Cal Poly Alumni Association

Marrying my college sweetheart and now my oldest daughter attends the same major I graduated from.

Backstage Pizza

My favorite memory at Cal Poly was Poly Royal each year. The chance to show off what you had learned that year and participate in labs and the magic show to help people understand chemistry and make it fun

I would love to take all of the new Polymer Chemistry classes that have been developed and are now offered and do one of the many research projects that are happening on campus each summer. 

My senior project was a group project called “Festival of Wheels.” It was a skateboarding fundraising event for Camp Reach for the Stars, a camp for children with cancer. We held it on the lawn area that is now the Engineering buildings and brought in a huge portable skate ramp, professional skaters, bands, food vendors and more. Each one of us Recreation majors had a part in planning, with mine being Volunteer Management. We created this event from the ground up and raised over $5000 for Camp Reach for the Stars.

Time was spent at Bulls for sure, and I loved to shop at Gap, Express and Structure stores, which are no longer there. Woodstocks was a favorite for pizza, but also liked eating at McLintocks for breakfast. And Thursday night Farmer’s Market of course! 

I loved to study in the library which really meant sleeping!

Sigma Kappa Sorority, Poly Royal Board, Accounting Club

I am an elementary school teacher and teach STEM where we are constantly building things and experimenting. 

I was a founding member of Running Thunder (athletics spirit club) and have tons of fond memories of all our crazy times. Something that was really special to me is that through Running Thunder, I got to spend time as our mascot, Musty the Mustang. 

I really enjoyed working as a desk assistant at Sequoia Hall. I met many lifelong friends through that who I otherwise wouldn't have met just going to and from my room on the third floor. Would recommend that job to all incoming freshman!

The history of economics was probably my favorite class. My professor was Solina Lindahl and she was the only professor at Cal Poly I had twice. I jumped at the chance to learn from her again and was so glad I did. The class complimented the otherwise quantitative work I was taking for my degree and based it in theory and philosophy. This really helped me understand the models we were working with and made it more real.

Spring Banquet for CPAC (Cal Poly Accounting Club) and our afterparty where we used the pineapple centerpieces to make piña coladas. 

Mandarin Chinese. I'm trying to learn it now and it would be so much easier if I had started in college!

Spikes 

Dynamics. It was one of the hardest classes I took, and I would love to take it again to better appreciate the physical world around me.

I worked in the Earth & Soil Science Department for Dr. Brent Hallock. I was able to conduct soil erosion and sediment control studies through grant funding. My team was then able to present our findings at a conference of Environmental Professionals. It was an amazing experience for college students to be educating certified professionals in erosion and sediment control. It was a fabulous Learn by Doing experience and showed us what opportunities were available to us.

I had to miss a class field trip because a professor in a different department would not let me miss a midterm. So, Dr. Hallock took one other student and me up to evaluate the soils pits for the State FFA Soil Judging Contest. I learned so much during that small group session and it helped me earn the highest grade on the midterm in the class.

Traveling to Sacramento and testifying at the Senate Committee on higher education for my California Bill project class. The bill we wrote ended up becoming a law! 

I spent all of my time in ASI Student Government where I served as ASI President from 2020–21. 

All my microbiology/chemistry labs. I still can remember some of my professor's names (Dr. Kitts, Dr. Keeling, Dr. Grady and Dr. Cano, to name a few) who made "Learn by Doing" fun and impactful.

To give back to the university what it provided me, the opportunity to be the first in my family to obtain a college degree, by representing the university as a student athelete, which led to fond college memories, lifelong friendships and a career.

Most of my IT classes were my favorite classes. The instructor, the late "Smitty" was gifted in making the classes interesting, informative and relatable. 

To have the opportunity to continue to work with students, clubs/groups, faculty and staff, university leadership and the community to make Cal Poly the model and example of a great institution that is not only rich in academic excellence but also for its willingness to continue to "move the needle" year after year to embrace an inclusive and diverse student body and faculty/staff.

As a professor at Cal Poly I fully embrace Learn by Doing in my pedagogy! From getting students involved in research on family/interpersonal communication to having students partner with community organizations to create communication-focused handbooks for diverse families to having students work in teams to create podcasts focused on social identities and communicating across differences - Learn by Doing is at the heart of who I am as a professor and scholar! 

I got involved with the CPAA because I am committed to fostering lifelong connections between students, community members, faculty/staff members, departments, colleges, and the University overall. I understand the value the CPAA brings to our students (past and present) and am eager to play a part in cultivating these meaningful relationships! Thanks so much!

My favorite class I have ever taken at Cal Poly was organic chemistry! My teacher was one of the best professors I have ever had and he made such a complicated subject simple. I loved getting to better understand concepts that have seemed so challenging in the past and getting to explain them to others. My favorite part of learning about science is being able to know things that seem complicated but actually aren’t which is exactly what organic chemistry granted me. 

My favorite club that I am a part of at Cal Poly is Poly Reps. I love getting to welcome and talk to new and prospective students while sharing my love for Cal Poly. I often get asked why I give tours if we are not paid and I love being able to tell them that is it because I truly love my school and love to spread that to others. Poly Reps has also allowed me to meet so many people that I otherwise wouldn’t have had the opportunity to run into on campus. I am so excited to be the new Alumni chair and share the love of alumni with our current Reps!!