Fall Newsletter 2016
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CASSA Newsletter California State University, Fullerton | Issue 1
Executive Board Ashley Allen, Executive President Destiny Martinez, Vice President Mia Salazar, Community Project Manager Natalie Azurdia, Community Project Manager Jenna Henson, Departmental Awards & Activities Manager Erin Githens, Finance Manager Whitney Sasao, Membership Manager Emily Flynn, Professional & Career Development Manager Emily Gelvezon, Information Manager Cristy Martinez, HHD ICC Representative Dr. Claudia Pineda, Advisor
Dr. Shu-Chen Yen, Advisor
Table of Contents September Events 2-3 October Events 4-8
Faculty Spotlights 9-12
CASSA Photos 13
ADVISORS’ MESSAGE
Welcome to CASSA! We are excited to be the faculty co-
advisors for this academic year. The work that you do is
exciting and very pertinent for the university, communities,
and organizations. Through your involvement, hard work, and
dedication, you will touch and change many children’s lives.
We cannot cease to be impressed by the board members’
professionalism, work ethic, and enthusiasm to make sure that
you have meaningful and stimulating member experiences.
We want to encourage you to get familiar with the board
structure and consider applying for a board member position
next year, which will be a life-changing opportunity for
leadership development. We will be more than happy to speak
with you should you have any questions about CASSA. We are
looking forward to seeing you in the incoming CASSA events!
- Dr. Claudia G. Pineda & Dr. Shu-Chen Jenny Yen
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Second Harvest Food Bank –
Jennifer Munoz My experience during the Second Harvest Event
was incredible! Throughout my time there I got
the opportunity to work with other
organizations from around Orange County. My
experience was amazing because all the other
organizations and CASSA joined to work
together in packaging fruits for people who are
in need, and it was beautiful to witness. Being at
this event helped me realize that with just an
hour of our time giving back to our community,
makes a big impact in someone’s life who is in
need. Also, giving back to my community makes
me feel accomplished because I know that I
have done something very valuable, and to me that is the best feeling in the world. If I have the
opportunity to go again, I would definitely say yes.
St. Jude’s Walk – Jenny Pham Having the opportunity to take part in the St. Jude’s Walk as my first event of the semester, was an
eye-opening experience. I knew that cancer affected individuals ranging from young children to adults
but never really had a strong grasp on the subject. A memorable aspect of the event was when I was
given a wristband that reminded me that I was walking to make a difference in a child’s life. The
reminder that there was a purpose in my participation and that I was part of something bigger really
left an impression on me. My wristband specifically stated, “Devon, 9 years old, Cancerous Tumor.” It
took me by surprise how these young children are
diagnosed with cancer. Being part of a greater
cause by fundraising to end childhood cancer gives
these children hope that they can surpass this
challenge in their life. They have the reassurance
that there are people that want to make a
difference in their life. I hope that members who
weren’t able to attend the walk have a chance to do
so in the future and experience all the great things
that this organization is doing to help better the
lives of their patients.
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Orange County Children’s Book Festival – Maria Lezama Attending the Orange County Children’s Book Festival was an amazing event where I was able to meet
new CASSA members. This was my first time attending this event. I was happy to have the
opportunity to welcome and greet popular authors and illustrators as they approached to the check-in
booth. The event included an animal stage, illustrator stage, storyteller stage, and an animal petting
zoo. It was nice seeing children dress in their favorite book characters. I look forward to attending
more CASSA volunteer events throughout the semester.
The Great Indoors TV Taping – Erin Githens The T.V. taping was so much fun to do. The employees of the show stressed that they use our laughs
for their laugh track, so they wanted to
make sure we had a good time. They
played the pilot episode of the show so we
knew what the show was about. We saw
writers on stand-by watching our
reactions and made edits to the script
right then and there if they felt that a line
wasn't funny enough. They even got a
comedian to come entertain us when they
weren't filming, so we wouldn't lose our
energy. Our group had so much fun, that
the comedian told us we were the most
fun group there! Overall, a wonderful
experience!
Back to School Beach Bonfire Social – Lorisse Boojaklee I had the most amazing time at CASSA’s first social of the 2016 Fall Semester! The bonfire social at
Huntington Beach was a great experience where I had the chance to meet a lot of new, friendly CASSA
members and connect with the CASSA Board. I am only in my second year at Cal State Fullerton, so at
first I felt intimidated to go to this social, but I had nothing to worry about. Everyone was eager to get
to know one another through fun ice-breaker activities, which truly made me feel included as a part of
this organization. We also had a successful potluck filled with delicious hot dogs, s’mores, pizza, and
other snacks, which proved how well organized this event was. Just this one social allowed me to
make great personal and professional connections. I am very eager to attend many more of CASSA’s
socials in the future!
