Scholar: Belen Contreras
Year Awarded: 2020
Working towards degree: Bachelor of Science in Health Administration
About Scholarship Recipient: Belen is a first-generation, Chicana student studying health administration. She started her path to healthcare by pursuing pre-Nursing at Moorpark Community College in her hometown. Belen says that a career in healthcare aligns with her caring and compassionate personality and provides her with the building blocks for creating a fulfilling career. She has already attained her Nursing Assistant Certification, associate’s degree in Social and Behavioral Science, and an associate’s degree in Natural Sciences. Although she enjoyed delivering direct patient care, she felt an urge to contribute to the field on a larger scale and redirected her focus towards the business sector of healthcare. She attributes her leadership drive from inspiration she received from work at the Ventura’s Women Economic Roundtable and her mentor Paul Nakivell.
Belen plans to travel to Japan and teach English there for a year. She said that she feels this will be an incredible feat considering that her grandfather moved to the United States not knowing how to speak English and now she will be going to a foreign country to teach that language.
Her community is at the core of her character. She considers her success a community effort to combat inequality in marginalized communities. Therefore, receiving the Health Administration Scholarship has proved to her that her community supports and believes in her abilities to create change in the healthcare field. She feels empowered, motivated, and grateful to receive this scholarship. It is Belen’s hope to improve long-term healthcare facilities by becoming a healthcare administrator in a nursing home. She also intends to create retirement homes that welcome LGBTQIA+ individuals and form a nationwide system that supports this mission.
Scholar: Calleen Navasartian
Year Awarded: 2020
Working towards degree: Bachelor of Science in Health Administration
About Scholarship Recipient: Calleen is Armenian and lived in Iran until he moved to the United States at 10 years old. He chose CSUN because he wanted to study in the health sciences field and decided to major in health administration. In the future, he would like to work in a hospital and be part of the backstage of patient care. For Calleen, receiving this scholarship was a big achievement and he feels honored to be a recipient. He hopes to continue gaining academic achievements like this scholarship.
About the Scholarship: The Health Administration Scholarship Program was initiated through a generous donation from alumnus, Ronald “Ron” Sorensen, and further supported by alumna, Dori Holnagel. The scholarship is awarded to undergraduate students who are majoring in health administration and have successfully completed the first two introductory courses. Recipients are selected based on evidence of financial need, being among the first in their family to attend college, and have a proven commitment to the community.
Scholar: Diana Moran
Year Awarded: 2020
Working towards degree: Bachelor of Science in Public Health
About Scholarship Recipient: Diana demonstrated her passion for health education often as a child by giving health advice to her parents and community members in need. In college, she realized that she wanted to commit herself to the educational field of public health. She aspires to teach health education and provide resources to individuals in underserved communities experiencing health disparities. Diana currently volunteers with Peer Health Exchange as a health educator and leadership council member. She facilitates and delivers health education to over 1,000 ninth grade students from Title I schools in the San Fernando Valley. She values this volunteer opportunity because Peer Health Exchange was the only health education she had delivered to her as a high school student. In addition, she also is part of the Health Education Student Organization at CSUN. In this organization, she educates students and community members on mental health, sexual health and substance abuse. Giving back to the community is vital to Diana as a means to express her gratitude and to do something that she holds herself responsible for.
Scholar: Valery Romero
Working towards degree: Bachelor of Science in Health Administration
Year Awarded: 2020
About Scholarship Recipient: Valery is a first-generation college student majoring in health administration. She is the eldest of three and a proud daughter of Mexican immigrants. As the eldest child in her family, she has always been determined to succeed academically and be a good role model for her siblings.
Valery was born and raised in a heavily populated, low-income community in Los Angeles. There she witnessed various health disparities faced by community and family members. This exposure played a critical role her choice to pursue a career in healthcare. She finds great joy in helping others and strives to learn more about the health industry as it continues to evolve. In addition to becoming a health administrator, she also is working towards becoming a registered nurse. She has completed 120 volunteer hours at Providence Tarzana Medical Center to gain necessary experience for the accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. Valery is honored to be a recipient of the Health Sciences Scholarship.
About the Scholarship: The Health Sciences Department Scholarship was made possible by a generous donation from alumnus, Myron Lieberman. The scholarship is awarded to students studying fields in the health sciences department.
Scholar: Denise Nguyen
Year Awarded: 2020
Working towards degree: Bachelor of Science in Public Health
Scholar: Janett Yu
Year Awarded: 2020
Working towards degree: Bachelor of Science in Public Health
About Scholarship Recipient: Janett grew up in Los Angeles and is a public health major and minoring in human lactation. She chose the field of public health because of the many opportunities that delve into other disciplines. She has always wanted to work in the public health sector, but did not want to solely focus on individuals and, instead, make a greater impact on larger communities. Public health will allow her to work in different communities and improve health via education and interventions. After graduating from CSUN, Janett plans to pursue a master's degree in environmental health. She aspires to become a global ambassador for environmental justice and to work with underserved and underrepresented communities to provide access to clean, fresh drinking water and proper sanitation services. She would also like to work in food safety and inspections.
