By Jeff Ristine
Six San Diego State University students were selected as 2018-19 Sally Casanova Scholars, a California State University award to help students continue their education in doctoral programs.
In addition to a $3,000 pre-doctoral scholarship, recipients are assisted through one-on-one mentorship from a faculty mentor and opportunities to work with faculty from doctoral-granting institutions. The awards are open to upper-division undergraduate and graduate students.
This year’s SDSU Sally Casanova Scholars, their major areas of study, and their faculty mentors are:
- Ariana Romero, graduate student, educational leadership (specialization in student affairs in postsecondary education) — Mentor: Felisha Herrera Villareal
- Lorelay Mendoza, undergraduate student, environmental engineering — Mentor: Natalie Mladenov
- Ellen Kuang, graduate student, chemistry — Mentor: Erica Forsberg
- Joshua Hudson, graduate student, sociology — Mentor: Minjeong Kim
- Adoril Oshana, undergraduate student, psychology, information systems — Mentor: Kate Hattrup
- Elizabeth Villanueva, undergraduate student, child development — Mentor: Margaret Friend
All six recipients are first-generation college students.
The scholarship funding helps defray the costs associated with visits to doctoral-granting institutions to explore opportunities for continued study and travel to professional meetings. It also can be used for graduate school applications, test fees and research materials, among other expenses.
The SDSU recipients are among 75 Sally Casanova Scholars for the upcoming academic year, selected by a committee of CSU and University of California representatives from among 304 applications. CSU’s Pre-Doctoral Program is intended in part to increase diversity within faculty ranks by supporting the doctoral aspirations of students, particularly those who have experienced economic and educational disadvantages.
The award is named in memory of a former associate vice president for academic affairs and dean of graduate studies at CSU Dominguez Hills who launched the pre-doctoral program in 1989.
