College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences

Michael Grimshaw, Teach For America

Michael Grimshaw was a History and New Media concentration student. He graduated in May 2019 and moved to Hawaii to teach high school history through the organization of Teach For America. More than 57,000 students apply for Teach For America every year, but only 11 percent of those who apply get accepted.

Michael had a group interview with 12 other students, almost all of whom came from Ivy League schools, except for himself and one other student that went to Stanford.

Michael’s advice to new HCOM majors is: aim high, work hard, be yourself, and you will get there!

Dr. Ari Perez Montes, Lecturer at Santa Clara University

Since graduating, Dr. Ari Perez Montes earned his M.A. and Ph.D. in Communication from the University of Maryland, College Park. His major was Humanities & Communication, Communication Studies, Gender and Ethnic Studies, with a minor in Psychology. Knowing he wanted to become a professor, graduate school allowed Ari to refine his teaching skills and deepen his passion for mentoring students. After completing his Ph.D., he joined Santa Clara University’s Communication Department as a lecturer. His current research explores Latine Queer/Trans identities through the lenses of health communication, queer theory, and LatCrit theory. Ari has been focused on teaching and publishing his dissertation research—but he’s made sure to enjoy life along the way. He’s embraced more travel, more time with loved ones, and a greater sense of balance. What’s next? Ari is excited to keep the momentum going by continuing to teach, research, and fully live life.

“If I could share some words of wisdom it would be that:

1. Nothing is as serious as it ever seems.

2. Don’t ever lose sleep over a class.

3. It’s okay if you go off your path a little—sometimes it happens, and that’s ok.

4. The answer will always be no if you never ask.

5. Don’t pay for grad school.

6. Rabbit from Winnie The Pooh said, ‘you're braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.’ So, go for what you want in life.

7. Work to live, not live to work.”

Brian Torres, Security Safety Officer at Washington Middle School

Brian Torres graduated in 2018 with a degree in Humanities & Communication, with a concentration in Peace Studies. Brian has had a wide range of experiences in jobs that have allowed him to continue to grow. It is the main reason he chose HCOM as his major. It allowed him to be able to adapt to different environments. He worked in retail for 6 years after graduating from CSUMB. He worked his way up and gained experience he never knew he could. Then he worked in security for a year wanting to gain experience and knowledge in the field of safety. Now he currently works at Washington Middle School in Salinas, CA as a Security Safety Officer where he assists in keeping the staff and students in a safe environment. Brian says, "I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for my time at CSUMB and the support and mentorship of the HCOM department. Forever grateful!"

Aki Kurosawa, MA/Doctoral Student

Aki Kurosawa graduated in 2017. She was an international student from Japan. Her concentration was Women’s Studies. She was admitted into prestigious graduate programs such as the Sociology Studies Graduate Program at Columbia University and the Ph.D. Program at UC-Santa Cruz. After careful consideration, she has decided to attend the combined MA doctoral program at UC-Santa Cruz.

Justin Frago, Vice Principal

Justin Frago graduated in 2016 with a degree in Humanities & Communication, formerly known as Human Communication, with a concentration in American Multicultural Studies. Since leaving CSUMB, Justin has obtained his Masters Degree, teaching and admin credentials. Justin was a teacher for four years, and now is a Vice Principal at a charter school in Arizona. Justin also got married to a fellow educator in 2022. His advice for current/prospective students is, "1) HCOM really helped prepare me for my future career, and 2) Enjoy your time at CSUMB! It helped shape me into the person I have become. Use the resources that are available to you."

Lucas Bailor, HCOM Lecturer CSUMB

Lucas Bailor was an HCOM major with a concentration in Writing and Rhetoric. He was one of the best HCOM has to offer. He was exactly what CSUMB was predicated on and proud to graduate. After graduating in 2015, Lucas went on to CSU-Northridge and got his Master’s in English 2017.

After getting his Master’s, Lucas is determined to give back to the community. Now he is back at CSUMB as a lecturer, teaching classes in A1 through A4 areas. His goals included to get more students excited about the HCOM program in specific and CSUMB in general.

