students

Students at the CHSS Undergraduate Showcase present posters in Seven Hills Conference Center

Students across campus have been sharing their research at various student project showcases

As the academic year comes to a close, SF State’s colleges are celebrating the scholarship, research and creative activities of the University community with multiple student project showcases. In April and early May, undergraduate and graduate students from across campus shared their work through research posters, presentations and performances. Students, staff, faculty and community members saw everything from student-built prototypes of engineering projects to the exploration of evolution through dance to presentations on the history of global fashion.

This year, the Colleges of Health & Social Sciences (CHSS), Liberal & Creative Arts (LCA), Science & Engineering (CoSE) and Ethnic Studies all had research events. While the LCA and CoSE showcases have become annual campus traditions, CHSS’ Research & Creative Works Showcase (held at the Seven Hills Conference Center Thursday, May 4) was the College’s first. The College of Ethnic Studies Student Showcase, also on the newer side, was held Thursday, May 11, on the fifth floor of the Administration Building.

“When I found out about the CHSS Undergraduate Research & Creative Works Showcase I knew I had to participate. Research has been such a key component of my SF State experience,” said Nathan Burns, who is graduating this semester with a degree in Sociology and a minor in LGBTQ Studies. “For my senior seminar last semester I created ‘SURV(IO)LANCE,’ a textual and visual zine where I incorporated academic research and my personal experience as a queer, trans, disabled person to discuss surveillance. For the CHSS Showcase I was able to print a few copies of the zine to share with people in attendance. It was so exciting to be able to not only share my research with other campus members, but get to see just how much incredible work is being done across campus that I otherwise might not have heard about.”

Eduardo Hernandez, a senior Criminal Justice Studies major, also participated in the CHSS showcase. His work explores how the overlapping interests of the prison industrial complex, the U.S. military establishment and law enforcement lead to mass incarceration. He says that his project represents his solidarity with individuals who have been exploited in prisons.

“My research experience at SF State enabled my academic potential to be significantly developed by showcasing my research project for fellow peers, scholars and visitors. I am honored to have been recognized and have granted the privilege to participate in the CHSS Undergraduate Showcase with scholars at SF State. Presenting at the event, I experienced a great sense of joy and relief knowing nearly six months of research and preparation allowed me to represent SF State in its highest light possible: an incredible research facility in the SF Bay Area,” he said.

From story by SF State News

See photos from CHSS Showcase

Read abstracts from CHSS Showcase

Undergraduate Hood

Cassandra Marie Osorio
B.S., Kinesiology

Cassandra “Cassy” Marie Osorio began her academic journey in 2009 at the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay. Unable to focus on school, she left in 2011 and joined the U.S. Navy, where she spent the next eight years of her life. During that time, she was able to try out different roles, including command career counselor, where she advised enlisted personnel on retention and promotion and helped them identify next steps and areas to work on. She was also an assistant command fitness leader, training and educating sailors to meet the Navy’s minimum fitness standards.

She left the Navy in 2019 and decided to return to college to earn an undergraduate degree in Kinesiology. By then she was married with a young daughter. She transferred to SF State from City College of San Francisco in 2021 and maintained exceptional grades while also being a full-time caregiver to her now two children.

Osorio was an undergraduate teaching assistant for two courses and served as president of the Kinesiology Student Association. She is currently exploring careers in occupational therapy and fitness and wellness.

Graduate Hood

Cristina Cabiles
M.S., Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Cristina Cabiles brings her lived experience to her training and her work. As a woman of color, she understands the needs of BIPOC communities and approaches them with cultural humility, compassion and exceptional advocacy. 

While at SF State she pursued a number of internships, which resulted in structural changes within the organizations. In her first-year internship she served as a behavioral health intern at the Daly City Youth Health Center, providing counseling and resources to students in a school setting. In her second year, she was a wellness counseling intern in the Jefferson Union High School District and provided clinical and employment counseling to students. She is a disability rights advocate and brings a social justice lens to all aspects of her work. 

She researched the lived experiences of people with disabilities during the pandemic and presented her findings at an international conference, as well as co-authored a manuscript, soon to be submitted for publication. Her culminating experience paper continued this focus as she explored the following topic: “Application of Family Systems Theory to Transition-Age Youth with Disabilities.”

