Alumni News

Three honorary doctoral degrees given to an author, activist and Filipino American historian

California Attorney General Rob Bonta will deliver the keynote address at San Francisco State University’s 124th Commencement ceremony on Friday, May 23, at Oracle Park. 

The University will also award honorary doctoral degrees to Pulitzer Prize-nominated author Tommy Orange and activist, physician and minister Ramona Tascoe (B.A., ’70). A posthumous honorary doctoral degree will be given to author and beloved SFSU History Professor Dawn Mabalon. 

Doors at Oracle Park open at 3:30 p.m. The graduate procession begins at 5:30 p.m., with Commencement starting at 6:30 p.m. Fireworks will close out the event at about 9:30 p.m.

Live updates and photos from the ceremony will be posted to the University’s X, Instagram and Facebook accounts. Graduates and guests can tag their Commencement posts on social media using the hashtag #SFSU2025.

Commencement information is available via the SFSU mobile app. Once you’ve downloaded the University’s mobile app, visit “SFSU’s 2025 Commencement Ceremony, See More Ceremony Info.” Be sure to opt in to the University’s Commencement reminders by selecting “Manage Commencement Alerts” to receive push notifications. Details are also available on the Commencement website.

He has been a national leader in the fight to transform the criminal justice system, banning private prisons and detention facilities in California, as well as pushing to eliminate cash bail in the state. He has led statewide fights for racial, economic and environmental justice and worked to further the rights of immigrant families, renters and other working Californians.

Prior to serving in the Assembly, Attorney General Bonta worked as a deputy city attorney for the City and County of San Francisco, where he represented the city and county and its employees and fought to protect Californians from exploitation and racial profiling.

Born in Quezon City, Philippines, Bonta immigrated to California with his family as an infant. He is the son of a proud native Filipina mother and a father who taught him the value of public service to his community. He is married to Mia Bonta, and they are the proud parents of three children: Reina, Iliana and Andres.

In 2004, Mabalon joined the SFSU History Department faculty. Students loved her classes, where they not only learned to love history but they came to love learning. Through her dynamic lectures and interactive discussions, her witty humor and commentary and the food she cooked and baked for her students, she touched hearts, minds and stomachs.

In Mabalon’s last statement, she wrote, “I am an historian dedicated to building bridges between the communities about whom I write (Filipino Americans, Asian Americans, immigrants, workers) and the academy. I have devoted my life’s work to sharing the stories of people and communities at the margins of the American story. … With the humanities and history disciplines under attack, there is no better time to strengthen the work we do as professional historians.” 

Mabalon is remembered for the love for Filipina/o America that guided her work and her life. She was a respected historian, author, filmmaker, poet, chef, baker, community leader and activist who leaves behind a far-reaching legacy, grounded in love.

In 2004, Orange received his undergraduate degree in sound engineering from Ex’pression College of Digital Arts in Emeryville. He received his Master of Fine Arts degree at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe in 2016. He’s currently a faculty member there.

Orange lives in Oakland with his wife and two sons.

Though she’s practiced as an internal medicine specialist in Oakland for decades, Tascoe has also put her unique mix of skills to work on behalf of communities around the world. She’s led medical missions to Kenya, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, India and Sri Lanka. And she’s worked extensively with Haiti’s Ministry of Health and the University General Hospital of Haiti, that nation’s largest public hospital. 

In 2018, she was SFSU’s Commencement speaker and urged students to put their passions into action. “I call on each of you to actively care about a cause, commit to a cure, devote your time, your talent and your treasure in good conscience and with courage,” she said. “Because our nation cannot survive on passive citizenship.”

Over the course of nearly 50 years in practice, Tascoe has profoundly impacted the lives of countless individuals and communities by gently illuminating that healing is not merely a science or an art — it is both. She reminds us that within every human experience, there exists a sacred balance between biology and belief, physics and faith, seen and unseen.

More than 640 SFSU supporters made donations during the University’s first-ever giving day 

Thanks to the generous support of the University’s alumni, faculty, staff, students and friends, SFSU’s inaugural Gators Give Day was a resounding success. More than 640 SFSU supporters united on April 2 and raised over $109,000 in just 24 hours. These gifts will immediately impact scholarships, academic programs, student organizations and essential University initiatives.

