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30 under 30

Cal Poly's Most Influential Womxn

By The WIB Wire

May 27^th, 2018

A note FROM THE EDITOR

“Empowered women empower women.”

This is one of my personal favorite quotes, and a quote that the Women in Business Association strives to live by. The Wire editorial team and WIB board strongly believe that when women support each other, incredible things happen. This is at the core of our mission, and the driving force behind everything we do— including this story.

As our debut for 30 Under 30: Cal Poly’s Most Influential Womxn, we asked for nominations for the grittiest womxn on this campus, those who are not just passionate about what they do, but persevere at it. Womxn who are changing the face of this campus; breaking glass ceilings, chipping away at social injustices, fighting for a more sustainable future. We received about 70 nominations, and after our editorial board picked and interviewed the top 30, we realized that “influential” hardly suffices to describe everything that they do. From running Spartan races and driving the world’s fastest solar powered car, to running clubs and Greek life with hundreds of members, these womxn are the world’s future leaders.

In an effort to be more inclusive, we have changed the headline for this story to include women-identifying students on this campus. All 30 of these womxn prefer the pronouns she/her/hers. The only order to this list is alphabetical by last name.

This is a project The Wire team will continue in coming years, and each year I hope you will be influenced by and proud of the work that Cal Poly womxn do.

So here’s to influential womxn, may we know them and may we be them.

-Anjana Melvin

1. blaze campbell

“I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better.”

In Blaze Campbell’s opinion, to be influential means to inspire and motivate. Her main goal while working in higher education has been to serve as an example for students who may not see faculty who look like them. She is proud of her blackness and hopes to inspire other black students to take pride in their identity as well. To be chosen as one of the most influential women on this campus has meant a lot to her, as one of her main goals is to leave a positive legacy here.

To many, Campbell has served as a wonderful role model. She has helped students understand racial identity and talk about social justice through her role as an intergroup dialogue facilitator. As a part of the housing department at Cal Poly, she has put together trainings to help students be better social justice leaders. She has worked as an employment equity facilitator, academic success coach and coordinator of the student development search committee. But it is her work with the Black Student Union that she cites as one of her favorite parts of working at Cal Poly, and what will be the most difficult part of leaving. Campbell is leaving at the end of this year to pursue her PhD in higher education.

She looks to faculty like Dr. Denise Isom and Dr. Jennifer Pedrotti as inspiration and knows that “the sky is the limit” for what she plans on doing after receiving her doctorate degree. Both of these women have helped Campbell develop professionally and have served as role models. Campbell hopes that through her career she can help create change to the systems in place that have disadvantaged some students while allowing others to pass through unscathed.

Campbell’s sincerity, drive and passion for her work have set her apart on this campus. She has not only made an impact on the black students on campus, but students of other races and faculty as well. Our education system needs more educators like Campbell, and whatever school she ends up working at will be extremely fortunate to have her.

2. lacey davis

“Your false planning is not my emergency.”

Cal Poly’s PROVE lab is currently building the world’s fastest solar powered car. This summer the team that has been designing and constructing this car for years will put their hard work to the test and race against the current world record. The driver? None other than aerospace engineering sophomore, Lacey Davis.

Davis first got involved with PROVE during fall quarter of her freshman year. Although she was initially intimidated, that intimidation quickly gave way to family-like love for the program and the people within it. Her involvement in PROVE has been mainly geared towards their outreach program. PROVE’s outreach team goes to local middle schools and conducts after school engineering and design programs that also introduces the middle schoolers to different careers in STEM fields. This year she was named Outreach Coordinator and designed the program in a way so that the young participants were actually contributing to projects that Cal Poly students were working on in the PROVE Lab on campus.

In January, PROVE announced that they were looking for a driver to drive the solar powered car for the world record run and Davis was nervous but excited to volunteer. She is very aware of the risks of racing the car but she is confident and has been influenced her whole life by the bravery embodied in her older sister. Davis' sister currently works in the air force reserve and has helped teach Davis that she can do anything despite being a woman in a very male dominated field.

According to Davis, becoming the driver has meant something even bigger to her than the thrill of the newfound fame that has come with the title. As the new “face of the club” to some extent, she is helping show other girls that they should not be afraid to follow their passions and be involved in initiatives like PROVE or pursue a career in STEM. Right now, out of the approximately 70 people in the club there are around 15 girls actively participating. Davis said that this is one of the most diverse demographics PROVE has ever seen. She wants other girls to speak up, communicate their ideas and do what they love.

“Yes, I had a thousand barbies growing up, but I built their houses out of legos,” Davis said, laughing. “There are a lot of things I am mixed on. I am in engineering but also getting a dance minor. You can find something you like about either side and just run with it, accept it, own it.”

Davis has a long term goal to work at NASA, maybe even as an astronaut, but post-college she is still unsure where she will end up and is open to exploring many different jobs and traveling the world.