Lucas is also interested in eventually pursuing a terminal degree either in creative writing or in a Ph.D. program.

Cierra Bailey, Writer

Cierra Bailey graduated in 2013 with a concentration in Journalism and Media Studies. After graduation she began her career in print journalism writing for The Pleasanton Weekly newspaper while also working as a production assistant for KOFY TV and brand ambassador for Entercom Communications Corp.- SF. She has since moved on to become a social justice content writer for the start-up news site, Carbonated.TV based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Maricela Aboytes, Graduate Student

Maricela Aboytes graduated with a Comparative American Studies concentration in Spring of 2013. After graduation, Aboytes admits, “I was more than afraid of what the ‘outside’ world had in store for me but I knew I had to get used to the idea that my daily routine as an undergraduate student had to change.” Aboytes was accepted into the Organization & Leadership graduate program at USF and recently completed her first semester. “I am truly enjoying the O&L program at USF and the commute is not bad at all,” she explains. “Also, I am currently the Bilingual Community Liaison for Seaside Middle School. I must say that obtaining my BA in Human Communication has allowed me to create positive changes and has allowed me to make a difference in my current and past employments. "Obtaining this degree has also given me the confidence to enter any field and has prepared me as a professional.”

Brian Stettenbenz, Social Media Coordinator

Brian Stettenbenz graduated in 2012 with a concentration in Pre-Law. He is currently the Social Media Coordinator for Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa where he manages the social media presence of the only Forbes 4 star property on the Monterey Peninsula. His job is to ensure that Monterey Plaza Hotel and Spa stays on the cutting edge of social spaces, social media monitoring tools, trends, best practices, and make recommendations for improvement. In addition, he designs, creates, and executes digital marketing strategies. Brian describes his HCOM experience this way. "I look back at my time at CSUMB with such fondess and admiration for what I accomplished. I look at my education as a transformation of the person I always wanted to be, and in large part that is due to the work done by the professors within HCOM. Human Communication is an education that focused on teaching the whole person, that has given way to success beyond academics. My job at the hotel entails communicating with the majority of the hotel's employees and the 6,000 followers on our social networks. The Human Communication department emphasized the importance of communication both in my writing and verbally. Thus, my education has had a dramatic impact on my career, and life in general."

Kristopher Owens, Financial Aid Consultant

Kristopher Owens graduated with a concentration in History, Oral History & New Media in 2012. Recently married to his fiancee, a 2007 SBS graduate of CSUMB, Kristopher worked for a while aiding challenged adults meet their personal goals so they can integrate into the community. Now, considering his future options, which might include a teaching credential, he is working for the oldest and largest FAFSA preparation company in America. As Kristopher describes his experience in HCOM this way: "In the DC comic universe the Green Lanterns are officers that are chosen for their ability to overcome great fear and given a power ring fueled by the strength of their willpower. This ring is the most powerful weapon in the universe. In my personal view having a degree in Humanities and Communication means I am now a Lantern, and I have been given the most powerful weapon in the world: an 'articulate voice.' "Not only do I find myself equipped to speak to many people of different cultures, but I am also equipped to listen to them as well. I am now empowered by HCOM, and my daily decisions are now ethical not emotional. I can remember times before transferring to CSUMB when I would argue with family and friends shouting all night to prove my point. HCOM means having the mindset to understand all angles and aspects of a conversation with the parties producing an ethical solution where everyone is the winner not just you."

Jurija Metovic, Client Experience & Marketing Manager

Jurija Metovic graduated in December 2012 with a concentration in Pre-Law. After graduation, she traveled the South Pacific region and moved to Hawaii where she now works in Marketing and Operations for GoLeanSixSigma.com, a process improv

Bonnie Lockhart, Youth Worker

Bonnie Lockhart graduated in 2011 with a concentration in Peace Studies. She sends this update about life after HCOM. "After graduating, I was lucky enough to become a youth worker at the Mendocino County Youth Project in Ukiah. "Through my role as a youth worker I strive to empower youth to connect with their strengths and develop healthy coping skills. I work one on one with youth to reach their goals in a plan they develop often including art, writing or nature, I cofacilitate small groups to develop relationships and share knowledge as part of drug alcohol and other forms of self harm support and through large scale prevention education by presenting and engaging youth in learning about mental health and bully support. I also get to continue my work of youth empowerment events, Youth Action Party promoting healthy choices community involvement and the arts. "HCOM strengthened me as a person - teaching me to express empathy, fearlessly explore cultural diversity and navigate conflict with respect. My time in HCOM provides a heartfelt foundation for my work everyday and I am forever grateful."

