California Lutheran University

Luis Perez Jr. ’25 is researching the impacts of participation in Camp HOPE Ventura County, a weeklong camping experience that introduces children and teens exposed to domestic violence to new environments and opportunities.

Working with Molly George, PhD, and research partner Gabrielle Vogel, Luis is looking for evidence-based recommendations for future programming and successful interventions to assist vulnerable populations in various stages of the healing process.

“As a first-generation Mexican-American individual with a learning disability, I, like many Camp HOPE participants, come from a family where high adverse childhood experience scores are present,” Luis said. “I want to show youth from similar backgrounds as myself that our circumstances do not define us and it is very possible to have a bright future.”

As a Camp Hope counselor in August, Luis collected data so he could analyze his research this fall. He included pre-camp surveys, post-camp surveys, and Adverse Childhood Experience questionnaires filled out by camp participants.

“Using such rich tools, we expect to find that the camp has a positive impact on youth’s ability to form a community and heal from trauma together.”

In addition to being a Culver Behavioral Science Research Fellow over the summer and through this year, Luis is majoring in political science and criminology and criminal justice with minors in business administration and psychology.

He’s also an ASCLUG transfer senator, presidential host, peer advisor, mentor for Project CHESS Men's Initiative at Cal Lutheran, publicist for the Latin American Student Organization, and vice president and co-founder of the Disability Advocacy Student Association. Off-campus, Luis is also a student intern at Moorpark College’s ACCESS office, helping students enroll in the program and answer their questions about academic accommodations and resources.

Next semester, Luis will be a part of the Inside-Out Program, an innovative prison education program led by Schannae Lucas, PhD.

Through his extracurriculars and ongoing research, Luis has gained more awareness about a real-world issue that will guide him in his future. After graduation in May, he plans to continue working at local nonprofits and colleges while studying for the LSAT. His aim is to attend law school in California and eventually specialize in family criminal or disability law.

“With Spanish being my first language, I want to be a legal advocate for families and individuals who may find our legal system intimidating,” Luis said.

Check out some photos from our Homecoming festival 🎉

The Dorfman Incubator Grant provides early-stage funding to US-based founders and startups. A total of $155,000 was awarded to five area companies for 2023, and while a Cal Lutheran connection is not required to qualify, the founding teams include several of our alumni and faculty.

� HortiTech is developing a water filter for farmers that is designed to remove ammonia, a common fertilizer ingredient, so water can be re-used in the fields. The Camarillo-based startup was also a 2023 New Venture Fair winner, and three of its founders are Cal Lutheran graduates: Andrea Brimmer ’23, née Villaseñor, Zaria Opara ’23 and Emma Sweeney ’23.

� Wayside Energy, another 2023 New Venture Fair winner, makes a utility-scale battery storage chassis. James Werbe ’23 is a co-founder of this Woodland Hills-based company.

� InvoCure, located in Calabasas, is a platform for ordering medical supplies and repeat grant recipient. Founder Brian Malchow earned his MBA at Cal Lutheran.

� Environmental Market Services (EMS) focuses on establishing groundwater exchanges as a way to address increasing water shortages throughout the United States. The Santa Rosa Valley-based company does so based on a market-priced exchange mechanism. EMS was started by Matthew Fienup, a School of Management faculty member.

� PlotSign has developed a system that makes it easier for commercial property renters and buyers to connect with brokers. Zach Dunn ’21 founded the Westlake Village company.

The grant program is made possible through a significant gift by Steve Dorfman, the former head of Hughes Space and Communications Co., Hughes Telecommunications and Space and Hughes Communications.

Dorfman said the recipients “impressed the judges with their forward thinking and real-world problem solving.”

“As a former executive of one of the nation’s largest companies, it’s rewarding for me to help these startups become established, both for the company’s sake and the community’s,” said Dorfman, who serves on the advisory council of the Steven Dorfman Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the Dean’s Executive Council for the School of Management.

You can learn more about these start-ups at https://bit.ly/49dIeQn before the 2024 cohort is announced in the fall.

This spring, Sarah Stephan ’24 presented her capstone research on the recent Supreme Court case of Dobbs v. Jackson at the research conference for Pi Sigma Alpha, the national political science honors society, in Washington, D.C.

The political science major and legal studies minor collaborated with professor Haco Hoang, PhD, on the year-long project, which looked at how the Dobbs case has and will affect young women voters in the future, especially during the upcoming presidential election. They received funding through the Culver Research Fellowship in Social and Behavioral Sciences.