More than 60 groups consisting of colleges, schools, departments, student organizations and clubs participated in the event through their own online fundraising pages, in addition to the main University giving page. Every donation made on April 2 counted toward the Giving Day totals. 

Alumni made up the majority of those giving on Gators Give Day (26%), followed closely by SFSU staff and faculty (24%) and students (20%).

“This extraordinary day truly highlights the community spirit that defines SFSU,” said Jeff Jackanicz, vice president of University Advancement. “We are grateful to everyone who participated and helped us meet our goal of empowering student success. With so many alumni, faculty and staff, and student donors, it’s clear we are continuing to build a broad culture of community-driven philanthropy at SFSU.”

The College of Science & Engineering (CoSE) raised more than $10,000 from 59 donors, the most money raised by any individual college. CoSE plans to use the money to support its Student Project Showcase, an event that culminates in a year’s worth of faculty-guided research. Students present their research findings from at the spring event. 

“I am so grateful to the donors that provided support for our Student Project Showcase on Gators Give Day. This annual event highlights more than 200 research and senior projects across our entire college,” said College of Science & Engineering Dean Carmen Domingo. “Having the opportunity to put into practice what they have learned over the years at SFSU gives students a deep sense of pride and confidence that they have developed the skills and knowledge to launch a successful career in STEM.”

Ninety-six people donated to SFSU’s Men’s Rugby Club, the most for any campus organization raising more than $3,500.

Kiril Gupta, secretary and head of social media for the 45-member SFSU Men’s Rugby Club team, says he was especially pleased to see that the team received the highest number of student donors of any group. “When we brought the team back during the fall ’22 semester, our old officers always emphasized campus engagement and being a part of the school community,” he said. “Having a high number of donors shows to our team that we have done a great job of being a part of the school community, and we are grateful for students at SF State supporting us.” 

The team plans to spend the windfall on field rentals, new equipment, travel, medical supplies, new uniforms and more. 

If you missed Gators Give Day or still want to help, there’s always time to make a difference. Ongoing support ensures that SFSU will continue to deliver excellence and access to transformative education rooted in innovation and equity. Learn more about giving to support SFSU.  And look forward to next year’s Gators Give Day, when we’ll achieve even greater success for our campus community. 

Radio personality Carolyn McArdle splits her time between 98.1 The Breeze and Oracle Park 

Carolyn McArdle (B.A., ’94) has worked in Bay Area radio for more than 30 years, mostly as an on-air personality. As the industry changed, she wore more and more hats. She’s a morning show co-host, assistant program director and music director at iHeartMedia’s 98.1 The Breeze. Last summer, she added one more hat to the mix — and this one’s orange and black. McArdle was named the public address announcer for Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants baseball team.  

This year will be her first full season with the Giants. She’ll work 81 home games, mostly at night. With a full-time job as morning show host, McArdle will have a packed calendar. “This is my dream come true. I don’t care if I’ve got four hours of sleep or five hours of sleep. I get to call the ballgame at Oracle Park for the Giants,” she said. “I’m so fortunate. This is the pinnacle team that I never thought in my wildest dreams that I’d be working for.”  

She credits San Francisco State University for her career in radio and Major League Baseball. An athlete herself, McArdle came to SFSU to swim on the Gators’ NCAA Division II team (which was disbanded at SFSU in 2001). After a challenging run studying real estate at SFSU, she switched to a program that didn’t require math or accounting: Radio and Television.   

Once in the program, she was blown away that this was something she could do professionally. SFSU taught her the basics of radio: editing, copy writing, audio production and sound mixing. “We were editing reel to reel, cutting tape and slicing tape and playing records off vinyl,” she said. “The teachers were so down to earth and so real and so helpful that that you just constantly felt supported.”  

One of her class requirements was to intern at a radio station, which gave her actual broadcasting experience. She shot for the moon and wound up at her favorite radio station, K101 (101.3 FM), working with a staff that included the legendary Bay Area DJ Don Bleu. Every day she worked, she’d bring him his daily prize sheet. Hearing him on the air the next day, she says she felt proud knowing she was the one to walk that piece of paper to his recording studio.  