3. dagmar derickson

“The well-behaved women seldom make history."

Graduate student Dagmar Derickson is a motivated leader and learner in all aspects of her busy life. After earning her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Derickson had the strength to turn down an attractive job offer in order to pursue her passion and take another job that better aligned with her values. This decision allowed her to become even more involved in the 4-H Youth Development program, specifically in STEM education, and she is focusing her work on females and underrepresented youth. The program teaches civic engagement, healthy living, STEM and leadership development to young students. It serves about 1300 youth in the county, and Derickson’s involvement has shaped many of her achievements and goals for the future.

Derickson works directly with eight youth in San Luis Obispo County to support them in pursuing a STEM career. She has provided them opportunities to attend STEM camps, receive internships and participate in field trips she coordinated. Over the two years Derickson has worked with these youth, they have grown into young leaders who are inspired and more equipped to pursue their career paths. Her love and admiration for the kids she works with inspires her to keep pushing herself to continue bettering herself and her community. Derickson believes that if she is able to provide these youth the skills they need in order to become successful leaders in the community, then she’s been an effective leader. She has left a lasting impact on all the students she’s helped throughout her time with the program.

Although Derickson is a full-time graduate student at Cal Poly within the School of Education, she still works full-time in her career as well. Her impeccable time management skills and drive make her an influential individual on campus. She believes that “everyone has influence; it’s just matter of what you’re doing with that influence to make an impact”.

Derickson’s goals may be changing every second, but she hopes to earn a PhD before she turns 30. She genuinely values education and hopes to move forward in the 4-H program.

4. katie ettl

“My search for love led me to feminism."

The famed Bell Hooks has inspired many with her eloquent words, one of those people being political science junior Katie Ettl.

To Ettl, to be influential, one has to have a positive impact on another person or space— “Usually they are leaders who are serving communities that need help or a voice.” She concedes that looking at this definition she is an influential person. “I like to create relationships with people and put my heart on my sleeve,” she said. “At Cal Poly we have a toxic culture of getting your work done; it’s hard to have really strong personal relationships. Focusing on that can create influential experiences.”

Her work as an activist has meant a lot to her. “I have realized so much about myself by advocating for other people,” she said. Ettl has been involved in a number of projects that helps underrepresented and marginalized groups. She is an organizer with the Queer Student Union, Vice President of Triota Feminist Activist Community, and is an assistant producer and script editor for Cal Poly’s Original Women’s Narratives. She also organizes and leads protests and rallies on campus, including Cal Poly Rises Against Hate, the 2018 Open House Action, and the first Pride March in SLO. OWN was her first event that showed her she could meld two passions: entertainment and social justice. She then went on to write and direct her first short film for the SLO film festival, and was again shown that she has potential to create or help share others narratives through entertainment.

Ettl cites Professor Leola MacMillan, a lecturer in the Ethnic Studies department, as being the most influential woman she knows. Professor MacMillan makes her class a safe space for the expression of different ideas and makes a huge effort to actually know her students on an individual basis. This approach to relationship building has rubbed off on Ettl.

Ettl’s approach to social justice may involve a few laughs, but it does not lack impact. She realizes that she has privileges and in the future would like to use her voice to amplify others. She specifically wants to focus on voices of people of color and queer folks in her future projects. Her work thus far has ignited a fire within herself, and obviously already made an impression on her fellow students.

5. jasmin fashami

"I am seeking, I am striving, I am in it with all my heart."

Meet the new ASI president— second year political science major Jasmin Fashami. This year, Fashami served as the Secretary of Student Advocacy within ASI, which means she focused mainly on student rights and student empowerment work. One of her greatest successes came from her voter registration movement, where she worked to register as many Cal Poly students as possible to vote in San Luis Obispo. Within the last year, she registered 1100 students to vote in the city. Fashami believes that it was very important to show SLO residents that students at Cal Poly care about what is going on in the community. She also went to Sacramento to represent Cal Poly and advocate against an increase in tuition fees.

When elections rolled around this year, Fashami was set on running for a Board of Directors position. But once she started articulating her goals for what she hoped to accomplish on campus, she realized that she would need a broader reach to really get them done. That is why, one week before filing, she decided to run for president. Fashami received tremendous support during her campaign and was elected to be president and the voice of our student body for the next year. She hopes to focus mainly on the students’ relationships with each other and with the community. Although she is aware that she is just one person trying to make a big change, she plans on using the summer to begin forming strong bonds with many student groups across campus.

This year, Fashami also founded Cal Poly’s chapter of Phi Alpha Delta, a professional pre-law fraternity on campus. Although it is still a small group, Fashami has enjoyed founding a community of like-minded people that have similar career goals as her on a polytechnic campus.

