Five Cal State Monterey Bay students have been named as winners of the Deans Medal. One outstanding student is chosen from each college to receive the award. 

Jaime Garcia Ramirez, of Greenfield, was named the College of Education medalist. The liberal studies major plans to become a high school teacher in either social science or physical education. 

Before pursuing his credential, however, Garcia Ramirez plans to take a year off and spend time in his native Mexico.

“I haven’t had a chance to visit my home country since I was 3,” Garcia Ramirez said, adding that provisions in the DACA program are making the trip possible.

Receiving the Dean’s Medal, he said, “means a lot to me and my community. It means a lot to my family. I’m first-generation and the first in my family to graduate from college.”

The College of Health Sciences and Human Services named Citlaly Jauregui as its Dean’s Medalist. The kinesiology major is from Calexico and came to CSUMB after a friend who was attending told her how great the school was. 

Jauregui said she has been accepted to Oregon State University’s kinesiology master’s program. She would like to focus on exercise physiology and diet supplements for the body. 

“I want to focus on communities that don’t know how to properly exercise,” she said. “It can make such a difference in a person’s life.”

She said she hopes her award brings more attention to women who are kinesiology majors.

“Predominantly, males tend to be in this field,” she said. “I want to represent the communities that are lacking, especially the Mexican community.”

Kathryn “Kate” Shepherd is from Yorba Linda by way of Fort Worth, Texas. She is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in sustainable hospitality management and was given the Dean’s Medal by the College of Business. 

“It’s a big honor,” she said of the award. “It’s a nice reflection of the work I’ve put in, in the little over two years I’ve been here. It makes me feel like I’ve contributed to this campus.”

She’s been working as a concierge at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and hopes to continue there after graduation.

Psychology major Alo Wilson was awarded the Dean’s Medal by the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. The San Jose native said he wants to become a professor of social psychology and plans to take a gap year, to continue his current research, before applying to graduate school. His study involves high school students who have been incarcerated or have received some other significant disciplinary action. The work falls under the category of liberation psychology.

“It’s a field that’s still pretty small, but it’s expanding,” Wilson said. “It’s good to be recognized.”

Mariana Jimenez, of Anaheim, was named the College of Science medalist. She is also the recipient of the President’s Award. A marine science major, Jimenez plans to continue doing the type of research she began as a CSUMB student. 

“I would like to stay in research, working with community members,” she said, noting that she wants to focus on minority populations at greater risk from environmental pollution and/or climate change. “A lot of them are really passionate about making a change and I think we can.”

Jimenez said she is a bit overwhelmed with her award.

“It’s honestly really shocking,” she said. “I’m thankful for my supporters.”

Those include the folks connected with the TRIO Student Support Services program, which Jimenez has been a part of. 

“They’ve been my community,” she said. “I’ve been able to do so much work because of them.”