SFSU helped make the jump to the professional world of radio seamless. “There was still a learning curve, but I was so well prepared based on what I had learned at State,” she said. Eventually, she found herself working alongside some of her former instructors. Then in 2012 her life came full circle when she became the co-host for “The Don Bleu Show” on 103.7 KOSF. 

After three decades in radio, she says she wanted a new challenge. “I love radio, but I do it every day and I could do it with my eyes closed,” she said. “I wanted to try something new ... and so, I thought, ‘What about announcing sports?’” 

Baseball was her first choice, so in 2019 she looked online for public address announcer positions. One popped up at the University of the Pacific (UOP) in Stockton for the softball team. From there she found other gigs. It was swimming and gymnastics at Stanford University, water polo at UOP, softball, volleyball, gymnastics and football at the University of California, Berkeley.  

She enjoyed what she was doing and people thought she had a talent for announcing, she says. “Now, of course, your brain naturally goes to, ‘How high can I go?’” she said. “And for me, the goal would be Major League Baseball. That would be the pinnacle, the gold star.”  

Her goal was quickly becoming a reality. She auditioned for the San Francisco Giants’ minor league farm team, the Sacramento River Cats, and was hired as a fill-in announcer in 2020. Eventually she became the team’s full-time announcer.   

Fast forward to 2024 when the San Francisco Giants were looking for a public address announcer. She auditioned against other people who were equally talented, she says. “It could have gone to anybody in that booth,” she said. “I’m extra humbled and grateful that the Giants selected me to be their new [public address announcer] going forward. … This is definitely something I worked for.”  

SF State Night with the Giants is Tuesday, April 8. Tickets can be purchased online.  

Robin López and his family attend his mayoral swearing in ceremony at Albany City Hall in December.  

Two alums sworn in as mayor, another as city council member 

Three San Francisco State University alumni made history in late 2024 after two were sworn in as mayors and another won a city council seat. Robin López (B.S., ’15) became the first person of Latino and mixed-Indigenous (Purépecha) ancestry to serve as the mayor of Albany. Eddie Flores (MBA, ’19) is the first Salvadoran immigrant mayor in South San Francisco and in the history of the Bay Area. Belle La (B.A., ’04) is the first Asian American elected to Pleasant Hill’s city council. 

Elected in 2022, López and Flores rotated into the mayoral seat of their respective cities in positions they’ll hold for a year. Meanwhile, La ran and won her Pleasant Hill city council seat. Getting involved in local politics, they said, was about more than just solving problems in their communities. It was also about showing future generations what’s possible. 

“If we don’t see people who have similar experiences or shared values and cultural experiences, it’s really hard to project ourselves into those spaces,” López said. 

The whole community benefits from a government that’s reflective of the community, López added. “It’s more than the color of someone’s skin, or their national origin. It’s bringing in different experiences, different cultural perspectives to that decision-making table,” he added. “Sometimes when we think about solutions, we don’t always consider the impact it may have on someone, the way they live or the way they go about their lives. Having this type of representation as a leader of a community can go a long way.” 

All three alums recently shared their journeys to public office with SF State News, offering advice to students interested in serving their communities.

“I am fully prepared for the hard work ahead and feel deeply honored to serve,” he said. 

Advice to Students: There are small actions students can take. “It could be providing public comment on an issue or a particular area that you’re very close to, or have been affected [by], or want to provide some change,” he said. 

Before completing that program, she landed her dream job at the San Francisco Public Defender’s office. She later worked for the city as a contracts analyst and is currently working at the University of California, San Francisco as a senior financial analyst. 

The throughline in her career has always been serving her community. “It was always about helping people in some way, shape or form, not only for their well-being, but really for their future, and how to help them navigate through systems that may not have been easy for anyone to understand,” La said.

Outside of work, La was active in her community, volunteering in her children’s schools and other organizations. Running for city council in Pleasant Hill, the place she’s called home for the past 12 years, was just a continuation of her life’s calling. 

Her opponent had more experience in the political arena, but she led a grassroots campaign that became a family affair. Her son was her legislative aides and helped with the marketing. Along the campaign trail she accomplished another key goal — her three kids got a front row seat to civic engagement.

La won narrowly (by 33 votes), but voter turn-out was the high, she says. La became the first Asian American on Pleasant Hill’s city council. “I’m hoping to inspire others to run and also have their voice be heard,” La said. 

