Feb. 7, 2020 - Associate Vice Provost for Student Success and Community Engagement Amanda Quintero, PhD and Psychology major Kaylee Cheng both received awards for their work with transfer students during a National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students (NISTS) conference in Atlanta, Georgia Feb. 5—7.
Cheng received the Transfer Student Ambassador Award and Quintero was presented with the Transfer Champion Award.
As a first-generation college graduate and transfer student herself, Quintero is a powerful advocate of educational opportunity for historically underserved students, including transfers.
She has held multiple leadership positions and has developed, administered, and evaluated programs centered on transfer students at the campus, system, and state level.
Quintero has been a key leader in a regional strategy aimed at streamlining the transfer process by aligning curriculum, policies and practices between CSUCI and area community colleges.
Cheng transferred to CSUCI from Fresno after spending two years at College of the Sequoias. In less than two years, she went from newcomer to becoming one of four students nationwide to win a Transfer Student Ambassador Award.
Cheng’s award comes with $500 for her education and a $500 to benefit CSUCI.
“I want to use the grant to start an initiative focused on undergraduate research for transfer students,” Cheng said.
The theme for this year’s conference was “Reimagining the Transfer Student Experience.”