2009 CSUCI Hearst Scholarship Winner Josue Magana

Camarillo, CA. - California State University recently announced the recipients of the 2009 William Randolph Hearst/CSU Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement. Among the winners was CSU Channel Islands (CI) student Josué Magaña.

The award is given to students who have overcome great personal challenges to pursue their education. Magaña, currently a senior at CI, personifies the commitment, drive and perseverance needed to achieve this goal.

The award, which is given annually, provides a $3,000 scholarship to students who demonstrate superior academic performance, personal accomplishments, community service, and financial need.

Josué Magaña, a first generation Mexican-American and the second of eleven siblings, had finished high school and was working at a minimum wage job. After getting into some trouble, he decided he needed to take charge of his life and enrolled at CI. It turned out to be a life-changing decision which showed results in his first semester when he produced a 4.0 GPA.

Now a senior at CI, he is majoring in business with a focus on finance and management. Not only does he manage a 3.3 GPA but volunteers 20 hours a week tutoring students with learning disabilities at Ventura College. Additionally, he volunteers with several outreach programs, mentoring, and sharing his experiences with kids who are very much like he was before he began college. His message is loud and clear, if he can do it they can too.

"Clearly, Josué Magaña has overcome personal adversity to achieve a remarkable success while at CI,” stated Dawn Neuman, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. “We are very proud of Josué as he translates his educational success into practical knowledge for our community, earning him our respect and gratitude as a role model and mentor."

Once Josué graduates he plans to get an MBA in applied finance to become a personal financial advisor. This plan for the future also includes ongoing volunteer work as a role model and mentor for his community.

Information about other Hearst/CSU Trustees’ Award winners is available at: http://www.calstate.edu/Foundation/hearst/index.shtml.

CSU Channel Islands is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

CSUCI Mission Statement
Placing students at the center of the educational experience, California State University Channel Islands provides undergraduate and graduate education that facilitates learning within and across disciplines through integrative approaches, emphasizes experiential and service learning, and graduates students with multicultural and international perspectives.