Advice to Students: Her father once told her, “Follow your dreams, work hard and you can achieve anything you put your mind to.” She often reflects back on the words, especially during a difficult time and it gives her a much-needed push. 

Start small and think about your interests. And remember, there’s no idea that can’t grow and expand. “Talk to faculty, talk to someone about your idea. Bring it up to someone and say, ‘Hey, I have this specific idea. How do I navigate through this? Is there a pathway?’ Through asking questions and dedication, you will see many opportunities unfold before your eyes.” she said.

Bringing people together and providing service was really dope. I attribute a lot of those skills to me being an effective leader now.”

The father of two went on to earn a master’s degree in engineering from San José State University. He then pivoted to environmental science and is now a Ph.D. candidate in Environmental Science, Policy and Management at the University of California, Berkeley, living in student housing in Albany.

Wanting to get involved in his community, he joined Albany’s Social Economic Justice Commission. In 2022, he ran for the five-person city council and won. He’s enjoying his time in city government but doesn’t plan to ascend higher, he says. His true passion is students. He wants to become a professor at a California State University. He hopes to leverage his time in office to again be a connector and facilitator, but this time for students looking for internships and jobs. 

Advice to Students: “Get involved with campus organizations that align with your values. That could be your conduit for community organizations,” he said. 

More information about SFSU Alumni is available online. 

Over 2,000 SFSU students trained in leadership development and career readiness

San Francisco State University’s office of Career and Leadership Development (CLD) celebrated the 10th anniversary of the President’s Leadership Fellows Program (PLFP) on Wednesday, Nov. 13, bringing together alumni, University leaders and supporters to commemorate a decade of transformative impact. The event also honored philanthropist Kathy Kwan, whose support has been crucial to the program’s success.

Since its launch in 2014 as a pilot initiative serving just 25 students in the Lam Family College of Business, the PLFP has grown significantly. Today, it’s equipped over 2,000 students across all disciplines with the skills needed to thrive in the professional world. The program, which transitioned to the office of Career and Leadership Development (CLD) in 2017, provides career-focused leadership training and mentorship through a semester-long curriculum. Open to juniors, seniors and graduate students, it meets weekly over lunch, offering interactive workshops on essential career skills such as resume building, interview techniques and networking. Participants also engage in self-exploration activities to build confidence and articulate their strengths.

Johnson visited campus to share insights from his “strategic and surprising” career with Journalism and Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts students

Emmy-winning journalist Whit Johnson (B.A., ’04) has experienced a lot in the 20 years since he was a Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts (BECA) major at San Francisco State University. He was among the first reporters to interview Secretary of State Hillary Clinton after Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi was killed. He reported on the recent total solar eclipse and covered two Olympics. And he just got back from Florida, where he covered Hurricane Helene. 

As he approached graduation, he began putting together VHS resumes, using the campus editing bay to work on the tapes. “Out of dozens of tapes, I got exactly three job offers. None of them were in sports,” he recounted. 

He accepted a broadcasting job in Yakima, Washington, for a salary of $18,000. Though it felt less than ideal, the move set the trajectory of his professional and personal career. He met his wife, journalist Andrea Fujii, in Yakima. When she got a job in Salt Lake City, he followed. He got a job at CBS News in Washington, D.C., while she got a job in Baltimore. To prioritize his family, he returned to local news with KNBC in Los Angeles, before ultimately ending up at ABC News in New York, while his wife became a freelancer for ABC News.

“Every career move along the way has been both strategic and surprising,” he told students. But the chain of events all started because he was prepared for that first post-grad step.

“The facilities here allowed me to fine tune the skills that I needed to get my first jobs, get my foot in the door … ,” he explained, emphasizing the importance of being able to pitch himself as a reporter who could shoot, write and edit his own material on a tight deadline. “[As a student] I was hanging out in the news studio, in the sports studio. I was doing reports when I wasn’t supposed to be doing reports. I was hanging out in the control room when I wasn’t supposed to be in the control room. I was using the edit bays just on my own.”

Left to right: Johnson doing live to tape and radio interviews with students, and posing with his father in Marcus Hall.

