Civil rights leader celebrates new Gandhi Center

Rev. James Lawson speaks at Fresno State.

On Feb. 18, Rev. James Lawson Jr. joined a Zoom gathering with Drs. Ravi and Naina Patel, community members, campus leaders, students and faculty from Fresno State as they announced the creation of the “M.K. Gandhi Center: Inner Peace and Sarvodaya.” 

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This week on Fresno State Focus…

Fresno State Focus television studio

This week on Fresno State Focus Anchors Anissa Martinez and Karl Cooke Jr. will take us into the Fresno Chaffee Zoo to take a peek into the animal life there.

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Student of Distinction: Lauren Heard

Student of Distinction: Lauren Heard

“This is what I pursue: storytelling through design. Currently, I am applying to production design internships, intending to later pursue a master’s degree with the goal of becoming a production designer and arts educator.”  

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Student of Distinction: Peyton Esraelian

Student of Distinction: Peyton Esraelian

“After graduating from Fresno State, my next course of action is to continue teaching and performing in the Fresno area while I work towards auditioning for a master’s program in percussion performance. The ultimate goal for my career is to earn a position with a full-time professional symphony orchestra while working with a wide variety of students.”

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Student of Distinction: Amanda Steinhauer

Student of Distinction: Amanda Steinhauer

“After graduating, I will be pursuing a career in private music teaching and am currently planning to live and teach abroad in Luxembourg, Europe, while teaching lessons virtually to students in Selma and around the Valley. Down the road, I will continue furthering my academic career.”

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Student of Distinction: Andrea Ramirez Arana

Student of Distinction: Andrea Ramirez Arana

“My future plans include obtaining my teaching credentials and a Master’s degree of Arts in Spanish. I also see myself teaching in a dual-immersion classroom, helping kids and parents who don’t know English. That would be one of the ways in which I would love to give back to the community.”

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Student of Distinction: German Cervantes Ledesma

Student of Distinction: German Cervantes Ledesma

“My plan for the future is to keep teaching Spanish in Higher Education. As a long-term goal, later in the future, I will pursue a Ph.D. in Mexican and Latin American literature and teach in a four-year university, hopefully, Fresno State.”

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Student of Distinction: Tony Salazar

Student of Distinction: Tony Salazar

“Nonetheless, what’s essential for me is that I want to give a voice to the voiceless and give back to my community—as I have lived here throughout my entire life. By becoming involved in school and maintaining my good grades, I am confident that I will call this dream a reality.”

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Student of Distinction: Kiana Reyes

Student of Distinction: Kiana Reyes

“As for my goals and plans after graduation, I hope to work for an institution where I can assist those struggling in communication due to language barriers. I hope to be a bridge for those who need a multilingual channel of communication as an interpreter, translator, or teacher for students learning English.”

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Student of Distinction: Sho Akamine

Student of Distinction: Sho Akamine

“After fostering my continued development and my ability to contribute to the field of cognitive and psycholinguistics in the Ph.D. program, I desire to achieve my goals of becoming both a researcher and an educator charged with communicating to students the fascination of the associations between language and the mind.”

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Student of Distinction: Janette Lopez Villalobos

Student of Distinction: Janette Lopez Villalobos

“Janette is a wonder and a marvel: the word that best describes her is ‘ardent.’ She is impassioned and energetic, yet always shows care and respect for others. With deep roots in the Central Valley, Janette is an advocate for the transformational power of education,” said Steve Adisasmito-Smith, associate professor of comparative and world literature, Department of English.

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Student of Distinction: Carolina Vasquez Mata

Student of Distinction: Carolina Vasquez Mata

“After graduating, I plan to teach at the college level and to continue work as an editor and start my own literary journal that focuses on experimental genre fiction from BIPOC, queer, fat and disabled communities.”

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Student of Distinction: Mary Sosa

Student of Distinction: Mary Sosa

“I have devoted my professional and academic work to supporting positive change within my community and I hope to continue my work at the City college level after graduation. Working to support one another and fostering a sense of agency, be it in formal or informal learning contexts is intrinsic to humanity.”

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Student of Distinction: Laura Trickett

Student of Distinction: Laura Trickett

“When I accidentally became a communication major, I thought I was signing up for four years of education. I didn’t know that it would lead to meeting amazing peers turned life-long friends, intentional professors turned life-long mentors, and a simple internship turned a life-long career.” 

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Student of Distinction: Lauryn Flores

Student of Distinction: Lauryn Flores

“As I prepare to complete my master’s degree and move on to law school, I have certainly seen the ways in which our words – our commitment to communication that uplifts and protects, create a more beautiful world for the people around us.”

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Student of Distinction: Isabella Gonzalez

Student of Distinction: Isabella Gonzalez

“Isabella is a remarkable person and creative designer whose qualifications are commendable. She excels in her coursework, specifically in the advanced graphic design courses where she has produced exceptional projects that exemplify outstanding design, research, creativity and craftsmanship,” said Martin R Valencia, Professor, Graphic Design/Illustration. 

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