Chris Rankin, Political Organizer

Chris Rankin graduated in 2011 with a concentration in Pre-Law. After HCOM, Chris pursued a Master’s degree in Public Policy/Public Affairs from the University of San Francisco and is currently a political consultant in the San Francisco Bay Area specializing in grassroots organizing for electoral campaigns. As Chris writes, "I knew even before I received my acceptance letter from CSUMB that if I were lucky enough to gain admittance to the university I would be majoring in HCOM; there were plenty of other great majors, but none called out to me as strongly as HCOM. There is no one adjective that can be used to describe what HCOM is and what the HCOM degree entails, and therein lays the beauty of this program. Its magnificent shape shifting qualities make HCOM transcend most traditional communications degrees that universities offer and allows students to craft a completely unique educational experience. As wonderful as my graduate education was, I found myself consistently longing for my HCOM professors and their demand for creative expression. Now as a professional, I draw on the lessons I learned as a HCOM student even more than those in my graduate program. I can say with absolute certainty that HCOM is the greatest driving force behind my success as a political organizer."

Christy Khoshaba, Reporter

Christy Khoshaba graduated with a concentration in Journalism and Media Studies in 2011. At CSUMB she was the HCOM Peer Advisor and worked with more than 120 students to create their class schedules. She went on to UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism, where she focused on multimedia journalism. She had the opportunity to travel to China and produce a mini-documentary on the Chinese college entrance exam for The New York Times, as well as other videos on US-China relations for The Washington Post.

From UC Berkeley, she went on to work for the entertainment department at Los Angeles Times. There, she hosts a bi-weekly celebrity web series. She researches the day's trending stories, writes scripts, gathers photo/video assets and presents the final product in studio. She admits, sometimes celebrity news can be silly! But that type of news can also be fun. At the Los Angeles Times, Christy also works on the entertainment section’s website. Her goal is to drive readers to the site and keep them there, by creating photo galleries, graphics and additional blog posts. It's a job that's taught her how to maximize a story's viewership and reach in the digital and social arena.

The roots of her reporting go back to The Otter Realm. She says the skills she obtained gave her confidence in print reporting and furthered her appetite for journalism. The information she gained within her courses also made an impact. "I learned about media studies, gender studies, law, literature, activism and history while noting the importance of empathy," she says. "That knowledge has provided me with a primer I use today within my own class discussions and when I’m out reporting." Adding: "I encourage students to pick this major for its thoughtful curriculum, its flexibility in countless courses, and its supportive professors who will be there for you beyond graduation."

Miguel Ramos, Business Service Coordinator

Miguel Ramos graduated in 2010 with a concentration in Writing and Rhetoric and a minor in Sociology. He is currently completing an M.A. in Humanities and Literature at CSU Dominguez Hills and hopes to enter a Ph.D program in the future.

While completing his M.A. degree, he is also working as a Business Services Coordinator with the North County Career Centers run by ResCare Workforce Services and loves helping find employment opportunities for customers who are seeking work.

Recalling his time in HCOM Miguel notes "The courses I took at HCOM have prepared me for the business world in so many ways. My HCOM Professors really touched my life and made me love learning again. HCOM made me a better all around person. The concepts of multiculturalism will live with me forever!"

