If you sit down with Nicole Mendez, you may question her decision to major in chemistry and math in her first college experience. After all, years later she owns an MFA from San Diego State in filmmaking and is currently pursuing a second master’s degree in literature and writing studies from Cal State San Marcos.  She’s earning the latter while also working full time as the administrative coordinator with the LTWR department. She’s also a wife and mom to three children.  Creating art has always been inside Mendez, and her work reflects that. She will show her documentary “Bad Child” on March 4 in Arts 111 as part of CSUSM’s Arts & Lectures series.   The 13-minute film will be shown at noon, followed by a brief discussion from Mendez. She’ll also lead a panel discussing the impacts of sexual assault, how trauma is expressed artistically and the many resources available to survivors. Staff from Student Health & Counseling Services and faculty and staff from the department of psychology and the School of Arts will sit on the interdisciplinary panel.  As with most A&L events, CSUSM students, faculty, staff and alumni are free. Community members are $5. Tickets are available online.  The topic is heavy. She wrote and produced it as a retelling of her personal sexual abuse as a child primarily at the hands of her step grandfather.   “So the film is entirely my story,” Mendez said. “It goes through every kind of what I see as different stages of the outcomes. I was sexually abused as a child multiple times, so this is something that impacted me throughout my entire lifespan. The film goes through different developmental stages and how it affected me throughout that time.”  The film also has interviews with psychologists who speak to the technical side of recovering and healing. Mendez included facts from her own research as well as statistics on recovery.   Her own personal story is woven throughout the film.  She sees the event as an opportunity to discuss a subject that still doesn’t get enough attention on college campuses, although she is quick to praise the work done by SHCS.  “There’s a lack of people who talk to their children about sexual assault,” said Mendez, 42. “It's not discussed enough as kids are growing up. It's ignored. So I think a lot of young people get to college and they don't think about these risks, and they don't think that these things do happen. And then when they happen to someone they know, or they're aware that these things are occurring, they don't know what to do. They don't know how to help. They don't know how to positively contribute to such an important issue. And so those are all things I want to touch on.”  Filled with expert interviews and personal narratives, the film touches on her experiences while also placing a hard emphasis on the importance of parental and caregiver support in the aftermath.   Healing is an individual journey, one that could be made much longer and more difficult without the presence of support.   That’s particularly important when the abuse happens to a child, according to Mendez.  “How that event impacts you is greatly determined by the support you receive or don't receive when you disclose that event, it is so critical for someone who has had horrible things happen to them,” Mendez said. “After disclosure is supported appropriately, they (a victim/survivor) will likely have less severe outcomes compared to someone who might have had something happen and they tell someone, and the person doesn't believe them, or they tell them they're a liar. There's such a big impact.”  The switch in pursuits to visual arts as an undergraduate student at a small liberal arts college in Portland wasn’t as much of a stretch as it seems because it aligned with Mendez’s interests. And when she took a film class in the SDSU MFA program in 2018, it sparked a passion for filmmaking, leading to a transition from fine art to film.  While some people choose activities when they have free time, Mendez simply doesn’t have much. Instead, she makes time for her creative outlets partly by involving her family.  Her first film — a short narrative about a girl and her grandma — was inspired by her childhood experiences – memories of making tamales with family and listening to music, which often sparked creative ideas. In the film, the girl goes into one of her grandma's rooms and starts using her sewing materials and tries to make herself a dress. At the end, the grandma comes in and offers to help her as a form of connection through action.  Mendez finds inspiration from both real-life experiences and music, particularly non-lyrical film scores. Her art is personal, often reflecting childhood experiences and family dynamics as someone who grew up in Chula Vista but also lived in Florida, Connecticut and other parts of San Diego and L.A.  In addition to making documentary films, she’s an accomplished painter. She painted her daughter for a decade in a series that explored themes of childhood innocence and the contrast between child and adult expressions.  “That was obviously a very personal series,” Mendez said of her now 16-year-old daughter. “I was, in a sense, reexamining my own childhood through these pictures of her. And then when I went off and started making films, I did some animations, and all of those had to do with my childhood. And then the film about the dress. There were elements of my childhood that were put into that.”  