Cal Poly Pomona staff and students committed to promoting diversity and supporting underrepresented communities were honored at the 23rd annual Unity Luncheon
The Feb. 24 event featured keynote speaker Dr. Joely Proudfit, a member of the Luiseño tribe and director of the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center at Cal State San Marcos.
Proudfit, who also serves as that university’s director of Native Studies, discussed strategies to bolster lagging college enrollment rates for Native American and Alaskan native students, including drafting agreements with local tribes to work together, tailoring coursework, and creating recruitment and retention programs. She also urged unity among underrepresented minority groups.
“Find the experiences and the commonalities,” she said. “Listen because our numbers can’t improve without allies like you all. Meet casually. Recruit collectively. Counsel each other’s students.”
Each of the affinity organizations on campus honored 2015 Diversity Champions. The award recipients are:
ACCESS and disability ALLIANCE (AdA)
Dr. Catherine Schmitt Whitaker, interim executive director of the Health Center and CAPS
Renee Estephan, general biology student
Asian Pacific Faculty, Staff & Students Association (APFSSA)
Christine Orgeta, coordinator of residential education and leadership
Justine Budisantoso, hospitality management student
Black Faculty, Staff & Student Association (BFSA)
Diana Minor, director of office of financial aid, BFSA president
Quinn Davison, aerospace engineering student
Latino Faculty, Staff & Student Alliance (LFSSA)
Dr. Cecilia Santiago-González, director of Enrollment and One-Stop Services
Bernadette Bolaños, gender and multicultural studies student
Native American Student Center
Saul Ramirez, financial aid and scholarships counselor
River Garza, economics student
Pride Alliance
Krista Smith, director of ASI recreation
Nikolai (Niko) Pepin, sociology student