Aside from being a Political Science Department assistant, Stephan was president of the Model U.N. club and presented her research three times at the Festival of Scholars. Her academic achievements include membership in Pi Sigma Alpha, recognition on the Dean’s List, and receiving Departmental Honors at graduation.

Stephan was in D.C. for her last semester thanks to an internship with a U.S. Representative through the Lutheran College Washington Semester program, which Hoang and professor Kiku Huckle, PhD encouraged her to pursue. Stephan also attributes her post-graduation success to the support of her political science faculty.

“They provided me with countless opportunities within Cal Lutheran and outside it, as well as always encouraging me to strive for what I wanted,” she said.

In October, Stephan begins a fellowship with a state senator in Sacramento through the California Senate Fellows Program. She also wants to continue working in politics at the state level, particularly looking at the laws affecting veterans and the current homeless crisis they face.

“I also hope to work in the future to bridge gaps between California's government and veteran's non-profit organizations serving veterans,” she said.

The Cal Lutheran Mariachi Ensemble had the honor of performing at the Angel City Football Club's match on Sept. 27 in BMO Stadium.

After the music, the excitement continued as fans, including a large contingent of Cal Lutheran alumni, cheered on Angel City FC, celebrating both the beautiful game and the vibrant culture that brings our community together.

For Andrea Mendez Lopez '26, a music production major, the performance was especially meaningful. "Sharing my culture through music is how I best represent myself. This was a milestone moment for me," she said.

KCLU is furthering its commitment to serving local news by expanding into the Santa Ynez Valley.

The NPR-affiliated radio station is licensed to Cal Lutheran and already covers most of the Central Coast and the “Five Cities” area of San Luis Obispo County. The new station, KSYV 96.7 FM, will be launched to strengthen its signal and extend its reach to the Solvang/Santa Ynez Valley area.

"Our focus is to bring even more local news on the radio," general manager Mary Olsen said in an interview with the Santa Maria Times. "It's not about what this expansion means for us; it's about what it does for the residents. We are here to serve the community."

KCLU has earned over 400 awards, including 11 trophies recently at the 2024 Golden Mike Awards. The station also features a Morning Edition every weekday with Russ Mulaney.

Visit bit.ly/3yejkUm to read more about the new expansion.

Since graduating with her bachelor’s in psychology with a biology emphasis, Mikaela Caltrider ’23 has earned her EMT certification from UCLA and gained hands-on experience as a medical assistant for a concierge medical practice in Newbury Park. She’s now working towards attending medical school in the fall.

Caltrider felt called to train as a first responder upon graduating, “knowing that the experience would grow me further, allow me to provide service at the darkest of moments, and demonstrate my dedication to providing medical care to my community.” She’s since volunteered on ambulances in LA County and the ER at UCLA Westwood.

Working as a medical assistant provided Caltrider with many hands-on learning opportunities, including under the lead physician. She also credited the experience with demonstrating how much she belongs in patient care and what that could look like for her own practice someday.

In addition to earning minors in chemistry and Spanish and working as a psychology department assistant, Caltrider also researched social psychology under associate professor Amanda ElBassiouny, PhD.

The first of their two projects, which examines how jurors' pre-existing biases impact their decisions regarding defendants in the courtroom, was published in the Journal of Integrated Social Sciences last year.

“Cal Lutheran’s support of student-led research is so unique and valued. Without that, I don’t know that I would have pursued this research, gained the incredible mentorship that I did, and had the opportunity to be an author on two publications before going to graduate school,” she said.

Caltrider fell in love with psychology after one course in her first year and changed her major from biology, but she kept her goal of becoming a physician. She said that Cal Lutheran’s pre-med advising program provided solid information to prepare her for work and further studies. At the same time, her emphasis area helped her access classes beyond the typical requirements of psychology majors, such as Human Anatomy.

These unique experiences have not only bolstered Mikaela’s medical school prospects but will help shape her future as a physician.

“There’s a lot of science behind what actions and considerations make others feel loved and accepted. I know that having this background in psychology will make me a better doctor who remains in tune with her patients,” she said.

Does Cal Lutheran have its very own Cupid? The stories collected in the most recent CLU Magazine from alumni who found true love on campus suggest there’s some truth to the rumors. https://bit.ly/45Do6Hb

Meeting Their Matches Alumni share their stories of finding true love on campus.

We are one month away from Homecoming Weekend! 🎉 Check out the schedule and purchase your tickets today! 😊

Cal Lutheran Homecoming 2024 From the Homecoming Festival to the big games and fun virtual events, you'll find a lot to love at Homecoming. Wherever you are located and however you want to connect with us – we look forward to seeing you at Homecoming!