Ruben Espinoza, PhD Candidate

Ruben Espinoza graduated from CSUMB in 2009 with a concentration in Practical and Professional Ethics. The following year he was accepted into the Sociology PhD program at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He earned his MA from the program in 2012, and is currently working as a Teaching Assistant while progressing toward his PhD. Ruben states, “Being an undergrad in HCOM provided me with a foundation to excel in my professional and academic life. I owe much of my success to HCOM and its faculty. They provided me mentoring and other critical tools that are necessary for life in academia. The interdisciplinary nature of the program introduced me to history, literature, philosophy and other disciplines. My experiences at CSUMB are still part of my everyday life.”

David Calloway, HCOM Faculty at CSUMB

David Calloway graduated in 2008 with distinction in the major and a concentration in Literary and Film Studies. While he was an HCOM student, he worked as a beat writer for the Californian newspaper and a tutor for the writing center at CSUMB. After HCOM, he attended San Diego State University as a graduate student in the Department of Rhetoric and Writing Studies, working as a Teaching Associate, teaching courses, and serving as a writing tutor. After graduating from San Diego State in 2010, David returned to CSUMB as a lecturer and is teaching courses for the HCOM and Collaborative Health, Human Services and Public Policy departments while applying for doctoral programs.

Jordan Hatch, Speech-Language Pathologist (M.A., CCC-SLP)

Jordan Hatch graduated in 2008 with a concentration in Pre-Law. Jordan is a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) and, somewhat to his own surprise, a homeowner of a condo in the Bay Area. Since graduating from CSUMB, things have generally been wonderful. He has been fortunate to travel quite a bit, gain more life experiences, and has even managed to keep up a six-mile-a-day walking routine for over three years. Overall, life has been an adventure with its share of positive moments. His role at a Bay Area high school has been incredibly rewarding; he truly enjoys helping kids learn to communicate better and appreciates working alongside the supportive staff and teachers.

After college, Jordan took a couple of years off before starting graduate school in fall 2010. At the time, he was eager to get back to academics, but looking back, he is genuinely grateful for the opportunity to gain more work and life experiences during that break. In 2013, he completed his Master of Arts in Education/Speech-Language Pathology degree. While he didn't pursue law school, he has found his pre-law background surprisingly valuable in navigating IEPs for special education students, helping ensure they receive the support they're entitled to under IDEA.

To any HCOM students who might not have a clear plan yet, Jordan says that's completely okay. He was incredibly fortunate to have amazing faculty at HCOM and CSUMB who provided invaluable recommendations and mentorship. The staff there is truly great, and he believes HCOM students are well-prepared for whatever comes next—whether it's grad school, entering the workforce, or something else entirely. Of course, having a plan can also be a wonderful thing.

For current HCOM and undergrad students, Jordan’s strongest advice is this: "Don't let the world define you. Be authentically yourself. The status quo rarely leads to true fulfillment. Embrace your unique path, but never stop growing, learning, and practicing patience. This journey called life is incredibly short – make the most of every moment by being true to yourself."

Maria Reyes, Program Coordinator – Research & Sponsored Programs

Maria Reyes graduated in 2008 with a concentration in History, Oral History, and New Media. After graduating from CSUMB, she became a staff person on campus, working in the Office of Early Outreach and Support Programs. She went on to earn a Master's degree in Mexican American Studies at San Jose State University. Currently, Maria works in the Office of Research & Sponsored Programs at CSU Long Beach, and is applying for PhD programs in Education. Maria writes: "Being a part of HCOM was a transformational experience for me. The faculty, the classes, and the opportunities that came my way because of HCOM introduced me to research, literature, people, and so many other things that have stayed with me."

Omar Hussain, Communications Professional

Omar Hussain was an HCOM major with a Concentration in Journalism and Mass Media. After graduating from HCOM in 2008, he started working with a nonprofit in San Jose that was creating leadership opportunities for Sudanese refugees at a secondary school in Kenya. In 2009, he was accepted into many graduate programs, including the University of Pennsylvania (with a $10,000 scholarship per semester) and the University of Michigan (with a $15,000 scholarship). After graduating from the University of Michigan, Omar led communications for the National Forum on Higher Education for the Public Good, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, working toward creating post-secondary opportunities for undocumented citizens. In 2012, he joined the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, one of the largest philanthropic organizations in the world. At the foundation he worked on the America Healing portfolio, a program working toward racial equity. In 2016, Omar was brought on at General Motors and worked on the developing a new corporate brand for the famous auto company. Today, Omar runs his own company that he co-founded, Defy Communications, a full-service communications firm that works with mission-driven organizations to help deliver the outcomes society deserves. Omar has recently published a novel: The Outlandish and the Ego, which has received rave reviews.