Janett is currently facilitating health education services to the CSUN community through the Health Education Student Organization club on-campus. She is also a student research assistant/volunteer for the CalFresh Healthy Living on College Campuses program that provides health education/nutrition workshops on-campus. Janett is grateful to the Hunt family for their continued support to advance education. Their support has motivated her to continue what she is doing and has made her even more determined to push her boundaries.
About the Scholarship: Holly Hunt graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health Education at CSUN in 1979, was admitted to the Master of Public Health in Health Education graduate program and worked with children as a teacher. While Holly was a graduate student at CSUN she tragically passed away. In 2006, her siblings, Beryl Loughlin and Ronald Hunt, along with his wife Joyce, established this scholarship in memory of Holly. This scholarship is awarded to an undergraduate public health student who contributes to the community and is committed to public health.
Scholar: Tammy Rassamekiarttisak
Year Awarded: 2020
Working towards degree: Double Major; Bachelor of Science in Public Health and Bachelor of Arts in Asian American Studies (Graduated Spring 2020)
About Scholarship Recipient: Tammy is a first-generation college student, double majoring in Public Health and Asian American Studies, with the aspiration of becoming a pediatrician. She has been involved in several groups and organizations at CSUN. Most recently, she served as an Associated Students Senator for the College of Health and Human Development in the 2018-2019 academic year and she was re-elected for the 2019-2020 term. Tammy is passionate about bringing awareness to the mental health issues that surround the Asian American and Pacific Islanders communities. She believes that through public health, we can understand how vital prevention is and how it is essential to empower the community through being environmentally just in our communities. She hopes to one day give back to the communities that have helped shape her.
About the Scholarship: Julian Beck was a teacher, politician and judge in Los Angeles and was instrumental in the establishment of San Fernando Valley State College (now CSUN). Two of Julian Beck's greatest achievements were carrying out the legislation that created CSUN, as well as, creating the Superior Court in San Fernando. He served on CSUN's Advisory Board for 16 years and always felt that education and hard work gave a person more options in life. To him, education was a gift to improve a person's life. He also felt strongly about sharing and giving to those who struggle to pay for their higher education. He left several endowments to CSUN for the purpose of helping others. As a man from humble beginnings, he served as a prime example of where hard work and an education can help fulfill one's own dreams and the dreams of others.This scholarship is made possible by a generous contribution from the Judge Julian Beck Health Sciences Endowment established in 1984. The scholarship provides financial assistance to an outstanding senior each year. Recipients should demonstrate a commitment to professional growth and service, leadership, have a positive and professional attitude, and, where applicable, outstanding clinical potential.
Scholar: Carmen Delatorre
Year Awarded: 2020
Working towards degree: Master of Science in Public Health Applied Epidemiology
About the Scholarship: The late Dr. Lennin H. Glass was a professor of health sciences and served as the Dean of the School of Communication and Professional Studies (now Health and Human Development) from 1979-1987. The scholarship was dedicated to Dr. Glass by his wife Rosalee before her passing. The scholarship is made possible due to a generous contribution from the Lennin H. Glass Scholarship Endowment. It is the intention of the donor to provide financial assistance to a returning adult student who can demonstrate a commitment to professional growth and service, leadership and has a positive and professional attitude within the health sciences field.
Scholar: Sean Almazan
Year Awarded: 2020
Working towards degree: Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Sciences
About Scholarship Recipient: Sean was born in Los Angeles, California and spent his childhood growing up in Chicago, Illinois. When he was in his junior year, he moved back to California and attended Glendale High School. Sean said that having an inclination to help other is a strong attribute of the many of his family members who are physicians and nurses. Seeing his family in these roles led him to follow in their footsteps and pursue a career in the health sciences field. He eventually landed on radiologic sciences because the technologic advancements in the field really drew his interest. Sean plans to use this scholarship to the fullest to further his clinical education and make strides as a radiologic sciences student. He is honored to have received such a prestigious scholarship with other members of his cohort. In the future, Sean plans to become an interventional radiologic technologist.
Scholar: Pedro Garay
Year Awarded: 2020
Working towards degree: Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Sciences
Scholar: Elizabeth Garcia
Year Awarded: 2020
Working towards degree: Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Sciences
About Scholarship Recipient: Elizabeth was born in Orange County and moved to Palmdale when she was 10 years old. She considers herself hard-working, outgoing, and driven to help others as much as she can. She has spent the last few years joining the Keller Williams Organization in their annual RED day, a day dedicated to giving back to the community by gathering food donations and distributing them to the homeless. Since helping others is a huge passion of Elizabeth's, she knew she wanted to go into the medical field. She wanted to attend the radiologic sciences program at CSUN because of the great exposure she would receive and the necessary x-ray experience, as well as CT and MRI modalities that are hard to find in other academic programs. She said that despite the over 50 mile drive she makes for her hospital rotations, the education and experience she is gaining makes it all worth it.