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Angel’s Game Fundraiser – Alejandra Ramirez CASSA was in the
house Saturday night! We watched the
Angels vs. the Houston Astros! Even
though the Angels lost, we had a great
time cheering, laughing and enjoying the
game. Attending baseball games is always
fun. Nothing can beat baseball, good food
and great company! With events like this
we get a chance to socialize with other
CASSA members, and it’s always
fun. After the game was over, the
fireworks show was amazing to
experience; the stadium goes dark and the
excitement begins! The fireworks were amazing and the music that was playing made it an enjoyable
time, a nice way to end the night! Attending the Angel’s game is something that I will always do, it’s
nothing but a great time!
Family Fun Day – Arianna Haft CASSA was given the wonderful opportunity to help at the Children’s Guidance Center for Family Fun
Day. While working with different age ranges, our main goal was to promote a healthy, active lifestyle
that will help combat childhood obesity. It was a very hot day, but all of the volunteers worked hard to
make sure all of the children were properly hydrated. We also gave the children breaks where we
participated in quiet activities while still ensuring that they were engaged. The event coordinator,
Arlene Turner, spoke with all of the CASSA members and explained to us exactly what kind of
activities and motions we wanted the children to do, such as swiping, pushing, and tossing. One of
the games that was played was where children would hold a pool noodle that was cut in half and use
that to hit and push beach balls around a field trying to score them in goals, while the volunteers
would encourage them to run even more by playing their opponents. The children also worked on
their team-building skills, as well as item-recognition skills. This was practiced with a game where
they would pass a variety of colored animals down their line of teammates while identifying the name
and color of each animal. It was very
rewarding knowing that I was actively
helping new generations live a healthy
lifestyle and would love to spend
another Saturday participating in Family
Fun Day.
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CASA Youth Shelter Guest Speaker Meeting –
Sandra Rocha Pamela Sepulveda provided great insight to social work and
Master of Social Work (MSW). Mrs. Sepulveda was really
detailed with her own career and experience, making it easy to
follow and understand her career decisions. With her
description, I was able to understand how her masters and her
extra credential were able to open more doors in her career. I
also got to hear about combining social work and children in a school environment with a PPS
credential. In addition, I learned about her work at CASA Youth shelter, an organization that provides
resources and shelter for teen runaways. I truly enjoyed her presentation, she was a great speaker and
I loved how she kept the audience attention with her personality. Mrs. Sepulveda was truly an
inspiration; her testimonial in her field was very
convincing to rethink my career path. I would
definitely attend if she were able to be the guest
speaker again. Thank-you to Mrs. Sepulveda for
coming to speak and thank-you to CASSA for having
her attend our meeting.
Rock Climbing Social – Melissa Lopez
Once, in high school, I tried rock climbing with a
group of friends. I remember making it half way and
then I got this sudden urge to get down. I didn’t
complete the activity and I felt embarrassed and
unaccomplished. Then, when I transferred to Cal
State Fullerton, I found out that the Student
Recreation Center (SRC) had an indoor climbing
wall. Since that moment, I’ve been wanting to try rock climbing again, and I finally earned that chance
with CASSA. When I entered the SRC, I was extremely nervous, but the staff were helpful and
explained the different levels to me: easy, medium, and hard. During my climb, a staff member
encouraged and directed me, by telling me which foothold to grab and teaching me how to descend
the wall. After completing my first rock wall, I felt accomplished and motivated, and I went on to
complete the second easy level and attempted a middle level but wasn’t successful. Overall, this was a
wonderful experience and I’m glad I was able to participate in this event with CASSA, I’m looking
forward to climbing again in the future.
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Scary Movie Social – Manal
Zaidi I attended the scary movie social with
fellow CASSA members. In this social we
had the option of eating tacos. When we
entered the hallway to go to the theater, I
asked my fellow CASSA members if they
liked watching scary movies and they all
said no. Before the movie started there
was a person wearing a scary mask
scaring people by popping balloons. Most
of the CASSA members who attended this event were really afraid to watch this movie. The scary
movie that was played at the Titan Student Union was called The Conjuring Two. When the movie
was over the person who was in charge of playing the movie said that there were clowns in the dorm
area. When every CASSA member heard that they all got terrified, including me who doesn't usually
get scared! So all the CASSA members who lived in the dorms left in a huge group. Overall, this was a
great movie to watch before Halloween and all of the CASSA members really enjoyed it!