Her love for color and patterns is evident in all her work, from painting to filmmaking to her personal style.  Mendez of course finds it challenging to balance full-time work, family responsibilities and creative pursuits. She has slowed down on creative work to focus more on family time, especially as her three children — one in high school and two in elementary school — have more activities.  Mendez’s goal is to educate and inspire collective improvement in supporting victims and addressing sexual assault. Healing is a process, and it’s one that is different for every survivor.  She reported her abuser during the making of the documentary, which took a long time to be processed. He was arrested the same week the film was completed in spring 2022, adding another level of emotional impact to the project.   Just last month — three decades after the abuse began — he was sentenced to six years in prison. At age 87, he will most likely spend the rest of his life behind bars.  The reporting process was challenging with delays and emotional tolls, but Mendez felt it was important to go through it at the pace it required. The documentary serves as a testament to her persistence. The long journey of reporting and seeking justice is over, but the healing continues.  “I won't say there's a real resolution because I do feel like when someone experiences sexual assault of any sort, no matter how minor it is, it affects you forever,” Mendez said. “It'll affect you less if you handle it, you face it, you deal with it, you process it and process it and process it. I do believe it gets better, and some of that is shown in the film. It's not all just dark and negative. It’s more factual and just this is how it was and is.   “I want people to take something away from it as far as how can we be better? Just collectively, parents, teachers, mentors, people who are in those positions to receive that information, those disclosures. How can we as a community, as society, be more supportive and be better?”  Mendez the chemist and/or mathematician never surfaced, and probably for good reason as her art has and will inspire others.   But perhaps there’s something to order, problem solving and truth that chemistry and math provide that also speaks to who she is.   Whatever she chooses to do with her career, it’s clear Mendez is one thing above all — resilient.   “I want to focus on how to help people who have experienced that because when someone discloses sexual assault, the reactions that they receive to that disclosure impact the outcomes of that assault, sometimes more than the assault itself,” Mendez said. “It has such a profound impact on how someone heals or is able to cope that it is really critical that people have an idea of the language to use and how to address those situations.   “And the reality is this does happen, or people have experienced it in their past. But it still affects them, of course.  To know how to interact with someone about those topics who has had those experiences, that’s really important.”  Media Contact Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Cal State San Marcos is ranked No. 15 in a new state index that measures the extent to which schools drive upward mobility among underserved learners. The inaugural California Mobility Index (CMI) ranks 82 four-year institutions that collectively enroll almost 800,000 undergraduate students. But rather than the traditional approach of rewarding institutions based on the exclusivity and standardized test scores of their incoming class, the CMI evaluates institutions on the proportion of low- and moderate-income students they enroll and the return on investment they provide within the state of California. The CMI is the product of a partnership between the College Futures Foundation and the HEA Group. “This new state index is a step in the right direction to ensure that the work at CSUSM and other CSUs is acknowledged and highlighted,” CSUSM President Ellen Neufeldt said. “I am encouraged to see more rankings evolving to recognize the institutions that are making the greatest impact on students’ social and economic mobility. We’ve known all along that we are changing lives and the communities we serve. As the national conversation around the ROI of higher education continues, we can clearly see that college is indeed an investment that pays off.” The index is based on the share of Pell Grant recipients that an institution enrolls, the average earnings of those students within 10 years after enrollment and the average out-of-pocket costs paid by those students for their degree. Pell Grants are federal financial aid awards available to low- and moderate-income students. Researchers used U.S. Department of Education data to track the earnings of such students after graduating.  The CMI is dominated by schools from California State University, with CSU campuses accounting for 13 of the top 15 spots. CSUSM has become recognized as a national leader in social or economic mobility under the leadership of President Ellen Neufeldt. The university ranks No. 2 out of more than 1,200 schools nationally in the current Social Mobility Index by the online publication CollegeNET, and it topped that same list two years ago. CSUSM also annually hosts the National Social Mobility Symposium, which draws hundreds of leaders from across the country to discuss ways to make higher education more accessible to all.

