Stories inspire us. They connect us. They inform us of all the wonderful things — and sometimes challenging things — happening at the Fresno State campus that holds a special meaning to so many in the Central Valley and beyond. Stories are how we relate to one another, and oftentimes stories spark us to take action. This year, in selecting the top stories, we focus heavily on Fresno State Magazine and a few other pieces of big campus news.
At a time when community support is critical to the future of the university, the past two issues of the magazine focused on demonstrating the value of Fresno State. The magazine shared an imaginative glimpse at what the Valley would look like without the university, while also sharing the “Faces of Fresno State” human-interest stories of some alumni and students making an impact in the region.
At Fresno State, stories create a bond between thousands of alumni, friends, students, prospective students and other community members.
Here is a glimpse, in no particular order, at the editor’s picks for the top 23 Fresno State stories of 2023 — this year with a special emphasis on stories from Fresno State Magazine.
Imagine the Valley without the Bulldogs
Ever thought about what the Valley would look like without Fresno State? Where would the teachers come from? The nurses? The businesspeople? What about law enforcement, elected officials and media? Who would educate and prepare the engineers?
Where would the food come from that you ate for breakfast, lunch and dinner? What would the entertainment scene be like without Fresno State athletics? Would there still be pride in the Valley without the “Pride of the Valley?” Have you ever truly thought about what the region would look like without its flagship university?
Faces of Fresno State: Meet some students and alumni making the most of a Valley of opportunities
Stand up, walk to the nearest mirror and take a good, long look. You are the face of Fresno State. Chances are, so are many of your neighbors, your friends and your family. As well as their neighbors, friends and families. In various ways, Fresno State represents all of us who are reading these stories — and all of us represent Fresno State.
In the Central Valley, six degrees of separation is more like six degrees of education. Because, in all likelihood — with 80% of graduates staying and working in the region — there are far fewer than six degrees of separation between you and the next Fresno State alum or supporter.
Education: Training the Valley’s future educators for 112 years
When C.L. McLane was superintendent of Fresno city schools in the early 1900s, he experienced firsthand the difficulty of recruiting teachers from other cities and keeping them from leaving. That reality led to Fresno State’s founding in 1911 as a teacher’s college to attract students from the San Joaquin Valley who would be more likely to stay and put down roots in the region.
Today, Fresno State has consistently been among the top three public universities preparing the most K-12 school teachers in California.
Connections run deep for Dr. Corrine Folmer. From her ties to Clovis Unified School District to her history with Fresno State, the past, present and future of Clovis Unified’s newest superintendent are tightly woven together into the fabric of both institutions.
Four generations of her family have received their education from Clovis Unified, including her two daughters — one in middle school and one in high school. She was one of the early graduates of Buchanan High School, where she competed as an athlete. While at Fresno State, she played soccer for all four years of her undergraduate education on a scholarship. And she didn’t even start out as an education major.
Inspired by brother’s health scare, chemistry student is determined to overcome
A serotonin molecule structure tattoo on his right wrist summarizes Marvin Cornejo’s attitude toward life — optimism and resilience. Serotonin is a brain chemical that regulates mood, sleep and various functions in the human body, contributing to feelings of happiness and well-being.
“I got [the tattoo] as a reminder of my love for chemistry and my path toward medical school,” says Cornejo, a senior chemistry major at Fresno State. But despite his positivity, Cornejo’s path to Fresno State was paved with challenges that would make most give up.
Health Care: Alumni bring life to Valley’s health care desert
Dr. Danielle Campagne can’t help but become emotional when asked about the health care shortage in the Central Valley. Born and raised in Sanger, her family knows firsthand the pain of lacking access to quality care. “My grandfather was injured in an accident on our family farm and was taken to a rural medical center where there wasn’t a doctor on duty,” says Campagne, her voice catching in her throat. “I never got to meet him, and maybe he would have lived had a doctor been there.”
It was that family tragedy that convinced Campagne, interim chief of emergency medicine for UCSF Fresno and Community Regional Medical Center, that she would someday become a doctor.
Cynthia Gomez watched – poised for action – as a military helicopter carrying people rescued from a Sierra forest fire touched down near the Fresno airport. Hastily-mounted lights pierced the darkness of the September night and revealed scores of first responders – military personnel like Gomez and others – moving quickly to help evacuees from the 2020 Creek Fire.
“I remember exactly how I felt that night,” says Gomez, now a Fresno State student aiming to become a nurse who cares for veterans. “It was a sense of pride, and I was really happy that I was able to do my part.” That desire – plus ambition to keep moving forward in the health care field – led Gomez to a crossroads in 2022.