We welcomed nearly 700 incoming first-time and transfer students to campus on Aug. 26 for the 2024-2025 school year — our 65th!

The first day of classes follows a weekend of New Student Orientation events, including the traditional painting of the CLU Rocks, PlayFair and Opening Convocation.

“It’s an exciting time to be at Cal Lutheran as we begin this academic year,” said Interim President John A. Nunes, PhD. “I am animated by two things: the Cal Lutheran student body and our mission. Ours is a multiethnic student body, a significant percentage of whom are the first in their families to attend college. We are providing all our students with the tools they need for a rewarding career and a life of meaning.”

Of the first-time undergraduate students, 54% are students of color and 38% are the first in their families to attend college. This diverse student body demonstrates our commitment, as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and a Lutheran university, to creating educational pathways for people of all backgrounds.

Four percent of the incoming undergraduate class are international students. Overall, our student body hails from 40 states and 59 countries, representing a diversity of faiths and cultures.

Also new to campus are four sought-after bachelor’s degrees for our traditional undergraduates: advertising & public relations, museum studies, journalism, sports communication and data science.

Did you know that the 2021 U.S. Latina GDP is $1.3 trillion, up from $661 billion in 2010? The total economic output of Hispanic females in 2021 is larger than the entire economy of the state of Florida.

This is according to the inaugural Bank of America U.S. Latina GDP Report by our Center for Economic Research & Forecasting released Aug. 22.

This groundbreaking research documents the previously under-studied role of Latinas’ economic impact. In the areas of total economic output, population and labor force growth, labor force participation, income and educational attainment, Latinas’ impact is staggering.

The Latina labor force participation rate has also increased strongly since 2000 and sits at an all-time high. Latinas are 2.5 percentage points more likely to be working than non-Hispanic females and enjoy an income growth rate 2.5 times that of their non-Hispanic female counterparts. Latina educational attainment is also growing 2.7 times that of non-Hispanic females.

Matthew Fienup, PhD, executive director of the Center for Economic Research & Forecasting, Dan Hamilton, PhD, associate professor in the School of Management and David Hayes-Bautista, PhD, director of the Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture at the School of Medicine, UCLA, authored the report.

The full report is available at LatinaGDP.us and can be downloaded athttp://blogs.callutheran.edu/cerf/files/2024/08/2024_LatinaGDP_FINAL.pdf

The final Executive Summary can be downloadedhttp://blogs.callutheran.edu/cerf/files/2024/08/2024_LatinaGDP_ExecSummary.pdf

Home - The Latina GDP Report

Esmeralda Martinez-Rosales, MS ’23, has been awarded this year’s Outstanding Young Alumni award in recognition of the honor and distinction she brings to the university through her dedication to supporting students from traditionally underrepresented groups as they navigate the college experience.

The child of Mexican immigrants and the youngest of six daughters, Martinez-Rosales is the first member of her family to attend college and graduate school. After receiving her bachelor’s degree from CSU Northridge, she came to Cal Lutheran to earn her master’s in counseling and college student personnel.

“Attending CLU was a life-changing experience for me,” said Martinez-Rosales. “The connections I built with my peers and professors gave me the confidence to keep going, to keep working toward my goals.”

Today, as a career and transfer specialist at Oxnard College, Martinez-Rosales draws on theories gleaned from her master’s program to take a holistic approach to her work. Many of the students she mentors are first-generation college students, juggling the demands of their studies with the need to provide financial support to their families. As a first-generation student who worked to support herself and her family while earning her degrees, Martinez-Rosales is a relatable inspiration to her students, a daily reminder of what they can achieve.

She is also known for helping students obtain opportunities that will have a transformative impact on their own lives.

“Sometimes it just takes one person to show you a path you hadn’t considered before,” said Martinez-Rosales. “It is very gratifying to be able to provide inspiration to underrepresented students, to let them know they have my support as they pursue their goals.”

To Martinez-Rosales, an education is a privilege, and she is proud to play a role in helping others carve a path toward their dreams.

We had the honor of welcoming Ventura County Supervisor Jeff Gorell to campus to celebrate Cal Lutheran’s 65th anniversary! He presented a special proclamation recognizing our commitment to academic excellence and service. We’re proud to be part of a community that celebrates our impact and achievements.

The fall semester is almost here. We can’t wait to have everyone back on campus! �

Sue Dwyer-Voss ’86 is this year’s recipient of the Outstanding Alumni Award for the honor and distinction she has brought to the university through her 35 years as a school social worker, creating a safe space of support for struggling students.

