“After graduating from the University of the Pacific with a degree in Percussion Performance in the spring of 2019, I have done my best to contribute to the community that helped raise me.”
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“My first approach to a community college was purely out of curiosity, as realistically, I didn’t see myself attending one as being feasible. Being an immigrant, who left my parents at the age of fifteen, now a single mother with a minimum-wage job, I knew it would require great sacrifices to embark on such an academic journey.”
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“Chloe has consistently impressed me, along with most everyone else on the faculty, with her initiative and level of achievement.” Dr. Sean Fulop, professor and chair of the Department of Linguistics.
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Luis Granados Torres is a graduate student receiving his M.A. in English literature. He is a graduate Dean’s Medal nominee from the Department of English.
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Jessica Bonstein is a graduate student receiving her M.A. in communication and is the graduate Dean’s Medal nominee from the Department of Communication.
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“Everyone has a voice, and it sometimes takes people a lifetime to find it. I have found mine at this university. My story isn’t sad but one of perseverance. I have an endless list of people who believed in me; without them, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
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“Ultimately, theatre can be an instrument of change, and I aspire to help bring about that change.”
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“What stands out in her writing is that she identifies the central philosophical issue and the resources needed to address it —down to the sentences in the readings that express the most pertinent and persuasive justifications for a view — without fear of challenging distinctions and multi-faceted claims.” ~ Dr. Mariana Anagnostopoulos, associate professor of philosophy.
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“My my senior year of high school I knew that I wanted to pursue a degree in music as it had become my greatest passion.” ~ Alexandra Cota
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“Language is more than words, and a narrative is more than just a summary of someone’s life; it comes with the full completeness of who they are, their background and everything they are capable of contributing to the world.” ~ Lillian Hammerstrom
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“The MCJ department and College of Arts and Humanities have nurtured my creativity, gave me the opportunity to make new lifelong connections and the courage to follow my dreams of becoming a filmmaker.” ~ Jennifer-Juliette Marissa Riojas
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“She is an excellent student, an outstanding researcher, a community activist and a wonderful representative for the field of linguistics.” ~ Dr. John Boyle, assistant professor of linguistics.
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Natalie Vasquez is an undergraduate student receiving her B.A. in English studies and a minor in Chicano/Latino studies. She is the Dean’s Medal nominee from the Department of English.
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Biance Palma is an undergraduate student receiving her B.A. in communication and minoring in media, communications and journalism and English literature. She is the Dean’s Medal nominee from the Department of Communication.
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Grace Morrow is an undergraduate student receiving her B.A. in art history and is the Dean’s Medal nominee from the Department of Art, Design and Art History.
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“I seek to address how the effects of trauma and limited scopes of personhood shape identity. In both my studio work and thesis scholarship, I investigate what it means to be ‘human’ across time.”
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“I plan to be the first person in my family with ‘Ph.D.’ after her name. I am hopeful for the new relationships that I will make in my future, and I am grateful that it has all started within the space of Fresno State.”
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“At Fresno State, I, for the first time in my life, felt accepted and found a sense of belonging. I was encouraged to write poetry about the experience of farm laborers, tell the story of my grandparents and delve into topics that have been underrepresented.”
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“I grew up silenced and sheltered from society, but through education, community and art, I’ve discovered a place in a world I didn’t believe had space for me.”
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“My goal is to utilize both my linguistics and TESOL degrees to further our understanding of autism from the perspective of both linguistics and education.”
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“Juggling work, school, marriage life, experiencing an ectopic pregnancy and commuting two hours to attend classes while also maintaining a 4.0 GPA has been a challenge. However, in a few months, I’ll be the first one in my family to graduate with a master’s degree, and I couldn’t be prouder of myself.”
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“Jordan is very passionate about his art and has a strong desire to share that passion with not only his current colleagues but future music students.” ~ Dr. Cari Earnhart
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“My ultimate goal is to create an art school for children in Yemen. For them, art can serve as a means of escape, a symbol of hope, a form of self-expression, and even therapy.”
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“I will take all the skills obtained in my communication degree and strive for social justice and inclusivity among my peers, not only in my career but wherever life takes me.”
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“My ultimate goal is to earn a Ph.D., eventually teaching at a university while contributing to the emerging field of Indigenous-focused environmental humanities.”
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“I am grateful for all the skills and education I have gained here. I am excited to use those skills to give back to our community in a deeply meaningful way by preserving our Central Valley languages.”
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“I aspire to a master’s degree in linguistics and then a doctorate because I am interested in never stopping learning so as to never stop teaching.”
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“I had not won an unlucky lottery, but rather, a second chance at life and an opportunity to spread the healing power of creativity.”
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“Finding it within myself that I want to be a teacher and mentor to students and make such an impact on them that my directors and professors have made on me is what I thrive for.”
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“A key takeaway from ancient philosophy is the idea that philosophy is not only a form of study; rather, it is a way of life. [D]espite facing adversities, one is still able to bloom.”
