Ed Talks will return in 2021!Click to submit a question to Vice President for Student Affairs, Dr. Ed Mills
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2020 Staff Celebration and Star Awards
The Annual Holiday Celebration and Star Awards for 2020 was like many things this year, virtual and slightly different. However, Vice President Ed Mills made sure staff felt appreciated and had a great time despite circumstances. We acknowledged individuals and teams who have gone above and beyond in demonstrating exceptional Division values throughout the year. We also brought the fun with games, contests, lots of shout-outs, and of course, PRIZES, PRIZES, PRIZES!!
There were so many amazing nominees that it was hard to pick one winner in each category and some categories included multiple winners. The winner(s) for each category can be found below:
End of the Year Star of the Month Awards:
- September - Don To, Student Health & Counseling Services
- October - Alexandra Hallum, ASI Children's Center
- November - Katrina Nucal, Financial Aid-Systems
- December - Stephanie Francis, Career Center
Student Affairs Star of the Year for 2020
- Stephanie Francis, Career Center
Student Affairs Outstanding New Professional 2020:
- Jessica Thomas, CARES Office
Student Affairs Diversity and Inclusion 2020:
- Chao Vang, SASEEP
- Erik Ramirez, Dreamer Resource Center
- Aisha Engle, Women’s Resource Center
Student Affairs Excellence in Service – Individual:
- Trev Neeley, Academic Advising
Student Affairs Excellence in Service – Team:
- Student Health & Counseling Services
- Student Affairs Information Technology and Imaging
- Office of the University Registrar
Student Affairs Outstanding Mentor:
- Julie Carroll, Financial Wellness and Student Service Center
The final award of the celebration is of unique importance to Vice President Ed Mills, as it represents an individual who has done especially admirable work. Receiving a Vice President’s Award himself early in his career, Dr. Mills holds the award in high regard and enjoys selecting the winner every year.
This year Dr. Mills felt there was a lack of recognition for the amazing work Administrators have contributed within the Division. As such, for the first year Vice President Ed Mills awarded both a staff member and an administrator who worked tirelessly to make sure students are healthy and successful in their time at Sacramento State. The winners for these distinct honors were:
Student Affairs Vice President’s Award:
Exceptional Staff Member
- Mary Shepherd, New Student Orientation
Exceptional Administrator
- Lisa Johnson, Student Health & Counseling Services
The Star Committee will reconvene in the new year and will be giving a Star Award each month. If you are interested in serving on the Star Award Committee please email Karyl Burwell ( kburwell@csus.edu).
Until next year, the Star Award Committee wishes you Happy Holidays!
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Holiday Wishes From Your Student Affairs Leadership
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Dr. Marcellene Watson-Derbigny,
Associate Vice President, Student Retention and Academic Success
"I am truly grateful for the staff of Student Academic Success and Educational Equity Programs (SASEEP). We have had the fortunate opportunity to have an incredible team that pours into their students, the campus, and the Sacramento community. As the Associate VP of the Unit, I am proud of the entire SASEEP Team and wish to commend them for working tirelessly to achieve excellence, pivot services to a virtual domain, and for displaying outstanding leadership and teamwork. To our SASEEP team, you are beyond awesome and amazing. I wish you all a Happy Holiday and a Happy New Year! You all shine bright making a major impact in the work of educational equity and student success."
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Karyl Burwell
Director of Student Affairs Business Operations
“Thank you to everyone for being creative and innovative in finding ways to stay connected and engaged with each other and our students. And thank you for being so responsive to all of the urgent requests for information I’ve sent your way. You-all made this crazy year bearable and I’m so proud to be a member of the Division, where students come first.”
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The campus is closed for the Holidays!
Thursday, December 24, 2020,
through Monday, January 4, 2021
Wishing you all a restful and recharging break. See you in 2021!
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Fall 2020 Chicanx/Latinx Virtual Recognition Ceremony
The Serna Center honored the accomplishments of Chicanx/Latinx graduates at the Fall 2020 Chicanx/Latinx Virtual Recognition Ceremony (CLRC).
The virtual ceremony was held on Sunday, December 6, with hundreds of attendees including students and their families, friends, and loved ones. Faculty, staff, and administrators also joined to celebrate Chicanx/Latinx students as they complete their degree and become “Hechos en Sac State” or “Made at Sac State.” Additionally, the ceremony offered a culturally inclusive experience as it was hosted in both Spanish and English, and celebrated Chicanx/Latinx history, tradition, and culture.