Elizabeth said that receiving this scholarship relieves a lot of financial stress that she and her parents were feeling. In her future she hopes to pass the board exam, obtain an advanced degree, find a job that allows for growth, research ways to expand her delivery of patient care, and lastly, to help others who have experienced situations similar to her achieve their goals. She feels confident that she will help those who have been treated unfairly or experienced prejudice as patients in the past and be able to do her part by treating all of her patients equally.
Scholar: Jacob Grospitz
Year Awarded: 2020
Working towards degree: Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Sciences
Scholar: Xuan Hoang
Year Awarded: 2020
Working towards degree: Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Sciences
Scholar: Alex Hoffman
Year Awarded: 2020
Working towards degree: Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Sciences
Scholar: Brittanie Huffman
Year Awarded: 2020
Working towards degree: Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Sciences
Scholar: Quingyang Li
Year Awarded: 2020
Working towards degree: Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Sciences
About Scholarship Recipient: As a first-generation immigrant, Qingyang faced many adversities when she came to the United States, by herself, at the age of 16. With the help of her community, she persevered and became a dedicated believer in community service. Over the years, she remained an active volunteer at her local church and in the emergency rooms of Glendale Adventist Hospital and Kaiser Permanente Riverside Medical Center. She is currently the philanthropy chair for the CSUN Radiologic Sciences Student Association. Qingyang has organized several successful fundraisers for local veterans, participated in the Walk for Alzheimer’s and the Breast Cancer Walk, and involved her team in helping at homeless shelters. Scholastically, she has achieved a 4.0 grade point average while working two part-time jobs to support herself. Although she rarely has free time, she rejoices in being able to help others and give back to her community. Quingyang would like to thank Kaiser Permanente for the scholarship that gets her one-step closer to achieving her dream.
Scholar: Howard Lim
Year Awarded: 2020
Working towards degree: Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Sciences
About Scholarship Recipient: Howard was born in the Philippines and moved to the United States when he was eight years old. He grew up in Torrance, California and moved to Reseda to attend CSUN. He enjoys snowboarding and his main hobby is working on his car. Howard said that receiving the scholarship means a lot to him and it helped to pay for his tuition at a time when he did not have a lot of money. In the future, he plans to become a MRI technologist.
Scholar: Jennifer Manzo
Year Awarded: 2020
Working towards degree: Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Sciences
About Scholarship Recipient: Jennifer is a first-generation American and the youngest of three. She grew up in downtown Long Beach, California and moved to the San Fernando Valley when she got married. She has two boys who are eight years old and six years old. When her oldest son was three, his pediatrician scheduled him a procedure to help with urinary infections at a small hospital. They had a terrible experience at the hospital which led Jennifer to start researching the medical field. She is now part of CSUN's radiologic sciences program.
Jennifer is a full-time student with young children and does not have extra time to work. Thus, she is grateful to receive this scholarship because it has lessened some of the financial burden for her and her husband. She also said that this scholarship has made her realize that others want her to succeed. Although it may take her some time to finish college, when she does she will be the first in her family to receive a bachelor's degree. She intends to graduate and aquire ARRT certification in radiography, CT, and MRI. She would also like to continue her education in imaging for PET/CT scans and obtain a job in the field.
Scholar: Nastaran Nassiri
Year Awarded: 2020
Working towards degree: Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Sciences
Scholar: Lisa Rodriguez
Year Awarded: 2020
Working towards degree: Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Sciences
About Scholarship Recipient: Lisa is a first-generation college student and knows that graduating with a bachelor's degree will be a great accomplishment in her life that will mean a lot to her family. She is the oldest of four siblings and is working hard to get her degree and be a positive influence on them. Lisa said she believes her education will show her siblings what stability and financial freedom looks like. She chose radiologic sciences because it allows her to learn all aspects of medical imaging. She is proud to be studying in a field that is in the front lines of medicine. Lisa said that receiving this scholarship allowed her to pay for a semester's tuition and focus fully on her clinical internships and academic courses. She is excited to continue her education and thankful to be in such a respected program at CSUN. After graduation, she will find a job in the medical imaging field. She is grateful to Kaiser Permanente for being part of her journey to become a radiologic technologist.
Scholar: Valentyna Zharska
Year Awarded: 2020
Working towards degree: Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Sciences
About the Scholarship: This scholarship is the result of a generous contribution from Southern California Kaiser Permanente. The scholarship is for baccalaureate students studying Radiologic Sciences and intends to encourage them to excel in their education and reward such outstanding students. The intent is to lessen the financial burden of the students who are studying to gain professional imaging skills, training, and the experience necessary to join the professional field of Radiologic Technology. Students are chosen based on a combination of financial need, commitment to the community, dedication to the institution, scholastic achievement and devotion to the imaging profession as described by references. Award funds are designated for summer clinical registration fees.
