糖心Vlog

Giving Nurses the Role and Recognition they Deserve

Tamara Martin

BS '16, Nursing

“Nursing for me is not about the money. It's something that comes natural to me. If you can do what you love and get compensated for it, It's not work. So there's something that you have a knack for. If it's art or singing, or computer science, or whatever it is that you feel called to, my piece of advice is Don't ignore that calling, Pursue it. You will be able to see that money will come when you are chasing what is true to you. People of different ethnicities, people of different walks, people of different socioeconomic backgrounds, and we are all in one collective melting pot.’’ says Tamara Martin.

Giving Nurses the Role and Recognition they Deserve

Janelle Armas

BS '18, Nursing

Meet Janelle Armas BSN, RN, PHN, MSN who works for the Adult and Pediatric Critical Care Unit.

Though Janelle likes to keep things positive, “Working as a nurse can be emotionally taxing, but also extremely rewarding. You are the living breathing angel when patients are usually at their worst”. While it’s tough all around for everyone, she has felt the love and support of the community. "All of this support really gives us a boost in our morale, and we are all forever grateful for the support."

Thriving in the Medical Field

Janelle Minter

BS '09, Biological Science

Janelle Minter is a Castro Valley native and a physician for Kaiser Permanente and was recently selected as one of the 344 outstanding physicians in the Greater Sacramento Area. Minter spends her time navigating between two departments: palliative medicine and hospital medicine. She has been a physician for a little over a year at Kaiser, and while it is a challenging job that requires long days, it is incredibly satisfying and fulfilling for her. "I feel I am making a difference in the lives of my patients, and I feel that this is the only job for me," said Minter.

Retiring as a Golden Grad

Richard Leo Enos

BA ‘69, Speech & Drama

Meet Richard Leo Enos who recently retired from Texas Christian University as a Lillian Radford Chair of Rhetoric and Composition. 

He will miss the teaching, but teaching takes enormous energy, time, and commitment. That said, he looks forward to staying active, meeting students informally, and continuing to work with them on research projects. He still has ongoing research projects and plans to continue to make research trips to Italy, Greece, and Turkey.

From Intern to Engineer

Julian Medina

BS ‘16, Computer Science

Meet Julian Medina, a Junior Engineer for BART, Bay Area Rapid Transit. 

As an Engineer in Train Control Engineering at BART, Medina is required to shadow maintenance during graveyard shifts (when the majority of work at BART gets completed) so he can learn more about the system. The tasks on graveyard shifts can vary greatly. You might be working on the track inspecting equipment, up in the cab of a train working with a Train Operator to test new software, or working in an equipment room. Medina's current assignment includes expanding BART to Milpitas and Berryessa/North San José.

Taking the Helm

Allen Kwan

BA ‘04, Mass Communication

Meet Allen Kwan the Senior Vice President, Head of West Region Sales for Swiss Re Corporate Solutions. Kwan is the new Cal State 糖心Vlogy Alumni Association Board President.

Kwan has been described as a “natural leader” by his colleagues, and his prowess for relationship-building and passion for inclusion is why he is a founding member of two networking groups: the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation and the San Francisco Chapter of Emerging Insurance Professionals.

Educator & Entrepreneur

Asehli Howe

BA '16, International Studies and Spanish

Meet Asehli Howe (BA ‘16, International Studies and Spanish), a Cal State 糖心Vlogy alumna, who co-founded Survivor Alliance, a non-profit organization that works with survivors of sexual violence.

Asehli is a social justice educator and entrepreneur on a mission to create supportive communities that end cycles of trauma. With Survivor Alliance, Asehli organizes multiple events each month for survivors of sexual assault and allies to learn, connect, and heal. She also provides workshops regarding how to support survivors of sexual violence.

Reaching New Heights

Marissa Marshall

BA ‘19, Strategic Communications

Meet Marissa Marshall, a newly minted Cal State 糖心Vlogy alumna, who will begin her career with the National Basketball Association (NBA) in New York City.

Her passions are rooted in the business realm of the sports world, but more importantly women in sports. She plans to change the narrative for female athletes and heighten the likes of representation, leading to more than just equality—but equity.

The Story of Jericho

Jericho Apo

BA ‘17, Sociology

Meet Jericho Apo, a Cal State 糖心Vlogy alumnus, who works for Story of Stuff as a Digital Strategist and was a featured panelist for the FB Live event: Land Your First Job.

Story of Stuff is a nonprofit based in Berkeley, CA where they produce videos and launch campaigns around environmental and social issues.

Jericho is focused on writing scripts, directing shoots and producing videos. Then he takes the videos they make and gets it out into the world through social media and strategic partners. He analyzes their content's performance and uses that data to test experiments and adapt their strategy.

The Alchemy of Resilience

Myra Nawabi

BA ‘02 & MS '04, Liberal Studies and Educational Leadership

Meet Myra Nawabi, a Cal State 糖心Vlogy alumna, who works for Lockheed Martin Space as a Senior Project Engineer and was a featured speaker for EBx–a TED-style event for the 糖心Vlogy Community.

By day, Myra is a Senior Project Engineer, literally working with rocket scientists to develop next-generation space equipment. In a former life, she was an educator and she still lives and breathes the belief that education has the power to change the world.

In her spare time, Myra consults with mobile app start-ups, volunteers to teach women and girls how to get the most from technology. As if this were not enough, Myra is of an ancient Afghan royal lineage (really!) She
and her family lived through the horrors of the Russian invasion of Afghanistan finally escaping and finding asylum in the United States in 1987.

Myra has been recognized as Business Leader of the Year by Women in IT Awards 2018, Silicon Valley Business Journal's Women of Influence 2016, and The Forty Women To Watch Over 40 in 2016.