Johnson maximized his time with his professors, too. He fondly recalls talking to professors like Professor Emeritus of Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts Marty Gonzalez, KRON-TV’s weekend morning anchor today, peppering them with questions about getting into journalism, salaries and more. “I asked all the awkward, uncomfortable questions,” Johnson recalled. “Through those experiences, through access and talking to people, I learned that you’ve got to be willing to pack up and go where you need to go.”

Some of his most memorable SF State experiences were listening to speakers who came to talk about their own careers. They were often people he grew up watching on TV. Now current SF State students get to say the same about Johnson. In addition to the talk in Knuth Hall, he also dropped by Marcus Hall to be interviewed by BECA students for live to tape and radio interviews.

“He had a lot of information that was needed for all of us. I like to hear about his stories of where he went and what happened,” said first-year Creative Writing major Savannah Paquette, who attended Johnson’s morning panel. 

“In order for this job and career, you need to just get up and go to random places, to record and give the information to the world,” she said of what she learned from Johnson.

Learn more about SFSU’s Department of Broadcast and Electronic Communications Arts and Department of Journalism.

Photojournalist’s images and video part of award-winning coverage of destructive Santa Cruz storms

On May 6, Kevin Painchaud (B.A., ’97) received a cryptic message from his boss, the managing editor of Lookout Santa Cruz, a digital-only news organization covering Santa Cruz County. She told him and the rest of the 10-person newsroom to assemble for a company meeting at 10 a.m. “Don’t worry — it’s good news,” she told him. No one had any clue what she was about to say.

The editorial team assembled via Zoom. That’s when Managing Editor Tamsin McMahon blurted out, “We won the Pulitzer!” There was stunned silence. She repeated herself, but this time with context: “We won the Pulitzer for our breaking news coverage of the Santa Cruz storms.” McMahon had submitted an application for the coveted journalism prize in secret, thus the dumbfounded reactions of her staff.

Civil rights attorney Walter Riley, actor and activist Benjamin Bratt and DePauw University President Lori S. White all emphasized service and leadership at the May 24 ceremony

San Francisco State University celebrated the Class of 2024 at its 123rd Commencement ceremony Friday, May 24, at Oracle Park. More than 4,000 graduates attended the event along with thousands of family and friends.

In addition to celebrating new graduates, San Francisco State and the California State University (CSU) conferred honorary degrees on three individuals who’ve distinguished themselves with their service to others: actor and activist Benjamin Bratt, attorney and civil rights activist Walter Riley and the late psychologist, activist and educator Joseph L. White (A.B., ’54; M.S., ’58). White’s degree was accepted by his daughter Lori S. White, president of Indiana’s DePauw University. All three acceptance speeches emphasized the importance of activism and encouraged the Class of 2024 to make a difference in the world.

“I accept this recognition of my life’s work in civil rights, against racism, against police brutality, against exploitation of our environment and people for the benefit of the economic and political elite,” said Riley, who received the honorary degree Doctor of Laws. “I acknowledge all those whose work make this campus a place for truth and justice. Through our collective efforts we can move closer to a world where ideals become realities.”

Riley attended SF State in the 1960s and participated in the 1968 student strike that led to the creation of the University’s College of Ethnic Studies. Later he was active in the labor and anti-war movements, and after earning a law degree from Golden Gate University he took his fight for social justice into the courts.

“Every generation needs a purpose,” he told this year’s graduates. “May that purpose be just, creating a world of fairness and compassion.”

He returned to SF State in 1968 as a professor of Psychology and later dean of Undergraduate Studies, helping to launch what is now known as the Department of Africana Studies.

“Graduates, I hope you are inspired by my dad’s story and his lifetime and legacy of service to others, of which many of you are direct recipients,” said White of her father, who was granted the honorary degree Doctor of Letters. White added that she hoped graduates would see her father in themselves and, like him, accept that “those who have been so richly blessed have a responsibility to give back to others in meaningful ways.”

Other Commencement speakers included SF State President Lynn Mahoney, Associated Students President Ersa, graduate speaker Genesis Sorrick and undergraduate speaker Eddison Jintalan Contreras. The ceremony will be made available to view in its entirety on SF State’s YouTube channel.

Learn more about the University’s 2024 Commencement.