Month of the Alumni: April Salutes Toros and
Their Accomplishments

One of the things that our mission statement says is that we are committed to excellence in our product, and our product is our graduates - Sheila Butts, director, Alumni Relations

From the original graduating class of four in 1967, CSU Dominguez Hills alumni
have increased to more than 55,000 in the last 46 years. President James E. Lyons,
Sr. has designated April as the Month of the Alumni, to be celebrated in its inaugural
year with the annual Alumni Association, Inc. Award Mixer and Family Fun Day at
Unity Fest, on April 20, and “Celebrating Our Legacy,” a panel discussion featuring alumni from a variety of career fields on April 26.

Director of Alumni Relations Sheila Butts describes the recognition of CSUDH graduates as “a family thing. When your kids leave home and do something great, you’re proud of them and you tell people. We have alums in education, in the political arena, in entertainment, and many other fields, who are making their marks on society, and we’re proud of that.”

“Sweet Alice” Harris (Class of '76, B.A., Sociology) , founder and executive director of Parents of Watts (POW) in Los Angeles, will be honored as the 2006 Alumna of the Year on April 20, 6:30-8:30 p.m., at the Doubletree Hotel in Carson Civic Plaza. POW includes more than 15 programs that operate on a shoestring, with the help of contracts and support from community businesses, such as providing emergency food and shelter for the homeless; health seminars; legal and drug counseling; promotion of harmony among Hispanics, Koreans, and African Americans; a program for unwed mothers; and preparation of young people for college and the job market.

This year’s Unity Fest will also honor Dominguez Hills alumni at Family Fun
Day on April 22, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a chance to share the Toro legacy
with family and reconnect with old friends. In addition, monthlong contests
encourage faculty and staff alumni to wear their “Month of the Alumni” buttons
for a chance to win a $50 gas card and to play “Alumni Information Scavenger Hunt” by locating special signs on campus that highlight prominent alumni in order to win a $100 American Express gift card.

“Celebrating Our Legacy” welcomes five successful alums to campus for
a panel discussion on April 26 in the Claudia Hampton Auditorium in Welch Hall
from 2:15 p.m. to 4 p.m. Featured speakers are Steven Bradford (Class of ’85, B.A., Political Science),mayor pro tem, City of Gardena; Michael Briggs (Class of ’96, B.A., Physical Education/Education), franchise owner, Cold Stone Creamery; Dr. Cheryl Browne (Class of ’82, B.S., Clinical Science); Richelle Gingerich (Class of ’03, B.A., Recreation and Leisure), catering manager, Trump National Golf Club; and Dan Guerrero (Class of ’83, M.P.A.), director of athletics, UCLA. Butts describes the importance of students hearing the stories of these CSUDH graduates.

“We’re inviting classes to attend the panel so that students can see the end
result of what we do here,” she says. “We’re also inviting the professors who
have impacted these alums in their lives and careers.

“One of the things that our mission statement says is that we are committed to
excellence in our product, and our product is our graduates,” she continues.
“We recognize that our alumni are keyed into what we do in producing them. You
don’t get to hear about what our alums are doing too often, so we are going to
make sure that we applaud them.”

For more information on Month of the Alumni events or on Alumni Relations,
visit http://www.csudh.edu/Alumni/AlumniRelations.html or call (310) 243-2237.

The Doubletree Hotel Carson Civic Plaza is located at 2 Civic Plaza Drive, Carson,
California. For information and directions, call (310) 830-9200 or click here.

-Joanie Harmon