She’s actively working to diversify the field of counseling by participating in the California Association for Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor Fellowship Mentorship Program, where she mentors other BIPOC students pursuing mental health counseling careers and counseling licensure.

A “boomerang Gator,” Cabiles earned her undergraduate degree in Health Education from SF State in 2014.

Read about hood recipients from all colleges in SF State News.

Shea Hazarian, MPH Program

Despite living in Sacramento for several years, I had almost no exposure to state policy. Several speakers throughout the conference told us that as Californians, we should take ownership of our state government — but government is also an insular world. I’m grateful to the community organizers that told us to stay determined and take up space. In the end, I felt empowered by our visits to legislative offices. I was inspired by the people we met who showed up every day to fight for more just policies in incremental ways.

I was pleasantly surprised to hear from both policymakers and state public health leaders that mental health was a growing priority in health policy. I strongly believe that mental health must be addressed through prevention in addition to individual services, but I have not seen this reflected in the structure of public health departments. I’m hopeful that a change is coming — led by some of the passionate students who attended this conference.

Austin-Thayer Marfori, Undergraduate

The Public Health Conference in Sacramento gave me a realistic perspective into the policy making world of California’s government. Having the opportunity to speak to elected officials, policy advocates and politicians changed my opinion on how private problems become a statewide issue to address. Prior to the conference, my knowledge on policy making was limited to what I learned in class and what we I read about in media. I went into the conference expecting to gain insight on how policies are made. The conference motivated me to continue advocating for issues I feel are important to myself and the community but also provided me with a reality check on bureaucracy.

Carlton Mwalili, Undergraduate

I am very grateful that I was afforded the opportunity to attend the 10th Annual Health Policy Conference hosted by the California State University system. I thought of it as a culminating experience before my graduation to learn about the legislative process within public health policy in state legislature.

The highlight of the trip was getting to understand better how the state budget is approved in California, which is an expression of the society and the citizens it represents. I would recommend this conference to future public health students including students majoring in government, political science or simply those who are curious about how the day to day in workings of state government happen. It was also a great networking opportunity, and thanks to SF State for organizing it. Go Gators! 

Charles Yeh, Undergraduate

My academic career as a public health student here at San Francisco State University has emphasized heavily on the importance of community-based organization and the power of activism. I had very limited knowledge about the politics and inner-workings of our state’s legislative system. When I was offered to go to the CSU Health Policy Conference, I was really ecstatic to be a part of this trip. Having said that, I really did not know what to expect. Over the course of two days, I have been blown away and learned so much of what goes on in Sacramento. The people that were brought to speak to the CSU students had intimate knowledge of the conversations that are being had with our state leaders or were elected politicians themselves. I felt especially privileged to listen to was the Mayor of Sacramento, Darrell Steinberg. Listening to Mayor Steinberg recall his career and talk about specific legislations he pushed for really put into perspective on how much passion is needed within this field. Personally, I was intimidated and nervous due to how official the whole experience was with the assembly members and their staff. Still, that whole experience might have been some of the coolest opportunities I have had as a student.

In Spring 2022, the department nominated Diaz for the University Hood undergraduate award, which celebrates top students’ academic excellence and special achievement. Sadly, the nomination coincided with Diaz’s diagnosis of myeloid sarcoma leukemia, a rare form of cancer.

Diaz was the daughter of Mexican immigrants and a first-generation Chicana-Latina scholar in both the Sociology and Race and Resistance Studies programs. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology in May 2022. Throughout her time at SF State, she experienced many hardships while, at the same time, excelling in her education and professional career, maintaining a 3.98 GPA and making the Dean's List during her four years on campus. Faculty members who knew her agree that she was an intellectual light and strong voice in their classes. In Sociology, she served as a teaching assistant, supporting her peers and starting to explore her love of teaching.

Diaz was selfless with her academic colleagues and  also served the public in different capacities. She brought a much-needed sociological lens to the Human Rights Commission of San Francisco when selected as a Willie L. Brown, Jr. Fellow. During her time there, she worked on numerous initiatives, campaigns and policies, such as the Dream Keeper Initiative, the Campaign for Solidarity, Equity Studies Task Force and diversifying the SFUSD literature to expand inclusive and cultural texts. Diaz used her educational experience to work on political congressional campaigns, talking to community members about the importance of their vote through canvassing and phone-banking. She worked on amplifying the voice of underrepresented communities and was a fierce advocate of young people, as evidenced by her contributions to the opening of integrated youth mental health facilities across California.