Danielle VandenBos, Attorney

Maura Mecchella, Education Specialist II

Maura Mecchella graduated in 2007 with a concentration in Journalism and Media Studies. After graduation she worked in marketing and public relations for technology and finance sectors. She has since moved on to education with a focus on developmental psychology, graduating with a MA in Child, Family and Community Studies from the Dublin Institute of Technology, Ireland as a Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholar. Currently, Maura is an educator at the Monterey Bay Aquarium designing and facilitating programs to instill a lifelong appreciation for the oceans in future generations.

Sara Dowe, Digital Media Producer

Sara Dowe graduated in 2007 with a concentration in Creative Writing and Social Action. The following year she accepted a job teaching in English in South Korea, where she stayed for 4 years. Now she’s a producer at Saatchi & Saatchi LA, where she works primarily in digital production. She’s overseen the successful execution of many standard and rich banner ads, pushdown and expandable units, programmatic ads, and most recently, the conversion of all of the above to HTML5.

Kristen La Follette, HCOM Lecturer at CSUMB

Kristen La Follette graduated with a concentration in Creative Writing and Social Action and a minor in Global Studies in 2006. Following graduation, she developed employment and education opportunities for developmentally disabled adults as a transition specialist. After four years in that position, she returned to school to attend the Oral History Master of Arts program at Columbia University. For her thesis, she conducted a series of interviews to create and direct the play “A Glimpse Through the Curtain: Monologues of American Catholic Sisters.” Kristen currently works at the Columbia Center for Oral History and recently began a new theater project interviewing residents of Manhattanville, a neighborhood in West Harlem affected by Columbia University’s campus expansion. "More than any other experience, HCOM offered me the motivation and confidence to make change in my community, " Kristen recalls her experience in the major. "As a student, the combination of critical thinking courses, service learning, and supportive professors proved to be invaluable. I became especially interested in power dynamics that create inequity in access to education."

Meghan Lewis, Program Consultant 

Meghan Lewis graduated in 2006 with a concentration in Pre-Law. After HCOM Meghan worked for two years at a Federally Qualified Health Center, as a Health Program Supervisor and in 2011, she completed her Master’s degree in Public Health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she served as a North Carolina Public Health Leadership Fellow and Graduate Assistant at National Center for Safe Routes to School. Meghan currently works for the California Department of Public Health in the Maternal, Adolescent and Child Health Division as Program Consultant. Meghan notes that "the academic foundation that HCOM laid provided me with a solid background in academic research, ethics, social justice and policy, solidifying my interest in serving indigent populations." Meghan now has over seven years of experience in public health, including health program planning, statistical analysis and evaluation at both the local and national level. Her education and continued interest in the HCOM and Service Learning foundational learning objectives guided her to this field and continues to influence her in a variety of capacities.

Brenda Valles, Director for Research & Assessment

Brenda Valles, who graduated in Spring 2003 with a concentration in Practical and Professional Ethics, worked for California Assembly member Simon Salinas as a District Liaison for a year after graduation. In 2003, she was admitted to the Education, Culture & Society department at the University of Utah for an M.Ed. and began her Ph.D. program in Educational Leadership & Policy in 2005. During this time, she worked at the Utah Education Policy Center and with the Office for Equity & Diversity, both at the University of Utah. After successfully defending her dissertation in September 2011, she currently works for the Office for Equity & Diversity at the University of Utah as the Director for Research & Assessment, where she conducts research on diversity in higher education, institutional research (specific to the University of Utah), grant writing and managing, teaching at the undergraduate level and work with graduate students. Brenda recalls that "HCOM was an awakening because it provided me with the opportunity to obtain a unique skill set that has benefitted me academically, professionally and personally...through the literature I was exposed to, the renowned faculty that facilitated the learning process, and the opportunity (at the time) to go through a learning process with a diverse set of peers from the surrounding areas of Monterey, Pajaro and San Benito Counties. "Courses that were interdisciplinary and blended academics with service learning revolutionized the way I thought about power, identity and people. In this way, HCOM meant that I was able to develop a language and set of theories that helped me name the passions, experiences and feelings I had. HCOM was my academic awakening."