Orangewood, October – Faith Colburn I had a great time volunteering at the Orangewood Children's Home. We were told that we would be
working with elementary-age children, so we came prepared with several unique and fun Halloween
themed crafts for them to complete. However, to our surprise, we were told we would be working with
adolescent girls. All the CASSA volunteers and I were able to quickly adapt the crafts and make them
fun for the girls to do. Although it didn't go exactly as planned, everyone had a great time and we were
able to still have fun and connect with
the girls from Orangewood. I would
definitely volunteer at Orangewood
again. It was a great experience, and
the teens there helped and inspired us
just as much as we helped them.
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OC Zoo: Pumpkin Carving –
Estefani Bautista I attended this year's OC Zoo pumpkin
craving. First, I want to thank CASSA for
letting me be part of this amazing
experience. I loved how everyone was so
friendly, and how everyone made us feel
welcomed. Also, it felt great knowing how
thankful the staff was with our help, it
made me feel as if we actually did great. I
think it's awesome that the OC Zoo does
such creative things for the community
and all the children. I was able to express
my creativity carving all those pumpkins,
which was exciting because it was my first time ever carving pumpkins. I would love to be part of this
event again, and I would definitely recommend it to people.
Raymond Elementary School’s Halloween Carnival – Vivian Lu I had the wonderful opportunity to volunteer at the Raymond Elementary School’s Halloween
Carnival with CASSA. I was assigned to run the face painting booth with a couple other CASSA
members at the event. I was completely out of my comfort zone, since I have never painted another
person’s face. Before I knew it, when the kids excitedly came up to me to get their face painted, my
nervousness quickly went away and I was having so much fun. It was a great reminder of why I love
working with children. It makes me so happy,
seeing their big smile after they see their reflection
of the art on their face. This is was a great
experience involving the community and everyone
coming together working hard in unity to
successfully carry out an exceptional event. This is
one of the most fun Halloween events I have ever
been to. I could really feel the atmosphere of
excitement left and right and I am very grateful to
have been a part of it.
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OC Zoo: Halloween Zootacular –
Victoria Morales I had the pleasure of volunteering at the OC
Zootacular event. The whole event was a
blast. It was such an enjoyable experience to
watch the children in their costumes excitedly
run from booth to booth getting candy and
learning about the different animals that
occupy the zoo. I, along with others, was in
charge of the owl section of the zoo. We
greeted the children, along with their parents,
and stamped their scavenger hunt worksheet
as soon as they found the answer. After we
stamped the owl portion of the scavenger
hunt, we gave each child a little treat and sent them on their way. Seeing the children react to the
stuffed owl was one of the most interesting part of the day. Some of the children were so excited to
touch the owl, whereas some were afraid to even look in the owl's direction. This was my second year
volunteering at this event, and I would definitely like the opportunity to do it again.
CHOC Walk in the Park – Sarah Ellis CHOC Walk was an amazing experience with CASSA because we got to raise funds for a spectacular
organization, while also gawking at the Disney characters throughout the park! During the course of
the walk, there were informational signs about CHOC's history, which displayed to all the walkers that
this hospital is very focused on providing the best care possible for its patients. CASSA raised a total of
$2,600 for CHOC to continue supporting the pediatric care of every family that walks in the hospital's
doors. It was a very heartwarming experience to walk with family members of patients that passed
away and patients who are still fighting on. I can only hope that CASSA's donations will bring even
better patient care to the kids that need it most at CHOC.
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Faculty Spotlight: Professor Sasha Zeedyk
Name: Sasha Zeedyk (at work) Sasha Gerber (at home)
Education:
Undergraduate Degree: B. S. in Business Administration, Economics
Graduate Degrees:
M. Ed., Elementary Education
Ph. D., Special Education
Favorite class to teach: Research methods/statistics
An interesting fact about yourself: Growing up, I spent most of my time in the dance studio. I
did all kinds of dance (e.g., ballet, modern, jazz, tap). I think dance helped me to be a pretty
disciplined person. I even spent a couple years in college working as a professional.
Hobbies: Some of my hobbies include riding my bike, partaking in the occasional wine and art night
with my hubby, and managing my
Frenchie’s social media page. My
husband is also trying to teach me to ride
my longboard.
Q&A:
What considerations were made
when choosing to pursue higher
education? Was it something your
family encouraged?
Neither of my parents went to college. So,
I am the first in my family to attain a
college degree. My parents have always
encouraged me to follow my passions, but
they never told me I should go to graduate
school or pursue a certain field. I think I
really just developed self-motivation to
work through school. I didn’t truly feel
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challenged in school until I started college, and once challenged, I really wanted to do well. It was my
sense of intrinsic motivation that helped me through. I’ve definitely been my biggest critic.