“Considering the dignity and worth of each person is core to how I live my life and how I spend my time working,” Dwyer-Voss said. “Everybody is worthy and everybody deserves dignity. My goal is to develop relationships and connections in whatever capacity I can, to meet people where they are at, and to help them understand their inherent self-worth.”

As a Cal Lutheran student, Dwyer-Voss enjoyed building connections with her professors, who challenged her to think critically about race, discrimination and justice. One professor in particular, the late Pam Jolicoeur, PhD, was instrumental in encouraging Dwyer-Voss to make a difference in the world. Jolicoeur fostered discourse on how policy, law and racism contribute to social issues, and she ensured her students gained real-world experience through internships with community agencies.

After graduating from Cal Lutheran with her bachelor’s degree in sociology, Dwyer-Voss earned a master’s in clinical social work at the University of Chicago and became a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW).

In 2020, Dwyer-Voss co-founded the Peace and Social Justice Scholarship with her husband, Ron. The scholarship has provided more than $25,000 to support nine Cal Lutheran students of color pursuing careers in social justice.

“My goal is to help young people recognize they are worthy and deserving of a future,” said Dwyer-Voss. “It’s important to help others understand they can have a positive impact on the world, which I was fortunate to learn during my time at CLU.”

The 2024 Olympics just ending in Paris brought back some memories for a pair of longtime best friends. Four decades ago Alum Marty (Ronning ‘64) Kemp-Schwalm & Sherrill Hyink were among the 3,636 Americans to participate in the 1984 Olympic Torch Relay. They still have their torches, uniforms and memories. They plan to repeat history when the games return to Los Angeles in four years, in 2028 they will be 87 years old. They are looking forward to the next Olympics.

If you would like to share an Alumni story with us, please see link in bio

Gumby’s soaking up the sun 😎☀️⛱️

Over the past year, our Film and TV Department faculty have brought together professionals from throughout the entertainment industry to share their stories and insights with our students through discussion and Q&A.

The second annual Latinx Film and TV Summit in September included directors Evelyn Belasco (who also invited two students to attend Directors Guild of America Latino Summit with her), Carlos López Estrada and Carmen Marrón. In February, entertainment journalist Mariel Turner, producer Ashley Gasper and director Morenike Joela Evans joined the panel for the first Black, Indigenous and People of Color Film and TV Summit.

April brought two more inaugural events. The line-up for the Middle Eastern Film and TV Summit boasted producer, director and distributor Mark Amin; producer, comedian and writer Nadine Rajabi ’00, MBA ’05; writer, producer, and creative entrepreneur Hammad Zaidi; and Dina Abdel Salam, who is a novelist as well as an indie filmmaker. The series concluded with the Asian American and Pacific Islander Film and TV Summit and panelists Ada Yeh, a former VP at Warner Bros, Chris Tashima an actor and director, and Munika Lay, a producer, studio executive, and co-founder of CIME.

The series raised several common themes for students, such as the inevitability of change in an industry that is always innovating. In an interview with The Echo reporter, Charlie Johnson, Rajabi advised that students entering the industry be open to that growth.

“I think the biggest thing is to remain teachable,” Rajabi said. “Even now in my 40’s, I’m never too proud to ask anybody on my team, I learn from them, I learn from everybody.”

� (BIPOC Film and TV Summit): Jaylin Licup/The Echo

Adjunct professor Vanessa Frank is this year’s Honorary Alumni Award recipient for her outstanding service to the university and in recognition of the honor and distinction her personal achievements bring to our campus.

Influenced by her parents’ commitment to social equality and the stories of her immigrant grandparents and great-grandparents, Frank’s passion for social justice was sparked through early activism as a teen in Los Angeles.

A graduate of Stanford University and Stanford Law School, Frank has spent two decades practicing immigration law, spearheading advocacy work, offering pro-bono legal services to immigrants, and advising migrant-serving organizations in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.

“Decades of advocacy and community organizing have taught me the importance of reaching out to others, of connecting and being physically together,” Frank said. “Through those connections — often with people whose paths you might not otherwise cross — you can find common ground and a common cause.”

In 2009, Frank founded an immigration-focused law practice in Oxnard, representing clients before various federal entities with dignity and compassion. She also works to reframe the narrative by working in the community to collect and share stories of immigrant teachers, lawyers, business owners and others.

At Cal Lutheran, she teaches ethics and religion courses through the lens of immigration and challenges students to think critically about how policy impacts society. “Teaching gives me the opportunity to work with young people and be part of the academic community’s discourse around immigration, human rights, and social justice,” Frank said.