When Karen Charles participated in Cal State San Marcos’ commencement ceremonies to receive her bachelor’s in 2000 and her teaching credential in 2001, she did so on a small grassy area in Forum Plaza. At the time, there were four main buildings on campus with University Hall having just opened a couple of years before Charles graduated with her liberal studies degree. So, it’s easy to imagine her shock at seeing campus for the first time since those commencement ceremonies when she arrived in the summer of 2023 to attend family orientation with her daughter, Kaiah, who was an incoming first-year student that fall. “It was crazy,” Charles said. “I thought, ‘This was my little school, and it's just so beautiful.’ I was so proud of how far it's come. I almost got teary eyed. I feel like I was there at the beginning, and it's become this incredible university. Attending orientation, I don’t know why people in the area would want to go anywhere else. It’s so gorgeous and you have everything.” Charles attended CSUSM with a single goal – becoming an elementary school teacher. And she credits the university for helping to prepare her for the career she’s enjoyed for more than two decades. “Like with anything, once you actually get into teaching it can be so different than what you learned in school,” Charles said. “But CSUSM really does a great job of setting you up for success. “It was helpful that so many of my professors had been in the classroom before. It wasn't someone just telling you what it was going to be like, it was based on real-life experience. That made a huge difference learning from people who actually know what you're going to be going through and what it’s like. They didn’t sugarcoat everything, which was good because they know that there are good things about teaching and there are challenging things about teaching.” Charles was a first-generation college student, and she was focused from a young age on becoming a teacher (brief thoughts about becoming a nurse ended in fifth grade when she sliced open her hand and saw the blood). She always loved working with kids – even when she was one herself. In elementary school, she often helped in the kindergarten classes, loving every minute working with younger students. An Escondido native, Charles taught in her hometown at Conway Elementary (now known as Conway Academy of Expeditionary Learning) for three years before moving across town to help open Bernardo Elementary School in 2005. She has been at Bernardo ever since, teaching first grade throughout her career. “I love what I do,” Charles said. “First grade is so much fun because a lot of these kids come in knowing letters and sounds, but they literally leave as readers. First grade is so foundational that just to see their growth is so rewarding. “And we have great families at Bernardo. I love my team that I work with and we have an awesome principal. I couldn't work at a better school.” Charles has similar feelings about CSUSM. She was about 7 months pregnant with her first child, Benjamin, when she received her teaching credential at commencement in 2001. A year later, she began teaching at Conway. She had three more children – Kaiah and sons Elijah and Josiah – with Kaiah following in her mom’s footsteps by attending CSUSM. Like her mom, Kaiah is looking toward a career working with children. She is majoring in psychological sciences and works about 30 hours a week doing applied behavior analysis therapy to help young children with autism learn and develop skills. “I love working with kids. I feel like I was born to do it,” said Kaiah, who likely will pursue her master’s with an eye on being a therapist. It's gratifying for Charles to see how Kaiah is finding her place at CSUSM and looking forward to diving deeper into her major as she completes her general education courses.       “I'm so happy she's there, and she's really happy that she's there, too,” Charles said. “Right from the time we got to orientation, it just felt like a family and a community.” Media Contact Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Irma Ramos Arreaga started her role as Cal State San Marcos' outreach and inclusion librarian last February.  Before joining CSUSM, Ramos Arreaga worked at a public library in San Mateo, where she helped with children's services such as story times, arts and crafts, and community work. “The reason that I came here was because the job was very similar,” Ramos Arreaga said. “With outreach, you're doing a lot of work in the community. In this case, the community is the campus, and so all the outreach that I was doing for children is experience that I use here, just in a different setting. “There's typically not a lot of outreach librarians at university libraries. A lot of the time, outreach is embedded into other jobs. In recent years, outreach has become its own job to further connect with the student body. I like outreach because I like talking to people, I like connecting to people, and I get that more in my position than in a different academic library position. I like that CSUSM is a Hispanic-Serving Institution and that I would be able to help my community.” Ramos Arreaga’s position has two different parts. On the outreach side, she's like the library's personal cheerleader, helping plan events, scoping out new services while promoting the current ones and overall connecting people to the library.  On the inclusion side, Ramos Arreaga helps develop new programs through the library, and she works hard to make sure each program is meaningful and inspiring for those who participate.  “The focus is really bringing new perspectives, new identities and new discourse for the campus to be a part of," she said. “We're being inclusive of the different populations on campus through our programming. As we are planning for programs, we're thinking of what groups to highlight and what would be representative and impactful for our campus.”  The day-to-day schedule looks very different for Ramos Arreaga depending on the time of year. Many of her days are spent planning or hosting events in the library. Her busiest time of year is before each semester when the library prepares each art exhibit for the campus population.  The Context Exhibit Series this semester features the work of Isidro Pérez García, whose exhibit is titled “Migratory Land Knowledges.”  “Isidro Pérez García was inspired by his life,” Ramos Arreaga said. “He lived in the States undocumented for 20 years. A lot of the experiences that he had working under-the-table jobs influenced the exhibit, and then his background from Mexico, being from the countryside, working on farmland, that knowledge is also embedded into the artwork. Everything in the exhibit was made by him. The frames in the exhibit include handmade paper. The ink is made from cochineal (cochinilla), which lives on cacti. He harvested this parasitic insect and made ink out of it, which is an ancestral practice. He made all the anatomical hearts that are on the spiral table. He made the spiral table with the help of his brother, using scraps from an old furniture company that he worked at. Every decision that he made for every piece has a purpose. It's very meaningful.” Long before an exhibit is set up at Kellogg Library, an artist must be located. Finding the artist takes a combination of going out to see community exhibits and sourcing through connections. After a potential artist is found, Ramos Arreaga meets with them and thoroughly views their collection, making sure they are a fit for the campus.  Ramos Arreaga’s connection with the artists continues after the exhibit is completed. Eager to get the community involved, Ramos Arreaga invites the artist on campus for a workshop. For the library exhibit last fall, artist Salvador de la Torre came to campus and led students in a printing workshop.  The workshop this semester will take place March 27 from noon-1:30 p.m. Pérez García will be bringing handmade paper and teaching attendees to harvest and create ink with the insects he uses to create his ink. Students will learn to balance the pH level to the ink and change the colors. Students will be able to use the paper to create their own designs and paint. All the work Ramos Arreaga does on campus is in collaboration with the outreach team, including Rosa Rodriguez, James Guerrero and Victoria Holley.   In addition to the exhibit workshops, Ramos Arreaga helps Allison Carr, the academic transitions librarian, run CSUSM’s Common Read program. Multiple times during the academic year, the library organizes programs relating to Common Read. Once again this year, the selection focuses on banned books. The library gives out free banned books at several of these events.   “Who doesn't like giving out free books?” Ramos Arreaga said. “But people are usually really excited, and we interact with a lot of people in a short amount of time. So it's nice to see the campus and give out books.” That is ultimately what Ramos Arrega hopes to accomplish in her role: see the lively campus and spread the love of books to the community.    Upcoming Events Common Read Banned Book Giveaway: March 4, noon-12:50 p.m., Kellogg Library Meet the Artist: Isidro Pérez Garcia: March 18, 5-7 p.m., Kellogg Reading Room (fifth floor) Exhibit Workshop: March 27, noon-1:30 p.m., The Makery (second floor)   Media Contact Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Build and launch a rocket, view the surface of the sun and discover how chemistry is better than magic.  These are just a few of the more than 100 hands-on, interactive activities and demonstrations that will engage thousands of attendees at Super STEM Saturday on March 8 at Cal State San Marcos. This rain-or-shine science festival is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is free and open to the public. Children of all ages are invited to attend.   “What we take away from our childhood is really meaningful to what we decide to do as adults,” said Simon Kuo, vice president of corporate quality for Viasat, one of the lead sponsors of Super STEM Saturday. “That’s why we believe it’s really important to expose kids to science and technology so that it can help them better appreciate it and perhaps even choose a career in STEM.”   “Super STEM Saturday is a powerful event,” said Jackie Trischman, dean of the College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics at CSUSM. “I want our community to see someone who looks like them having fun doing science. It’s also an opportunity to bring our community together and celebrate what science does for us on a daily basis.”   “We are proud to collaborate with the community to inspire the next generation of innovators at Super STEM Saturday,” said Kurtis Indorf, CEO of The Classical Academies. “We’re excited to see students and families come together to explore the endless possibilities of STEM.” The sponsors of Super STEM Saturday include Viasat; the County of San Diego; ASML; Bristol Myers Squibb; General Atomics Sciences Education Foundation; Grifols; the Issa Family Foundation; Pacific Premier Bank; Qualcomm; Cox Communications; DigiKey; ESET; Hologic; RBC Capital Markets; Young, Minney & Corr, LLP; Calsense; Hilbers, Inc.; Keenan; North Island Credit Union; San Diego Foundation; San Marcos Community Foundation; and Stradling.   What: Super STEM Saturday, a free interactive science festival for all ages  When: Saturday, March 8, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.   Where: Cal State San Marcos, 333 S. Twin Oaks Valley Road, San Marcos   Parking: Free in lots E, F and H More information: www.csusm.edu/superstem    About The Classical Academies   The Classical Academies is an organization of award-winning, tuition-free, California Public Charter Schools serving North San Diego County since 1999. With seven campus locations and over 5,200 students in grades TK-12, the schools are making a tremendous impact as they reinvent public education.  

The fourth Arts & Lectures event of the spring semester features a film screening of “Bad Child.”   The event is March 4 at noon in Arts 111. Reserve tickets online via the Arts & Lectures website.  The film is a short documentary about the more intimate, less visible outcomes of enduring repeated childhood sexual abuse. The film focuses on one survivor's reflections while expert interviews place emphasis on the importance of parental and caregiver support. Director Nicole Mendez will discuss the film’s format and its contents, then host an interdisciplinary panel examining impacts of sexual assault, artistic expressions of trauma and resources available to survivors. Panelists include CSUSM faculty and staff from Student Health & Counseling Services, the Department of Psychology, the School of Arts and more.  CSUSM’s Arts & Lectures series offers a diverse lineup of artistic, cultural and scholarly events every semester based on input and proposals from students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members.    What: Arts & Lectures event “Bad Child,” a film screening and interdisciplinary panel on sexual assault  Who: Panelists include director Nicole Mendez and CSUSM faculty and staff from Student Health & Counseling Services, the Department of Psychology, the School of Arts and more.  When: March 4, noon  Where: Arts 111  Cost: Free for CSUSM students, faculty, staff and alumni; $5 for community members  Tickets: Visit the Arts & Lectures ticket webpage        Media Contact Eric Breier, Interim assistant director of editorial and external affairs ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314