Runway 2023: Kinetic promises to be a dynamic display of innovative designs, reflecting the theme of kinetic energy. The show will feature emerging designers' creativity and unique perspectives, highlighting their ability to incorporate cutting-edge technology and sustainability practices into their designs. “We are excited to showcase our latest creations at this year’s spring fashion show,” said one of the student designers. “Our designs reflect our passion for fashion and sustainability, and we can’t wait to share them with the world.”

The event will occur on Thursday, May 11, at 6 p.m., at the San Francisco State University campus in the Annex. Doors will open at 6 p.m, and the show will start promptly at 7 p.m. After the show, there will be an opportunity to view the designs and models and meet with the designers. General seating with a current student ID is available for $10, early bird tickets for $15, and general admission for $25. The show is open to the public, and tickets can be purchased online at the Runway: Kinetic website.

"We are proud to support the emerging talent in our Apparel Design & Merchandising program," said one of the program directors. “This event provides an opportunity for our students to showcase their creativity and innovation while promoting sustainable practices in the fashion industry.”

Runway 2023: Kinetic promises to be an exciting and inspiring event that showcases the creativity and talent of the next generation of fashion designers. Get your tickets today and join us for an unforgettable evening of fashion and sustainability.

Pictured (left to right): left to right: Greta Erlingis, Shelby Smith, Taelor McDonald, Gator, Serena Padda and Miya Valdehuesa

HESA benefits students across campus

Becoming involved in a student organization helps enrich a student’s experience at San Francisco State University. One such example is the Health Education Student Association (HESA), which offers a way for faculty, alumni and students to connect and create a community. HESA is affiliated with SF State’s Department of Public Health and serves all the students on campus to promote student health, wellness, and overall well-being.

Taelor McDonald is the president of HESA, with Greta Erlingis serving as vice president. McDonald and Erlingis are both Public Health majors and Women’s Health minors. McDonald sees the mission of HESA as “bringing a little light back to students' lives when they are feeling overwhelmed.”

In the wake of remote learning necessitated by the COVID pandemic, McDonald believes making meaningful relationships inside and outside of a student’s cohort has become more difficult. Erlingis feels that connecting with other students during the events HESA organizes gives a sense of community, that everyone is in the college experience together, and helps prevent burnout.

Making personal connections helps academics by creating healthy social behaviors that were lost during COVID. HESA was an important factor for Erlingis to find a place within the cohort, “It is comforting to know that people want to study this and people are passionate about helping others.”

McDonald built a community with her peers by being involved in HESA. Creating study groups, having familiar faces in class and having people asking questions about HESA — not necessarily people involved in the organization — helped McDonald hone her love for leadership. She is now sure that she wants a career in leadership. SF State is a commuter school where students have to try a little harder to find their community. Having HESA creates a community for students, which means a lot to McDonald, “A big part of what public health is, is helping communities and bringing people together in order to improve a common issue.”

Spreading positivity during the transition to campus is something Erlingis feels has been vital to campus relations. HESA uses affirmation boards and focuses on mental health to better the lives of students on campus. Events are always meant to be uplifting for the campus community.

McDonald feels that participating in activities as a group, especially affirmation boards, has improved her mental health. Students in HESA believe that taking care of your mental health is paramount to having a successful college experience. These activities are ways that HESA takes care of the mental health of students in the Department of Public Health.

During events, connecting with students helps prevent those in their cohort from dropping out. The way they see it, everyone uplifts each other and knows that when someone is going through a hard time there is someone they can talk to. The mentality of “We are all in this together” reassures the cohort and reminds them they are not alone.

The senior members of HESA are all graduating at the end of this semester. HESA does not require any prerequisites for application. Elections happen at the end of every semester, anyone interested can send HESA a direct message on Instagram for more information, or email Taelor McDonald at tmcdonald@mail.sfsu.edu or Greta Erlingis at gerlingis@mail.sfsu.edu.