Leon Smith, Fulbright Scholar

Leon Smith earned his BA in Human Communication after realizing one night in the IT Lab that ESSP was not his calling. His writing ability jumped light years ahead through the coaching and discipline of Professor Frances Payne Adler in poetry, writing, and haiku. The relentless attention to details and maintaining authenticity in his capstone project (an actual exhibit model of the Japanese American Internment Camps) through the use of technology was made possible with the help of Troy Challenger. Leon also learned the importance of interdisciplinarity and cross-cultural communication after working with Dr. Saito Sensei who introduced and challenged him to learn the Japanese language and her husband Professor Tom Abbott who helped him discover where his real passion lay: Japanese Mind and Culture.

So Leon went on to University of San Francisco to earn an MA in Asia Pacific Studies concentrating on Japanese Culture as a Fulbright Scholar. He participated in the 50th Peace-Signing Treaty Anniversary Between the US and Japan Event in San Francisco only to wake up the next morning to the horrible four-prong attack on the US that became known as 9-11.

Fighting off numerous high-paying job offers, personal death defying illness, and family tragedies, Leon went on to receive his Ph.D. at Alliant International University in Education, Leadership, and Management with an Asian Emphasis. He is now teaching, continuing his reading and research, and working in Airport Transportation Industry.

Ellen Correa, Instructor in Civic Engagement and Service Learning at UMass Amherst and PhD Candidate in Communication

Ellen Correa graduated in 2001 with a self-crafted concentration in Multicultural Conflict Resolution. She went on to earn her M.A. in Intercultural Relations through Antioch University MacGregor. Her thesis emerged from her experience teaching HCOM and Service-Learning courses as she pursued her M.A., and was a case study titled “A great challenge: A study of the experience and success of generation 1.5 Latinos/as at California State University Monterey Bay.

She is currently working and teaching for the Civic Engagement and Service-Learning office as she completes her PhD in Communication at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

As a nontraditional age re-entry student Ellen credits her HCOM experience with, “opening my eyes, my mind, and my heart to ideas, people, and perspectives that changed my life!”

She is co-author with Dawn Lovegrove of “Making the rice: Latina performance testimonies of hybridity, assimilation, and resistance” published in the journal Equity & Excellence in Education. Ellen reveals that “the genesis for that piece came directly from journals I wrote for my HCOM intercultural communication class. In fact it was in HCOM classes where I discovered my writing voice and honed my skills.”

She has also authored a chapter in the forthcoming anthology, Crafting Critical Stories: Toward Pedagogies and Methodologies of Collaboration, Inclusion & Voice, co-edited by HCOM alum Judith Flores Carmona & Kristen Luschen. Her dissertation will be an (auto) ethnographic study tentatively titled “Bootstrap Boricuas: My family performing and exploring cultural assimilation.”

Ellen cannot contain her enthusiasm for the transformative education she received at CSUMB and says, “HCOM started me on a lifelong journey to fulfill my potential as an academic and as a person. I am forever grateful.”

