San Francisco State University to award Posthumous Degree to Stephen Guillermo

May 20, 2014 -- Stephen Guillermo, the San Francisco State University student who was shot dead in early May after apparently entering the wrong apartment, will be awarded his degree posthumously, school administrators announced today.

The 26-year-old Guillermo, described by his faculty as a kind and hard-working young man, was just a few units shy of completing his degree in international relations, according to Acting Dean of Students Mary Ann Begley. “The SF State community was saddened to hear of his sudden passing,” she said. “Upon the request of the Guillermo family and the faculty and administrators in the College of Liberal and Creative Arts, a posthumous degree will be awarded.”

Guillermo had attended City College of San Francisco before transferring to SF State, and would have been the first in his immediate family to receive a college degree, reports said. Plans will be made with the Guillermo family to award his degree during a ceremony this summer with friends, loved ones and SF State faculty and staff in attendance.

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SF State is the only master's-level public university serving the counties of San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin. The University enrolls nearly 30,000 students each year and offers nationally acclaimed programs in a range of fields -- from creative writing, cinema, biology and history to broadcast and electronic communication arts, theatre arts and ethnic studies. The University's more than 219,000 graduates have contributed to the economic, cultural and civic fabric of San Francisco and beyond.