Agriculture: Valley’s leading industry backed by region’s leading ag college
This is the region that feeds the world. More than 300 different crops are grown in the Valley, with an estimated value of $17 billion per year. Though the region encompasses fewer than 1% of U.S. farmland, the Valley supplies 8% of U.S. agricultural output — producing a quarter of the nation’s food, including 40% of the nation’s fruits, nuts and other table foods.
Its people, many who have been rooted on this rich soil for generations, exude dedication and grit when growing the food that ends up in refrigerators and pantries around the world. Many of these people got their start at Fresno State.
When Joseph Fraga was a young man working for Ernest and Julio Gallo in Modesto, his bosses gave him a choice that changed the direction of his family tree for generations to come. Fraga wasn’t a vice president, but he and his wife, Maybelle, were invited to Christmas dinners with the Gallos and the company vice presidents at the Gallo home. Seated to the right of the company founders, Fraga was chosen to give the blessing before the meal. After Fraga had been with Gallo for a while, Ernest Gallo gave him a choice.
“They wanted me to go to either Modesto, San Francisco or Fresno,” all locations where Gallo had offices, Fraga says. “I told him I would have to go to Fresno because that’s where Fresno State is.”
Engineering: Graduates fuel forward-thinking workforce
Fresno State engineering graduates have gone on to lead some of the world’s most iconic technological developments – including the B1-B bomber, deployed during the Cold War, and Bluetooth, the wireless data technology still widely used today.
With an average of 300 engineering graduates per year, many of whom remain in the Valley to live, work and serve, the Lyles College of Engineering at Fresno State educates the region’s workforce. Most recently, alumni have played significant roles in regional projects like the California High Speed Rail and technologies that support agricultural operations and local infrastructure.
Pride of the Valley: Athletics unites and engages alumni and fans like nothing else can
Brandon Eachus remembers exactly when he started going to Fresno State football games. It was 1993 and the Bulldogs were coming off an unforgettable season capped by a dominant Freedom Bowl win over USC in Anaheim. Eachus’ grandparents, avid Red Wavers Ken and Kay Scheidt, took Brandon and his brother Randy with them to a football game.
The Eachus brothers enjoyed it so much that eventually their grandmother started buying them a family four-pack of season tickets each year for Christmas. When the boys turned 16 years old, they organized a tailgating group for family and friends – and it has become a family tradition through generations.
Eduardo Andre never shies away from a blank canvas. From country to country, state to state, he’s kept his faith, embraced fresh starts and created works of art – whether it was with a paintbrush or a basketball in his hands.
“I come from a family of athletes and artists,” Andre says in his British accent, a small hint at his journey. Standing 6-foot-11, Andre had a breakout junior season last year as the center on the Fresno State basketball team.
Bulldog Spirit: Rolling Out the Bulldog Bred Carpet
Darrell Copeland III was overflowing with Bulldog Spirit – and it showed with his bedroom décor, full of Bulldog swag and even carpet featuring the four-paw logo. He graduated from Fresno State in 2009 with a degree in media, communications and journalism (public relations) and was determined to use his talents to help elevate the brand of his alma mater. But, in 2011, at just 25 years old, Copeland died unexpectedly while playing recreational softball with his close friends.
Inspired to keep Copeland’s memory alive and leave a legacy at Fresno State, his parents and friends raised about $90,000 — through softball tournaments, holiday craft boutiques and in-kind donations — to create two scholarship endowments in his honor.
Music student with perfect pitch uses accessibility centers to graduate with honors
There were about 100 people, a large crowd for a senior recital, at the Fresno State Concert Hall. Even though Maurissio Rodriguez had just performed nearly an hour of challenging piano music by Haydn, Brahms and Chopin, there was no sheet music perched atop the piano. The entire performance was played from memory. Rodriguez stepped out for the last time as a Fresno State student, walked to the piano and gave a long bow as the audience applauded. He invited everyone to sing along as he began a special encore, his interpretation of “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Freddie Mercury.
“Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?”
The crowd began quietly as Rodriguez played his version with a clear melody line on the piano, giving the audience confidence to grow louder.
Heat Map: See where Fresno State alumni live and work all across the nation
As you will see, no matter where you are in the United States, you won’t have to travel far to find a fellow Bulldog. So wear your Fresno State shirts and hats, fly your flag or slap that Bulldogs sticker on your car. With more than 242,000 living alumni, Fresno State’s impact starts in the Central Valley and expands throughout California and the entire United States.
Out of 184,922 alumni in California, over 84,500 live in Fresno County. There are also significant pockets of alumni in and around other major U.S. cities such as Los Angeles, Sacramento, Seattle, Dallas, Chicago and Washington, D.C. About 18,000 alumni live abroad, making the university’s impact truly global.
