The California State University is honoring 23 students – each demonstrating superior academic performance, personal accomplishments, community service and financial need – with the 2013 CSU Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement. The CSU Trustees’ Awards are among the highest student distinctions within the university and are accompanied by scholarships of $3,000 to $10,000.

The CSU Board of Trustees, CSU Foundation Board of Governors, faculty, students, staff and public will recognize the 2013 CSU trustees’ scholars on Sept. 24 at the Glenn S. Dumke Auditorium in Long Beach.

This setting, appropriate to the occasion of celebrating some of the CSU’s greatest student scholars and humanitarians, stands in stark contrast to the many past settings in the awardees’ lives – war zone, prison cell, hospital room, welfare office, rehabilitation center or foster care home.

“CSU trustees’ scholars have defied the odds, rising above circumstance to become leaders among their classmates and exemplifying the CSU mission of access to a quality higher education,” said CSU Chancellor Timothy P. White. “Through talent, determination and drive they now grasp the promise of a brighter future – for self, family and community.”

CSU trustees’ scholars are nominated by their campus president. Each campus selects one scholar. A committee formed by the CSU Foundation reviews the nominations and awards students additional honors through named scholarships. The top two highest scoring students receive the Trustee Emeritus Ali C. Razi scholarship, named for the longtime program supporter and champion.

This year’s Trustee Emeritus Ali C. Razi scholars are Tim Dean Sain of CSU Chico and Clayton Matthew Treska of San Diego State. Their stories are featured in a video to be shown during the CSU Board of Trustees meeting.

The award program began nearly three decades ago with scholarships endowed by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation. In 1999, the generosity of current and emeritus CSU trustees allowed the program to expand. Past honorees have gone on to attend prestigious graduate programs and even to serve on the CSU Board of Trustees.

The CSU Trustees’ Awards program continues to grow thanks to support from trustees, faculty, staff and friends of the university.

This year welcomes a new endowment and named scholarship by Trustee Emeritus Kenneth Fong. This award recognizes an outstanding STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) student. Tran Hoang Anh of CSU San Bernardino is the first scholar to receive this award.

In addition to the support from the Hearst Foundation and Fong, continuing endowed funding is provided by or in honor of Trustee Emeritus Ali C. Razi, Trustee Emeritus Murray L. Galinson, Trustee William Hauck, Chancellor Emeritus Charles B. Reed, Angelina Aliberti and Lawrence L. Ruggie, the John and Beverly Stauffer Foundation and the Haworth Family Trust.

This year’s funding for named awards is also provided by Ronald R. and Mitzi Barhorst, Edison International, AT&T, Wells Fargo, TELACU and CH2M Hill.

Southwest Airlines provides free transportation for the students to attend the Long Beach reception funded by Cisco Systems.

For bios on all 23 scholars as well as donor information, please visit calstate.edu/foundation/trusteesawards.

# # #

About the California State University
The California State University is the largest system of senior higher education in the country, with 23 campuses, approximately 427,000 students and 44,000 faculty and staff. The CSU awards over 95,000 degrees annually and since its creation in 1961 has conferred nearly 2.6 million. The CSU is renowned for the quality of its teaching and for the job-ready graduates it produces. The mission of the CSU is to provide high-quality, affordable education to meet the ever changing needs of the people of California. With its commitment to excellence, diversity and innovation, the CSU is the university system that is working for California. Connect with and learn more about the CSU at CSU Social Media. Show how the CSU matters to you and take action.

CSU Board of Trustees