Mai Kue Her -- MA Social Science Student 2020

Mai Kue Her (L) and Professor Emeritus, Mary Portis (R)

The Social Science Program awarded Mai Kue Her for her outstanding research and continued outreach among Hmong college students. 

Macey Howeson --  Outstanding Social Science Student 2020

For many years, all I knew for sure about my goals for the future is that I wanted to help people. As vague as that is, I knew that somehow, it would involve me helping others make their way out of some of the same situations I have faced in my own life. I began to shape my future within the Social Science discipline when I approached Chico State with my AA in hand, ready to explore my options and find the perfect major to help me accomplish that goal. When learning that I could study both the heavily empirical research and science-based major of psychology, alongside the family-oriented, culturally-competent and compassionate area of study called Family Relations, I was beyond ecstatic that I had the choice of indulging in multiple areas of study, exposing myself to a wider variety of information, and learning from many different perspectives as opposed to a few.

    I have never been one that particularly excelled in school, always earning passing grades, but never achieving the highest grades or receiving much academic praise. After attending my last two years of college at Chico State, I learned that what I was lacking was simply the motivation and passion for learning that so helpfully carried me through those final two years and that these factors are what ultimately earned me this incredible honor. Upon having my passion for mental health and helping others reignited, I immediately felt an almost overwhelming sense of motivation and eagerness to succeed - an eagerness to do my best so that I can be the best mediator and future mental healthcare provider I can be. My experience within the Social Science program is one that I will hold close for the rest of my life, as it was the time in my life that marked a major transition in my enthusiasm and excitement to learn. I only want to keep learning, expanding my knowledge base, improving my skills, and moving onward and upward.

    In my time at Chico State, I also had the pleasure of working on the staff at CAVE (Community Action Volunteers in Education) and being an intern for the UMatter program. I truly admired both programs’ missions, and they embodied much of what I am passionate about, which is helping and reaching out to others. Both experiences greatly contributed to my overall success here at Chico State, and provided me with the opportunities I needed outside of academia to learn about community involvement, the destigmatization of mental health, and working within professional contexts.

    Education is one of the most important and beneficial ventures we can make in our lifetime. I believe this so wholeheartedly, that it is a major goal of mine to eventually get involved in instructional design, and ultimately revamp the education system and curriculum for the better. I also want to do what I can to bring educational resources to those who are so unfairly left behind, or those who desperately want to expand their education but do not have the access or the means to obtain one. I feel privileged and exhilarated by the idea that I have access to educational resources, and it motivates me to educate myself as much as I can, so that I can educate and provide those resources to others.

My immediate plans after graduating from Chico State are to move closer to home, establish myself in a new city, and begin my work on a Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. I may continue with my education and pursue a doctorate degree if I see fit, but first and foremost, I want to obtain an MFT license and begin working within a practice that reflects my values and strategies as a therapist, and a human being. I am beyond ecstatic when thinking about the future, and thinking about where my education from Chico State will take me. I am grateful to have achieved this honor, and I will forever strive to reflect the title of Outstanding Student both in my work and in my character.

Rodney Page -- Outstanding Online Social Science Student 2020

Photo/Text coming soon