Judith Flores, Assistant Professor in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction and the Honors College at New Mexico State University

Judith Flores graduated in 2001 with a concentration in American Multicultural Studies. After completing her Master’s degree in Multicultural Education at CSUMB (while teaching and working for the Service Learning Institute) she was a Lecturer for two years at CSUMB. In 2004, she moved on to the University of Utah where she studied in the Education, Culture and Society program with Dr. Dolores Delgado Bernal. Graduating with her Ph.D. in Education, her dissertation was in part mentored by Dr. Rina Benmayor who helped her build on the knowledge gained at CSUMB. After a two-year Mellon post-doctorate at Hampshire College in Amherst, MA., she is now an Assistant Professor in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction and for the Honors College at New Mexico State University. She recently co-edited a special issue on Chican@/Latin@ Testimonios for Equity and Excellence in Education, and is currently co-editor of a forthcoming volume titled Crafting Critical Stories: Toward Pedagogies and Methodologies of Collaboration, Inclusion & Voice. As Judith recalls, "HCOM offered me the foundational tools to become a researcher, a teacher, and a self-reflexive community member. HCOM taught me that theory and praxis are inseparable and that teaching involves delving into our ways of knowing and an understanding of our lived experiences. ¡Gracias HCOM!"

Katie Kuszmar; Faculty in Community Service Learning, Coordinator of Justice Immersion Trips and Social Justice Programs at Notre Dame High School

Katie Kuszmar graduated in 1999 with a concentration in Creative Writing and Social Action. After completing her degree, she worked as an art and reading teacher at a charter school, an Education Coordinator at a metropolitan museum and after earning an MA in Literature from Fresno State, taught a variety of English courses in community colleges and courses in Social Justice and Global Studies at UCSC.

Currently, she is on the faculty in the Community Service Learning department at Notre Dame High School where she coordinates justice immersion trips and social justice programs, including facilitating the Young Woman’s Advocacy Summit at Notre Dame. She also is on the Educational Advisory Board for Voice of Witness, an organization that publishes oral histories centered on human rights, and provides educational training and support to teachers and students who use oral history in the classroom.

Katie describes her experience in HCOM this way: "HCOM built a hearty foundation for honest introspection, compassionate communication, and provided a supportive outlet for creative expression and new ways of knowing the world as it relates to social justice. After teaching for over a decade, I still employ methods of collaborative and experiential learning with my students, modeled after the education I received at CSUMB.

"For the past three years, integrating oral history training and mentoring projects in oral history for students has provided one of the most impressive teaching tools to help students and myself to truly listen, to honor unheard voices, and to foster a holistic approach to community building. I have connected with many of my professors from CSUMB, and they are still models of education and mentors to me."

Adrian Andrade, HCOM Faculty at CSUMB

Adrian Andrade graduated in 1998 with a concentration in American Multicultural Studies. As an undergraduate, he earned first place in the CSU System state-wide student research competition in 1999 for his senior capstone project—a notable achievement that brought recognition to CSUMB, then a small and growing campus. After completing his HCOM degree, Adrian was guided and supported into the Master's of Multicultural Education program at CSUMB, which he successfully completed in May of 2000.

Since then, he has worked as a faculty member at Cal State Monterey Bay, contributing to various departments. Adrian recalls his undergraduate experience in HCOM with great appreciation: "The HCOM experience really changed my life. Working closely with cohort peers, under direction of the finest professors on the planet, I was assisted in fleshing out my own personal interests and thus, discovered my true passion in life. I absolutely relish my position as an instructor in today's diverse post-secondary academic environment and cannot visualize myself being anywhere else."

Ellen Waddell, Speech Instructor

Ellen Waddell graduated from CSUMB May 1998, then earned her Master of Arts in Speech Communication in December 1999 from San Jose State University. She returned full time to the field of Human Resource Management working for a not-for-profit agency. Her knowledge of computer technology helped her to create new systems and methods of managing the Human Resource office.

In 2001, Ellen added teaching part time for Gavilan College in Gilroy CA to her schedule, and shortly thereafter Hartnell College in Salinas CA. Finding that she loved teaching, Ellen changed fields entirely, and became a High School English and Speech instructor along with the college courses she continued to teach. Service learning has become an integrated part of how she teaches students to work in a team environment.

Today, she is focused on teaching at Gavilan College, and operating her tutoring business in the tri-county area. “HCOM provided me with the needed foundation about communication and intercultural applications," Ellen recalls, "My service learning project taught me the value of helping others achieve their goals. I left a better-rounded individual with an improved perspective about those different from myself. CSUMB equipped me to work in the emerging digital environment, and allowed me to hone the skills I would need. “