Frank is the recipient of the 2021 Ben E. Nordman Public Service Award from the Ventura County Bar Association, and she was named Ventura County Woman of the Year in 2020 by the California State Legislative Delegation for “work done for the county and beyond in advocating and representing our immigrant community.”

On July 22, members of Cal Lutheran's national champion women's soccer and men's volleyball teams traveled to the White House for a historic event honoring the 2023-2024 championship teams for all NCAA divisions.

Regals Soccer secured their first NCAA Division III title last December under coaches Frank Marino and Brenton Frame. Kingsmen Volleyball, coached by Kevin Judd, Ron Higa and Fred “Chuck” English, achieved their program’s first NCAA Division III championship in April.

Vice President Kamala Harris gave remarks that emphasized how the student-athletes demonstrate perseverance and camaraderie. “You rely on each other. You develop relationships that will last a lifetime. And you make the people around you better in every way. And when you play, you inspire people across our nation. You remind all of us what can be achieved with hard work and ambition,” she said.

Coaches were asked to designate one student-athlete to represent their programs on a large stage behind the vice president.

Judd chose Ben Weber, a team captain and star outside hitter. Marino tapped Isabella Veljacic ’23, a current MBA student, who was named Most Outstanding Offensive Player of the 2023 Division III NCAA tournament.

The vice president’s comments resonated with Veljacic. “It really opened my eyes to what a major deal it is to win a national championship. Like she said, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing (and) very few get to say it,” she said.

Nearly two dozen student-athletes attended, along with their coaches, despite having to arrange their own travel. The teams also received a surprise tour of the first floor of the White House.

“I guess sometimes I feel like it hasn’t hit me yet. It’s still setting in,” Weber said in an interview last week. “But getting to experience that, getting to be at the White House, to be honored by the vice president. It definitely was like the icing on the cake.”

Destiny Lewis, MS ’23, has been named a 40 Under Forty honoree by the Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce. The award recognizes young professionals making an impact in the community.

Lewis, our Associate Director of Transfer Admission, was nominated for the award by a Cal Lutheran campus community member. She said she was surprised and touched when she received the news.

“I think so often we can be on autopilot, just doing our work and trying to keep things moving, that we don’t realize people are watching. It was so special to me to not only be thought of by the person who nominated me but to be selected,” Lewis said.

An alumnus of CSU Northridge, Lewis began working at Cal Lutheran in 2019 as an Early Outreach Coordinator before being promoted to her current position in 2022 and earning her Master’s in Counseling for College Student Personnel.

Lewis has stayed at Cal Lutheran for the community, her team and students.

“I think the best part of my job is really getting to know the students — both incoming and current students. Like any job, there are tough days, but I love that I get to help people at such a pivotal time in their lives,” she said.

She also advises Sister’s Circle and the Black Student Union.

“Advising the clubs is one of my favorite parts of working here. Getting to know current students and be part of all the cool things they’re doing is amazing,” Lewis said. “I especially love being able to connect with students with who we share parts of our identity and cheer them on.”

Off-campus, Lewis volunteers as a big sister with HOPE’s House Christian Ministries in Granada Hills. She’s also done humanitarian work abroad — teaching kids math and English in Cape Town, South Africa, in 2013 and helping to organize a Christmas celebration for local families in Uganda through Reach Up, Reach Out in 2019. “I have a soft spot for kids, and I find that I'm able to connect with them and be a safe place,” she said.

Outside work, Lewis enjoys reading, baking, spending time with her nieces and nephews, traveling and listening to music.

Lewis and the other 40 Under Forty honorees were presented with their awards at a cocktail reception on July 19.

On International Women’s Day in March, Kelsey Myers ’08 finished her world record attempt at being the first woman to complete the equivalent of six triathlons on six continents in six days.

Myers’ journey, which was highlighted in the most recent CLU Magazine, stretched from Rio de Janeiro Brazil, through Portugal, Morocco, Oman, Australia, and ended in the United States. At each stop, she completed an Olympic-distance triathlon, which includes a .9-mile swim, a 24.8-mile bike and a 6.2-mile run.

The feat was a fundraiser for ZGiRLS , a nonprofit organization that teaches middle school girls to overcome self-doubt and gain lifelong confidence.

“The biggest concern I had was the logistics of it — you know, missing a flight or anything going wrong,” Myers said. “But I got very lucky again and again!

Follow on Instagram to learn more about Myer’s journey and her next challenge.