Who or what inspired you to become a professor?
A couple people in particular inspired me to become a professor. The first was a professor I
had as an undergraduate who was awesome! His door was always open, and my friends and I learned
the value of office hours. I think I spent the most time of anyone asking questions. He knew that I
had started thinking about an academic career, and after taking several classes with him, he offered
me permission to take one of the graduate-level economics courses. He told me that if I could succeed
in that class, I could succeed in a graduate program. The class was something like Mathematical
Economics. IT WAS SO HARD! At that point, it was definitely the most studying I had ever done, but
I made it through with an A! His encouragement and support throughout my undergrad was really
inspiring, and I hoped that one day I could help someone the way he helped me.
Of course, I am not an economist. So, it was someone else who inspired me to become a
professor in child development. After several years of working in business, I decided it wasn’t for me,
and went back to school to become an elementary school teacher. At the start of my first year of
teaching, I had a student with autism placed in my 2nd grade class. I was terrified. I knew virtually
nothing about autism; I was only trained to teach general education. Why was I trusted to educate
this child? What did I need to know or do to prepare? How would the parents feel if they knew how
inexperienced I was?
That “fear” turned into great love and support for my student and his family. I learned a great
deal from them and developed my own strategies for working with children on the autism spectrum. I
know that I made a difference in this particular student’s life, but it will never compare to the
difference he made in mine. He remains the most interesting and amazing kid that I have ever had
the opportunity to work with. It is because of him that I was inspired to study families of children
with developmental disabilities.
Do you have any advice to give to first-generation college students or underrepresented
students?
As a first-generation college student myself, I think I would advise all students not be afraid to think
big and ask questions. I didn’t start college with the advantage of having parents who could tell me
how to navigate the higher education system. DON’T BE AFRAID TO TALK TO YOUR
PROFESSORS. I would also advise students that IT IS OKAY TO BE UNSURE ABOUT EXACTLY
WHAT YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP. It took me many years and lot of experiences to
really narrow my interests and figure that out.
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Faculty Spotlight: Professor Michelle Ramos
Name: Michelle C. Ramos, PhD
Education:
Undergraduate Degree: B.S. in Psychology & Pre-professional Science, University of Notre
Dame
Graduate Degrees:
M.A. in Psychology, California State University, Fullerton
M.A. in Clinical Psychology, University of Southern California
Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, University of Southern California
Favorite class or subject matter to teach:
CAS 310 Assessing & Observing Development, CAS 325B Age 9 through Adolescence, and topics
related to child development within the family
context
An interesting fact about yourself:
I am a proud alumnus of CSUF (Go Titans!) and so
honored to be back on campus working with
students and faculty in this role!
Hobbies:
Going to the beach (we have such fantastic local
spots, not far away from campus!), watching
movies, traveling with my family, and watching my
kids enjoy their hobbies
Q&A:
What do you like best about teaching at
CSUF?
The students! (So, all of you, especially in
CAS!) One of the most exciting things about this job
is having the privilege to work with such dedicated
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and enthusiastic students. I am constantly in awe of our students, who have so much on their plates in
addition to academic studies – working at least one job, caring for family members, volunteering on
campus and in the community – yet they still come to class ready to engage and work hard. Each day I
find inspiring examples of persistence, and have great hope for our next generation of teachers and all
the children they will serve.
What are some common challenges that you perceive students face when first coming to
college or throughout their college experience? What advice would you give to them?
One challenge that I have seen some students face when they first come to college – particularly
at a large school like CSUF where students typically commute and have jobs off campus – is not feeling
very connected to the university or other students in the beginning. And I’ve found the best remedy for
this is to make that extra effort to get involved, even if it pushes you outside your comfort zone. There
are so many opportunities on a campus like ours to get involved in campus-wide groups, etc., but it can
also start very “local”, such as within your major. I often suggest that students look into student groups
in their major (like the Peer Mentor Program or CASSA) – or volunteer to work with a professor as a
research assistant. This may not seem like much, but it can be an important step toward making a
deeper connection with other students and faculty in your own field of study – and chances are you’ll
see many of them in your other classes, or in the hallways, or walking across campus – and in time a
real sense of belonging and community can develop. I’ve seen that when students get invested in their
school community they really thrive – and not just academically. It’s fantastic to see students form long-
lasting friendships and mentorships.
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St. Jude’s Walk
CASSA Olympics Meeting
Family Fun Day
Mummy Runway Meeting
Illumination Foundation Meeting
OC Zootacular
Ronald McDonald Trunk or Treat
CASSA Photos!