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“As I enter the entertainment industry as an early career professional, I am committed to emphasizing diversity and inclusion in my work. I strive to be a voice to move the entertainment industry forward to include the perspectives and stories of many.”
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“Without Art, I don’t know how my life would turn out. For it gives me purpose, discipline and constant self-discovery. Your words of encouragement, advice and critique have shaped me to become what I am today, and I am very grateful.”
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“Studying philosophy at Fresno State has altered my perception of the world and called me to action. I am no longer freezing or starving on a park bench, but some people are freezing and starving on a park bench, and it is for them that I take this next step forward.”
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Meet the 2022 College of Arts and Humanities Dean’s Medalists and Students of Distinction.
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“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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“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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“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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“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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“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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“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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“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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“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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“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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“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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“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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“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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“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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“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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“From a young age, I have recognized the injustices found in society towards people of color, and this has provided the fuel for my ambition.” ~ Caleb Charles
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“[I]t’s my lifelong goal to continue showing the joys of interconnected humanities to more future young minds in Fresno.” ~ Harrison Martin
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“Theatre has always captivated me in the way it holds up a mirror to society and tells the stories of the people within it.” ~ Teya Juarez
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“No childhood experience left a more positive impression on me than my time in primary and secondary music classes. Music touches people in ways that no other subject does. It exercises our aesthetic being and explores inexpressible human emotions.” ~ John Spankowski
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“For someone like me to be here, there was a lot of luck involved, my own hard work and persistence, timely opportunities, but most of all, the support from family and community. Their care and acknowledgement drive me.” ~Jer Xiong
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“[M]y plans for the future include pursuing a career in marketing that is guided by a critical perspective and humanistic values.” ~ Victoria Cisneros
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“I aim to… inspire my students to achieve their impossible, and embrace the opportunities to mentor new teachers who are beginning their journey.” ~ Jeffrey Larose
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“As a graduate student I realized that I wanted to explore how immigration is represented in Mexican literature and for my thesis project I presented an analysis that focuses on the relationship between migration and identity.” ~ Raquel Romero
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“I faced many different obstacles. One of the biggest ones was culture shock and getting used to a new country.” ~ Meesha Ghedia
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“To ensure I succeeded in my academics and professional career, I went all-in with my schooling and community work and made the most of my fluency in four languages: English, Punjabi, Hindi, and Urdu.” ~ Noor Sabharwal
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“After just one day of volunteering in a dual language classroom at [an] elementary school, an interest in teaching that up until then had been latent, suddenly woke up and exclaimed, ‘rise and shine!'” ~ Jeanette Yeboah-Amoako
Read More“I will first apply this degree as the foundation for seeking a master’s degree in speech language pathology where I will assist individuals who have undergone traumatic speech hindering experiences.” ~ Dymond Lowe
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“I’ve made a future goal to inspire and encourage each of my students to engage, learn, and enjoy the education that they will be receiving in my classroom.” ~ Claudia Amador
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“This is the part of my parent’s dream that I never imagined. I am forever gracious that this is even a tangible reality.” ~ Robert Ortega
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“As a human being, art has saved my life. As a student, art has given me a path to live that life.” ~ Erik Escovedo.
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“[S]torytelling is so wonderful because it takes us on a journey with characters and places that are completely made up, yet by the end leaves us with a better understanding of the world and ourselves.” ~ Sadie Gleason
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“I am an anomaly. And because I am an anomaly, I will continue to create forward, give to poetry, make poems, explore the experimental, nurture spaces for communities on the margins, and foster the truths and anomalies in others through mentoring, workshops, and universities.”
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“To witness her art is to bring history back to life, and to realize that our past has never left us, for it continues to inform and move the present in ways that are unimaginable to us.” – Dr. Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval
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“I felt situated between two worlds, two worlds that I could not entirely identify with; yet, two worlds that I considered home. Over time, I started to see this double consciousness as an advantage rather than a setback, as my bilingual and bicultural experiences have granted me a critical lens through which to look at the world.”
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“I’m grateful to my family for providing me with unconditional support and moral courage, and I am indebted to my outstanding graduate professors for encouraging me intellectually and personally through my journey.”
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“Without experiencing pain and poverty when my family immigrated to the United States, I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish everything that I have done so far. The incredible support system I have—my teachers and family—motivates me to keep striving.”
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“Haley Collins is one of those shining stars who not only shines academically but also in terms of selfless service to her peers and to her community.” – Dr. Brian Agbayani
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“I feel as though my academic career has been defined by the perseverance and dedication to passion that my family instilled in me.”
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“When I first arrived in this country, I faced the challenge of learning a new language and a new culture, but this has only increased my desire to continue learning.”
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“She approaches everything with real drive, and nothing stands up to her fierce intellect.” – Dr. Chris Golston
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“I want to grow and learn to love myself as who I am and help others achieve the same thing.”
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“Riley is an exceptional mixture of talent, creativity, life experience, and management ability. ” – Dr. Ashley Foster
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“I was immersed every day in the visual and performing arts, supporting the importance of art and creativity.”
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The College of Arts and Humanities at Fresno State 