Pictured (left) SF State MPA students; (right) winning team “Code Red”

Stephen Kraemer, Forest Kerstetter, Sally Mei and Shae Hancock (MPA candidate and chief of operations with SF State’s University Enterprises) all joined national task forces charged with developing a fire mitigation plan for the fictitious town of Westmount. 

Each player was assigned a role on a task force (mayor, forest service ranger, water authority manger, environmental organization representative or a local citizen coalition representative). All the roles had well-developed personal and professional motivations, but players had to negotiate a plan that would work for the citizens of Westmount as a whole. 

The scenerio was complex, and included immersive details players had to take into account such as wind, temperature and seasons — as well as the socioeconomic differences between the neighborhoods in Westmount. Every decision that was made could change each character’s performance measurement in real time — there were angry constituents, and even a harsh note of rebuke from a player’s boss! The final work product was a policy brief outlining the decisions and mitigation plan, as well as a presentation to the other groups. While the rounds went on, the judges would come around asking questions about the group’s decision-making process, and the answers would count toward the final score. 

Overall, it was a rigorous day, but many of the students felt like they really were an intergovernmental task-force. There were roadblocks, setbacks and complicated situations that took everyone working together in order to deliver a service for the public good. SF State MPA candidate Shae Hancock was on the winning team, “Code Red,” which will have its presentation and policy brief submitted to a global competition later this year. 

Code Red Team:

• David Arguelles, San Diego State University
• Ashley Brittner Wells, University of Montana
• Marisa McCarthy, University of San Francisco
• Beth O’Leary, University of San Francisco
• Shae Antonette Hancock, San Francisco State University 

SF State MPA Graduate Student Contingent:

• Stephen Kraemer
• Sally Mei
• Forest Kerstetter
• Shae Antonette Hancock

Makayla Wai-Lan Scott (center) with classmates Kenya Salgado (left) and Citlalli Aguilar Velazquez (right) in front of Terra Nova High School, where they gave a presentation to high school students

A student finds personal meaning after finding the right major

Makayla Wai-Lan Scott is a senior who switched her course of study from Pre-Nursing to Public Health. She had some anxiety about getting into the Nursing major when she was completing her prerequisites. To quell her anxiety, she looked at other majors in case she did not get into Nursing, and she found herself drawn to Public Health. Scott said of her decision to switch majors, “A Public Health alumna shared with me what she studied, and I thought this feels more aligned with me and what I wanted to do working as a nurse.”

The social justice aspect of public health appealed to Scott. As a nurse, she wanted to help with health equity for all patients. In public health, students get to look at problems through an intersectional lens in an effort to reach health equity. Adding more diversity in the public health field will result in better patient care for coming years. In this major, students learn to see problems as a whole — they look at all aspects of care in order to see how they intersect.

“It’s public health and we are going through a public health crisis,” Scott said. Starting the public health program during the pandemic was a unique experience. Public health was a driving factor of the pandemic and Scott felt that throughout her time at SF State. Scott feels the professors understand the work-life-health balance that has become so important these past few years. The projects that professors chose felt personal for her because of the pandemic and she found it easy to relate to the courses when the subject matter impacts everyday life.

Scott has had a positive experience since switching from Pre-Nursing to Public Health. She appreciates how professors make it clear that they care about the subjects they are teaching and make courses interactive. All of the professors in the Public Health major coordinate with each other to make each semester easier for their students; large assignments for different courses very rarely overlap. Professors, when possible, will communicate with each other to ensure major projects do not overlap and overwhelm students. The courses use a scaffolding structure for large assignments, where assignments are broken down for students to work on throughout the semester.

The internship SF State helped Scott get has helped prepare her for graduation. She has been working as an Alcohol and Drug intern at the Daly City Youth Health Center. Medical, mental, and support services are provided for teens and young adults at the Daly City Youth Health Center. Scott was a part of creating a curriculum for middle and high school students about vaping. This internship has been personal for her, “I saw a lot of my friends turn to vaping to cope despite knowing about the effects”. Scott feels like she is ready to enter the career field thanks to the support that her advisor and professors have given her.

Scott said, “I am grateful I went to SF State. I feel like I am actually cared about at SF State. That came from making the connections that I did in SOAR and with my advisors and people in the Public Health cohort.”

Makayla Wai-Lan Scott