The CLRC was live-streamed on Facebook Live and displayed a virtual welcome from Sacramento State’s President Robert S. Nelsen, as well as featured staff and student speakers, individual pre-recorded acknowledgments by each graduate, and live entertainment.
“We are a family; we are a family from Sac State. We will always be together,” said President Nelsen. “You have done something special, because you have an education, and your education will be with you, for all of your lives.”
Student speaker, Brando Marin, reflected on his educational trajectory and stated, “When you want to achieve something, never give up.”
The Serna Center congratulates the new graduates and thanks to the faculty and staff that participated. #StingersUp #AguijonesParaArriba!
-The Serna Center
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To view captions on the video, click CC on the bottom of the screen.
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The Dreamer Resource Center is Keeping the Dream Alive
The Dreamer Resource Center (DRC) hosted its fifth annual Keeping the Dream Alive Conference virtually on November 19 and 20. This event’s theme of Reimagining the Contours of Undocu-Student Success consisted of two days of speakers, workshops, and panels who examined the systems of support that undocumented and mixed-status students need to achieve success.
The conference also included an Undocu-Leadership Student Strand offered in partnership with the Los Rios Community College District. Undocumented high school and college students received free registration to the conference and attended workshops to gain information and tools to navigate higher education and explore alternate routes to success.
With over 300 registered participants, the conference included educators, practitioners, and students from K-12 and higher education institutions in California and throughout the U.S. (i.e. Arizona, Utah, Nevada, Wisconsin, Texas, and New York).
Closing keynote speaker, Ernesto Rocha, ( @undocubae) described his experience as an undocumented student and activist. In highlighting the long-lasting impact of the work that undocumented student allies do, he reminded the audience “everything we do today leaves impact and plants a seed.”
The Dreamer Resource Center would like to thank the Strategic Student Support Programs team for their help behind the scenes, and the Division of Student Affairs for their continued support of this conference and other DRC efforts.
Wishing Everyone a Happy Holidays from the Dreamer Resource Center!
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U-Mentor
Dear Sacramento State Faculty and Staff,
The Sacramento State U-Mentor Program invites you to give the gift of mentorship to a student in 2021.
The U-Mentor program is designed to mobilize efforts to better support students throughout their academic tenure at Sacramento State. Mentorship helps to build connections and community. Resources provided by the mentoring relationship create an atmosphere of belonging and self-directedness in the lives of students.
Sign-up today to be a mentor and have an impact on a student's life this upcoming semester.
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Students Share Their Proudest Moments
This Fall, Sacramento State students completed their first full virtual semester. Over the course of the year, students have been striving ahead, persevering, and rising above the obstacles presented by circumstances. We are extremely proud of all our amazing Hornets!
As the semester drew to a close, looking to celebrate the achievements of students, we took to social media and asked students to reflect on the semester and voice their accomplishments. Student Affairs Instagram account, @sacstatestudent, created a story that asked what students are most proud of for accomplishing this semester.
More than 30 students shared their proudest moments while being online learners. Many responded with a positive attitude: "I am proud that I accomplished completing the semester without being tempted to drop out." This is the first semester in history where students had to complete a full semester virtually. There have been many moments of frustrations and feeling unmotivated; however, with our campus partners' help, we kept reminding them to keep moving forward and that we are all in this together.
Other responses consisted of feeling accomplished by maintaining A's and B's while being full-time students and schooling their children at home. Another student replied, "I managed a full-time job, night classes, 3 days a week, and thesis work while navigating a pandemic. One positive thing that has come from the impact of COVID-19 is the commitment to finish what has been started.”
You can view all of the student’s responses in the video above.
We have all gone through this year differently as individuals, but we have all made it through and the Hornet family remains a strong and supportive community. We’re so proud of our students and we can’t wait to see what’s in store for 2021!
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Sac State Students Give Back
This December has looked a little different for our campus. Not only have classes adjusted to current guidelines, but so have our events! This holiday season, Student Organizations under SO&L (Student Organizations & Leadership) found ways to keep the spirit of the season alive, safely by holding virtual events such as Women in STEM’s holiday origami virtual event and Hmong University Student Association’s virtual Secret Santa party.
With holiday philanthropy in mind, the Nu Upsilon chapter of the Zeta Phi Beta sorority even held a Christmas toy drive earlier this month. All toys donated were given to homeless children in the greater Sacramento area in this season of giving.
As we continue into the end of the fall semester and enter winter break, we wish you all Happy Holidays!
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The Buzz Around Student Affairswill return in January.
To Submit a Story to The Buzz, Click Below!
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