Camarillo, Calif., April 23, 2015 – Although she is the mother of a one-year-old and expecting a son in June, 2015 CSU Channel Islands (CI) graduate Daisy Carranza made time to volunteer to help other first-generation college students.
Carranza’s efforts recently earned her a 2015 Campus Compact Newman Civic Fellows Award from the KPMG Foundation, a charitable institution seeking to change business and society through the diversity of ideas.
Carranza, 22, is one of 201 college students from across the nation chosen as a Newman Civic Fellow by Campus Compact, a national coalition of nearly 1,100 college and university presidents committed to improving community life on campuses and educating students about the importance of civic and social leadership.
The fellowship recognizes college and university students who have emerged as civic leaders at their respective campuses.
“She has been the most remarkable student I have ever met,” said Leah Alarcon, Director of Student Success Programs at CI. “She came from being this shy, quiet, happy girl to actively wanting to be a leader. We took all the quietness and shyness and made it a strength for her.”
Prominent in Carranza’s volunteer efforts was CI’s Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), which helps economically-disadvantaged and first-generation college students, a program that helped Carranza know which classes to take and how to graduate successfully.
“A lot of my involvement was around populations I could relate to,” said Carranza, who will be awarded a degree in psychology in June. “I felt the need to give back to programs that helped me. I wanted students to know that even if you don’t have the support at home, there are programs to help you.”
Carranza grew up in Oxnard, the daughter of parents who worked in agricultural fields.
“Most of the time I had the responsibility to look after my two younger brothers,” she said. “Watching my parents work long hours in the field with low-paying jobs and come home so tired was one of my motivations to work hard and make them proud.”
While caring for a baby, Carranza carried a 3.49 grade point average, traveled to study in Spain, volunteered for the EOP and donated her time to Interface Children & Family Services, where she now has a part-time job.
Carranza will accept her diploma May 16, thanks in large part to the help she got with child care from both sets of grandparents. The babies’ father works full-time, so was also unavailable for child care, a problem Carranza sees for many student parents.
Her fellowship allows her to join the network of other Newman Fellows, who will brainstorm, share resources, and help one another with each Fellow’s social cause.
Carranza is clear about her cause.
“Even though I am graduating, I want to bring up a child care program at CI,” Carranza said. “I know a lot of people who are going to CI and still have kids. It’s really important to support mothers who are going back to school to get their degrees.”
EOP Coordinator Kari Moss, who nominated Carranza for the fellowship, believes this network of Newman Fellows will give Carranza ideas and perspective to realize her goal.
“I hope she gains a network that will aid her commitment to bettering the lives of mothers in higher education,” Moss said.
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About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands(CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more by visiting CI's Social Media.