Video: How following through on a simple idea gave Valley youth the opportunity for a new experience
When Dario Calderon sent a mass text message to every contact in his phone earlier this football season – seeking donations – a few people responded and asked if he got hacked. It was not spam. Rather, Calderon was taking action on an idea he and some friends hatched while tailgating at the season opening Fresno State football game.
“My friends and I decided to throw out a mass text message saying, ‘hey, we’re looking to raise as much money as possible to buy as many [Fresno State football] tickets for local students in the community, and we’d love to have your support,’” Calderon says. “I thought initially that it was going to be something that me and my group were funding, but in that short period of time we were able raise enough to buy 200 tickets.”
A member of the Fresno State club men’s rugby team stopped twins Jacob and Jeremiah Schwesinger and their father during Dog Days student orientation in June. “Are you a student?” the rugby player asked dad Carl Schwesinger, 47, who proudly wore a red Fresno State T-shirt and baseball cap. He answered yes. “You’re too old,” the rugby player said.
All three Schwesingers graduated from Merced College in May with their associate’s degrees and transferred to Fresno State, where each will begin a journey to finish their undergraduate degrees.
Fresno State announces new five-year strategic plan
Fresno State’s new strategic plan outlines the comprehensive goals and strategies that will steer the university in “growing the Valley of opportunity” over the next five years.
“We will strengthen the academic preparation of our students and ensure their future success; enhance faculty research and staff development; and deepen our impact in our region and beyond through partnerships with industry and community organizations,” said Fresno State President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval.
The plan identifies four core values — exploration, excellence, inclusion and community — each of which are detailed within the 30-page document.
It’s Time to ‘Elevate’: A visionary master plan to position athletics facilities for the future
University officials announced a transformational, multi-year vision for the modernization of Fresno State’s athletic facilities, including Valley Children’s Stadium and other venues. The aspirational master plan provides a roadmap to help position Fresno State athletics for sustained success while the Bulldogs continue to compete and win at a national level.
“The time is now,” says Fresno State President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval. “For over a century, Fresno State athletics has rallied the Valley, uniting people from all walks of life behind a common cause and generating excitement about our university. Just as our winning teams fuel passion and pride in our fan base, they also fuel interest in future students near and far, giving them a pathway to become familiar with the university. In addition, our teams are the gateway to national and international brand recognition.”
Fresno State, school districts launch Bulldog Bound guaranteed admissions partnership
Fresno State announced Bulldog Bound — a new guaranteed admissions program — at a kickoff event May 10 at the new Lynda and Stewart Resnick Student Union. Through the program, high school students (from participating school districts) who meet the minimum California State University requirements are guaranteed a spot at Fresno State after they graduate.
The program will also offer ongoing support for high school students and their parents to prepare students to enter college. Bulldog Bound ensures that qualified students in the region have a clear, tangible path to a college degree. Fresno State will support students and their families with admission preparation and resources as early as ninth grade.
Academic Prestige: Attracting top students statewide to Fresno State
Arya Desai had a lot of options when the time came to choose a college. He was accepted into all of the University of California campuses he applied for, and their corresponding honors programs, but his choice was Fresno State and the Smittcamp Family Honors College.
Celebrating its 25th year, the Smittcamp Family Honors College has admitted about 1,100 high-achieving students from across California, attracting some of the brightest minds to Fresno State. These students have gone on to become university deans, United States diplomats and active-duty physicians in the U.S. Air Force, among many other careers.
Social work student balances studies while serving as city mayor
Maria Pacheco puts on her headphones – music set to 90s alternative – and heads to the Fresno State campus. With her head held high, she takes a deep breath and tunes out her surroundings. Her daily two-mile “gratitude” walk from her car onto campus is one of the only times she is able to get a sense of calm amid her busy schedule.
Pacheco wears many hats as a full-time social work student, mother of six, nonprofit executive director, published author and intern and – perhaps her most unique role – mayor of Kerman.
U.S. News ranks Fresno State top 10 nationally for social mobility
Fresno State continues to climb national college rankings for social mobility, a measurement of universities that provide a quality education at an affordable price to create opportunities for students to move from one socioeconomic class to another. Fresno State jumped to No. 8 among all colleges nationwide for social mobility in the 2024 U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges rankings.
“This high and significant ranking on social mobility is especially important for our students, their families and our region, as it means that Fresno State allows our students to find the best versions of themselves, and in doing so, they become the leaders we all need in our Valley and the world,” said Fresno State President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval. “That’s why graduation day is so meaningful to me — we are graduating the leader-professionals who will strengthen communities and elevate the quality of life for everyone in our Valley.”
