CSUB provides ‘tools’ for graduate to help others

Freddy Miranda earns degree in religious studies

By California State University, Bakersfield

May 9^th, 2025

Religious studies major Freddy Miranda remembers the first time he realized he could use his knowledge of the world’s religions to help someone.

While serving a two-year residency as a chaplain at Adventist Health Bakersfield, he was asked to visit a hospice patient. Upon entering their room, Miranda noticed a Buddha figure next to the patient. Having become familiar with Buddhism due to his CSUB classes, Miranda asked him if he wanted to talk about it.

“He put on the biggest smile,” he said. “He talked to me about his religious beliefs, his childhood, his family. The nurses and staff told me they hadn’t seen him smile in days. That was very impactful for me, and I think for the patient as well.”

Miranda said he’s not sure he would have felt comfortable asking patients about their religious beliefs if not for the knowledge he gained from his classes.

“Religious studies opens up more opportunities for me to help people, because now I’m very familiar with their religions and their backgrounds,” he said. “I’m here to help out as much as I can on that path, and I have the tools for it thanks to CSUB.”

Miranda is graduating from the university this May with his bachelor’s in religious studies and a minor in psychology. It’s been a long road, having started his higher education journey at Bakersfield College in 2001 before dropping out at age 19 to join the U.S. Marine Corps following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

It would take Miranda over 20 years before he would return to college.

“CSUB has been great,” he said. “It’s very exciting to graduate, but I’m a little nervous as well about what comes next.”

Miranda wants to pursue a career in social work and eventually become a counselor. He will begin attending the University of Southern California starting this summer to participate in the online Master of Social Work program.

Miranda didn’t initially intend for a career in social work, but his experience as a chaplain changed his perspective on how he could apply his degree. The residency was part of a program offered by Adventist Health through the College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy that Miranda completed while also doing his undergraduate work at CSUB.

“I was just expecting a lot of prayer and talking about God, but it was so much more about psychology and psychotherapy,” he said of the residency. “About 90% of my clients didn’t require prayer. They just needed someone to talk to, to listen.”

That also included patients who only spoke Spanish. Miranda was able to utilize his bilingual talents to help patients who were struggling with the language barrier.

“They were so thankful that someone spoke Spanish and was able to listen to them and their life stories. It was beautiful,” he said.

Miranda was nervous about starting the residency — as he had no prior experience with being a chaplain — but he found it to be a very fulfilling experience, not only because he was able to apply what he was learning at CSUB but also because he was able to help patients on more than just a spiritual level.

“I loved every second of being a chaplain, because it allowed me to help out my community in more than just a religious way. That’s when I realized social work was the right path for me,” he said. “I not only got the tools to help people — I became a good listener, a good mentor, and that helped me also in my personal life with my wife and son. I listen more. I’m more empathetic.”

While he has completed the residency, Miranda has continued to volunteer as a chaplain at the hospital.

Miranda while serving as a chaplain at Adventist Health Bakersfield

'Like something out of a movie'

Miranda understands firsthand how much of an impact social work and therapy can have. After serving in the Marines from 2002 through 2006, Miranda decided to leave the military and return to civilian life.

“I made the best out of a lot of bad situations, but it was tough. I realized that life wasn’t for me,” he said.

Miranda found himself struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder while living in Los Angeles after completing his contract with the Marines. After being arrested multiple times for driving under the influence and serving some jail time, Miranda realized he needed to make a change to improve his quality of life.

“I was thinking ‘My life isn’t going anywhere. Something’s wrong with me,’” he said. “I had secluded myself from family and friends. I was homeless and I had nowhere to go.”

Miranda went to his local Veterans Affairs office and asked for help. A social worker was able to connect him with a facility in Hollywood that specifically served veterans where he could receive treatment, including individual and group therapy. Although he expected to be there for just a few weeks, Miranda ended up staying for eight months.

“I felt at home, at peace. I could relate a lot to what everyone else was going through,” he said.

After leaving the center, Miranda felt his life was in a much better place. He wanted to go back to college and considered doing so in LA, but ended up moving back to Bakersfield due to the lower cost of living. He resumed his education at Bakersfield College in 2022, got his associate degree and transferred to CSUB a year later.

“I was committed to getting an education, and my military background gave me the discipline to do it,” he said. “It was like something out of a movie to walk on a big campus and be a college student. It was a really good feeling.”

Miranda said he’s been able to develop strong relationships with his professors at CSUB, as well as fellow religious studies majors.

“No matter what our backgrounds are, we were all connecting because of religious studies,” he said. “It was like being back in the military.”

One of the faculty members Miranda has developed a close bond with has been Assistant Professor of Religious Studies Dr. Joseph Florez, who said Miranda has been a devoted student.

“Over the last several years, I watched Freddy grow not only as a leader among his peers in the classroom, but also as a keen thinker who brings his life experiences to bear on topics like religious literacy, pluralism and social justice,” he said. “His efforts to help others understand their experiences as a valid source of knowledge and wisdom are admirable, but also necessary in any community that seeks greater understanding of our society’s diverse and changing character.”

In addition to his time at CSUB, Miranda has been doing his part to help other veterans. He worked part-time for two years at the Bakersfield Vet Center, where he helped set up appointments for clients, hand out materials and participate in events.

For the past several months, Miranda has been doing outreach work for the Wounded Heroes Fund, an organization that supports Kern County veterans and their families through grants, food distributions and other programs.

“It’s very rewarding to be able to help out other veterans in so many ways,” he said. “I was a veteran who was in need of dire help, and now I’m able now to help out others.”

Casey Schaubschlager, director of programs and outreach for the Wounded Heroes Fund, said Miranda stands out at the organization due to his dedication to serving veterans and their families, both at work and beyond.

“In the office, he consistently delivers exceptional results while fostering a collaborative environment,” he said. “Beyond his job duties, Freddy’s commitment to personally assisting veterans demonstrates his exceptional character and sense of service. His dual dedication to workplace excellence and veteran support makes him not just a valuable employee but an inspirational colleague whose impact extends well beyond our office walls.”

For Miranda, these educational and professional endeavors are all part of an effort to help people in the community in any way he can as a way of giving back for the assistance he has received himself over the years.

“It’s a feeling of doing God’s work. It’s about trying to do human kindness,” he said. “We all see how bad the world is, but there’s so much good out there — we just don’t see it as much. It gives me satisfaction when I’m doing good work and helping others. It’s very rewarding.”