The Christine H. Smith Dean's Circle Scholarship
Dr. Christine (Chris) and Owen Smith were active and influential members of the CSUN community. Chris ‘64 (Home Economics) and Owen ‘65 (Theater), M.A. ‘67 (Drama) met and fell in love at San Fernando Valley State College (now CSUN). Chris taught in the Family and Consumer Sciences department and was devoted to student success throughout her career there. She and Owen considered the university their second home. Prior to their passing, they decided to leave a generous gift from their estate to CSUN, including funds that support this scholarship.
The scholarship is awarded to undergraduate or graduate students enrolled in the College of Health and Human Development. Criteria include scholastic achievement and demonstrated financial need.
2017 Recipients
Scholar: Gabriel Bolivar
Year Awarded: 2017
Major: Health Administration (MSHA); completed Health Administration (BS)
About Gabriel: Gabriel comes from a family of hard-workers and great role models. His grandfather and parents came to the United States to escape the drug cartel that had infiltrated their home of Medellin, Colombia. His father worked backbreaking double shifts for over 15 years so he and his sister could obtain the education necessary to go to college. Gabriel is the first in his family to graduate from college. He obtained his Bachelor of Science in Health Administration from CSUN and is currently in the graduate program.
Gabriel is passionate about helping Latino families in impoverished and/or underserved areas obtain healthcare and healthcare knowledge. As an undergraduate, he served as a research assistant and managed the development of a grant-funded Spanish educational video. The target audience of the video is the Mexican-American community and it provides information about end-of-life choices for family members with dementia. The video and corresponding research paper are part of a larger $4 million Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) grant application that was submitted by CSUN in November 2017.
Gabriel currently works as the patient care experience manager for Kaiser West Los Angeles where he has worked for several years. In the past, he has served as a mentor to at-risk youth through the Hippocratic Circle Program, a customer service subject expert for the southern California region, a preceptor to students in the CSUN Health Administration undergraduate program, a coach for free community exercise courses, a health educator/promotor to southern Los Angeles churches and an expert Spanish spokesperson on ESPN Sports Radio and Univision morning news. Gabriel’s current goal is to finish his Master’s Degree in Health Administration in May 2018 and apply for a regional or national director position so he can have a larger impact on those in need.
Gabriel expressed that if he had the chance to speak with Christine and Owen Smith, he would thank them for their generosity. "[The Smiths'] support has allowed my wife and me to both graduate from CSUN and have fulfilling careers in healthcare. We are both the first college graduates in our families. The Smith's involvement has impacted not only our lives, but that of our entire family. Their legacy of giving back to students and the community will continue through me. I will continue to intern and mentor CSUN students and create opportunities for our university to shine. I would have loved to have met them in person, as their love for each other, their community, and life is an inspiration.”
Scholar: Jeremy Mauritzen
Year Awarded: 2017
Major: Child Development and Deaf Studies
About Jeremy: Jeremy grew up in California and was encouraged by his parents to attend college and pursue a career in education. While growing up, Jeremy was exposed to the disability community through friends, family and his involvement with the organization Best Buddies (an organization dedicated to ending the social, physical and economic isolation of individuals living with intellectual and developmental disabilities). Jeremy’s passion for education paired with his desire to work with individuals with disabilities, lead him to CSUN to pursue a career in special education.
When he began his journey at CSUN, he had the goal of becoming a special education teacher, however, he ended up serving as chair for the Legislative Affairs for Associated Students and that opened him up to the world of advocacy and policy that he had yet to discover. Jeremy has then changed his career ambition; he now is hoping to become a disability advocate, fighting for proper education for children with disabilities. He plans to take a year off of school after he graduates in order to finish law school applications and gain more work experience. He is in his fourth year at CSUN, double majoring in Deaf Studies and Child Development.
Jeremy said he hopes to one day be able to inspire, motivate, and change the lives of students and communities the same way that the Smith’s did with their gift. If he had the chance to speak with them he would emphasize his gratitude and say that “it is clear that [they] were an inspiration for so many students, and [he] feels forever grateful to be part of their legacy.”
