Tenacity, academic renaissance shaped grad's future

By Roger Ruvolo

Sheer determination has its virtues, and Amanda Young, a 2016 CSUMB graduate, is living proof. Young overcame years of adversity and turned her resolve into work in supply chain intelligence and the production of two podcasts from the nation’s capital. 

Young, of Vacaville, credits her success, in part, to a transformative academic experience at Cal State Monterey Bay.

But the road was not easy. Young didn’t arrive at CSUMB until she was 24, after spending several years working and attending community college to attain an associate degree. 

“I wasn’t the best student,” Young said. She was initially dismissed from  Sierra College for bad grades, then spent four years at Solano Community College. 

“That whole time, I was working and trying to attend school,” Young said. “But it was good because it forced me to focus and taught me responsibility.” 

Young was attracted to the field of criminal justice. She applied at a few colleges but none accepted her. She had heard about CSUMB from a friend whose daughter loved it. She applied and, after taking a couple of extra classes, was accepted. 

“I’ve always had to try and try again,” Young said. The challenge at CSUMB was getting set up, getting a job and getting to work, academically. 

“I worked at Macy’s the whole time I was at CSUMB,” Young remembered. “And I didn’t get the internet where I lived, so I had to do all my studying in the library at school.” 

But, she said, “I was a completely different student by then. I loved all my classes. My cohort went through all the same classes I did, and I got to know the professors. I could learn from those around me.” 

With a newfound academic blossoming, Young chased her interests in behavioral sciences with an emphasis in sociology, and her keen attention paid off. “I made the dean’s list in three of the four semesters I was there,” Young recalled. “I was really proud of that.” 

The call to work in criminal justice persisted, but was dashed after the FBI turned down her application. So Young considered extending her education in international relations. 

With help from CSUMB professor Armando Arias, she was accepted at Middlebury Institute in Monterey and eventually earned a master’s degree in nonproliferation and terrorism studies. 

Not long after moving to Arlington, Virginia, in 2020, Young was hired by Altana, which helps private companies and governments navigate the international supply chain. 

“I work on the federal side,” Young said, “helping them get what they need.” 

A passion for the subjects led her to work on a pair of current podcasts. She co-produces one, Iron Butterfly – where women describe their lives in the intelligence community – and works on another, Women in the Arena, giving voice to women veterans. 

As winding as the road may seem, Young said, “Even back while I was at CSUMB, I was kind of already on a path to something international. 

“I’ve hit so many roadblocks along the way,” she added, “but I think if those had not happened, I would not be where I am today.”