be a school counselor in my community to give back and see the next generation of students become special professionals and workers. I love to help out my community in any way possible.

What the scholarship means/how it will help: I would like to thank the scholarship committee of the CSUB Alumni Scholarship. The CSUB Alumni Association has always committed to helping students like me build opportunities at CSUB and in our community. With that same energy and passion, I am super thankful to receive this honor of an award. Thank you to all the donors and their generosity in investing in the future of `Runners here at CSUB. Last year in May, I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sociology, and this was not possible without all the help I had along my journey. I could have not done this alone. Upon completing my degree, I was motivated by my mentors to continue my educational journey and reach for higher.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?: Without the mentorship I have received, I wouldn’t have made it this far in my education. I will be using this scholarship to help me reach my goals by helping me pay for my tuition and use it as a resource to sustain myself in the master’s program economically. This award will allow me to have more time to study, since I had to pick up a full-time job and full-time graduate school to make ends meet. I will make it a commitment to finish another year strong and to continue planting seeds that will one day produce lots of fruit in my community. Once again, in huge appreciation, I thank you so much for choosing me as a recipient of the CSUB Alumni Association Scholarship. I will make it a commitment to finish another year strong and to continue planting seeds that will one day produce lots of fruit in my community.

Julissa Guadalupe Servin

Studying: By furthering my education [with a master’s degree in educational counseling], I hope to be a role model and make a positive impact on students. I want to be a high school counselor because students are often unaware of the various opportunities that are available to them, and I genuinely want to assist them.

Future plans: My career goal is to complete the Master of Educational Counseling program with the personnel pupil services credential this Fall 2024. I also plan to pass my CSETs in mathematics this year. Once I pass my CSETs, I would like to start job-seeking to be a high school math teacher. When hired as a teacher, I would also like to be a volleyball coach and club advisor to be involved on campus. After a couple of years and once a position opens, I would like to be a high school or community college counselor.

What the scholarship means/how it will help: Thank you for making this scholarship possible! You are an immense blessing because money is always a barrier. This scholarship will make a difference in my education because you will give me financial support to continue pursuing my career as a school counselor.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?: With your support, you will help me get closer to my aspirations! I am grateful that organizations like yours exist to help college students like me to further their education.

Yadira Ayala

Studying: By furthering my education as I complete courses for a master’s in curriculum and instruction, I hope to one day be able to contribute to the creation of the curriculum so that it can more adequately represent all of our diverse students and their funds of knowledge.

Future plans: I aspire to be an elementary educator in my hometown. After completing my multiple-subject teaching credential program this spring, I was able to determine that teaching is truly my passion. I am currently in search of a teaching position in Kern County, but I have not yet heard back from districts. Since I was not able to work and complete my student teaching requirement at the same time, I have limited funds available to go towards my schooling. This scholarship will help me reach my goals by funding part of my tuition and alleviating the financial stress I am under. This contribution is going to help me learn an abundance of strategies and techniques that can be used in the classroom to best prepare my students for the future.

What the scholarship means/how it will help: This scholarship will provide some sense of relief as I strive to further my education and obtain a master’s in education. I am currently unemployed and was only able to be a substitute teacher for a limited time due to my student teaching program. As a daughter of immigrant parents, I am beyond grateful to have financial assistance to advance in my education.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?: I would like to once again thank the donors for their kind generosity. Thanks to you, I will be completing the master’s program in the fall to advance my knowledge and become the educator that all students deserve to have. I thank you for investing in my future so that I can invest in my community.

When you support Party in the Park, you help students like Jeff, Julissa, Fernando and Yadira pursue their grad school dreams. Buy tickets for the Alumni Association’s signature fall fundraiser now!