|
|
||||
 President’s Medal recipient Charles Stuthard College of Arts and Letters, Major: HistoryCharles Stuthard had every reason to not only not be selected as the 2008 outstanding graduate, but to not make it to Sac State at all. He never knew his father and was raised in some of Sacramento’s rougher neighborhoods, mostly in a series of foster homes. He has assumed responsibility for his mentally disabled older brother, working two jobs while pursuing full-time studies. “No one in my family has ever made it this far and actually graduated from college, not my grandparents, my mother or my father, or any of my siblings,” Stuthard said in an essay. “That I have made this far is, for me, nothing short of a miracle.” His history professors describe him as “an ideal student.” And it seems in large part because of Stuthard’s interest in self-examination. “History is ultimately the attempt to look at the behavior and actions of human beings in an effort to understand and explain why humans do what they do,” he wrote. “In studying change over time, we come to understand what has worked well for humankind and what has been a dismal failure. Ideally, we learn and improve our course as result of this scrutiny.” Stuthard has served as a counselor for emotionally disturbed youth and tutors middle-school children through the “America Reads!” program. “To be able to open young minds to new ideas and ways of thinking has and continues to bring joy to my life. I never thought I could give back in such a way.” His eventual goal is to teach in the community colleges, where he hopes to encourage students who, like he did, come from less than ideal circumstances to continue on to a four-year university. |
2007–08 Dean’s Award Recipients
 Jess West Manton, College of Business Administration, Major: Business, concentration in General Management Manton was team captain of the Men’s Soccer Team and was awarded the 2006 Scholar-Athlete All-Region by the NSCAA and the 2005 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Scholar Athlete Award. |
 Aurora Murillo, College of Education, Major: Child Development, minor in Multicultural Education Murillo plans to use her family’s experience as immigrants facing language barriers, economic strain and physically demanding work in underpaid jobs, in her future career as a counselor. |
|
 Stacie Hiratsuka, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Major: Electrical and Electronics Engineering, minor in Mathematics Hiratsuka was one of only five students selected for a program to teach English to K-12 students in Thailand’s prestigious Chitralada Royal Palace School on King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s royal grounds. |
 Sarah Sanderson, College of Health and Human Services, Major: Nursing Sanderson held leadership roles in the California Nursing Student’s Association and published an article in its statewide newsletter on the use of human patient simulators in nursing curricula. |
|
 Jason Cooper, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Major: Chemistry with a minor in Physics Cooper received the HyperChem Scholar Award as the outstanding physical chemistry student and has been an instructor for the adjunct program and a teaching associate in multiple disciplines. |
 Daniel Sanchez, College of Social Sciences and Interdisciplinary Studies, Major: Government Sanchez taught a Learning Skills course designed to assist first-generation and underserved college students develop study skills for the Government I course and helped create a faculty peer-mentor program. |
For more on Spring Commencement, including slideshows, visit www.csus.edu/pa/commencement.