Before running for President, Fashami was accepted to a summer internship in Geneva, Switzerland at the UNHCR (the UN Refugee Agency), in the Middle East/ North Africa bureau. She was tasked with working on human rights issues affecting refugees in Syria and Iraq, among other countries, where she would provide legal research regarding international migration and refugee protection policies. However, her role as ASI President required her to stay in SLO for the summer. Realizing that she wanted to focus her time and efforts on the Cal Poly community and make that her first priority, she gave up the opportunity.

Fashami is very excited to be part of the great women that are taking a lead across campus and hopes to continue supporting the fact that women should be on an equal playing field with men. She moved to the U.S. with her family from the Netherlands when she was very young. Her mom, an Iranian refugee, has been Fashami’s main source of inspiration and motivation as she has shown Fashami how to be a strong woman and persevere no matter what the circumstances are. Fashami believes that her family, culture and upbringing have and will continue to help her build strong relationships with many different groups and be empathetic to all. We wish Jasmin the best of luck in her new role as ASI president next year!

6. Ashley green

"There’s always something bigger than you."

Environmental engineering sophomore Ashley Green’s motto filters into her definition of what it means to be influential.

To Green, “influential” means making an impact larger than yourself through bringing together your community and advocating for those who need it most. She believes that everyone is influential in their own way, including herself. Her impact can be seen in her position as an intern at the California Water Board and her board positions in on-campus clubs. She specifically cites her work with the Water Board as a life-changing experience. Not only is she gaining practical knowledge, but she has been able to work with actual clients, and been furthered inspired to pursue a career that will allow her to help people.

Green has been raised by a strong single mother who happens to be the most influential woman in her life. Her mother inspires her because she went back to school and got a degree in the male dominated industry of civil engineering to create a better life for herself and Green. Her mother's tendency to be “respectfully outspoken” about her beliefs has made Green aware of her own capabilities to make change.

Green is going to serve as the Secretary of National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) next year and is also heavily involved in the Society of Environmental Engineers (SENVE) on campus. NSBE especially, has inspired her to want to support students of color who may not feel as though they have a place on campus. As a leader within the black STEM community at Cal Poly, Green feels that it is her duty to provide a safe space on campus for these students, no matter how polarizing the campus climate may be.

As far as what lays ahead, Green wants her career to focus on social and environmental equality. She wants to work to make clean and reliable water for disadvantaged communities, and plans on moving to an area that fits this description so she can be as hands on as possible. Green wants to put her degree and experience to use by building systems that can support growing populations while considering the environmental consequences of these systems.

It takes passion and commitment to want to put yourself in an uncomfortable environment in order to better it, but that is exactly what Green plans to do. She has already touched people on this campus by this selflessness and the lives she touches in the future will surely benefit as well.

7. Gabriela Guillen

"Acknowledge your privileges, and figure out how you can use them to help others in the future."

Microbiology sophomore Gabriela Guillen is no stranger to hard work, with an impressive resume of service that extends back several years. In high school, she started a non-profit that offers standardized test help to elementary school-age, inner-city youth from immigrant families who may not have access to educational resources.

Not only did Guillen start efforts in high school, but she periodically follows up with Catholic charities and makes sure that these programs are still up and running, on top of taking on more at Cal Poly. Guillen has held a board position for MEXA since her freshman year, and has spearheaded projects like writing letters in solidarity with sexual assault victims and leading luncheons for custodial staff on campus. Every summer, she works with Chicano Latino Youth Leadership Project to provide resources for low-income Xicanx and Latinx students so they can apply to college. She has also participated in SLO Hacks, making a prototype app to reduce drunk driving. She has made a Variety Show to give visibility to cultural organizations on campus and, on top of all of this, she is also currently assistant editor of Sprinkle: An Undergraduate Journal of Feminist and Queer Studies. This summer, she will be healthcare research intern at Latinas Contra Cancer.

One of her favorite things that she has done thus far is her sexual advocacy work. She has been able to see the “other side” of sexual harassment and assault— strength. Through her exposure to the people she advocates for, she was able to see first hand the unbreakable spirit and resiliency of survivors, something that continues to inspire her.

She also believes that everyone has the capacity to be influential. It is her opinion, the best way to be influential is through leaving an impact through charity or kindness. Referring to her own definition, Guillen is definitely an influential woman and so is her mother. Her mother, who works as a school counselor, has been the best example of selflessness she could have. She has made home visits and worked with abused and homeless children, always doing whatever she can to help these children. Guillen remembers multiple times when her mother would give her school children Guillen’s hand-me-downs so they wouldn’t go without. This is something that has stuck with Guillen to this day.

Her future was somewhat unclear until a recent event she helped organize, the #MeToo town hall. She performed a deeply personal poem, and after her performance, she was told by multiple people how impactful her poem was. She had been interested in a career in public health, but now understands that her passion lies in connecting with people on an emotional level. She wants to find solutions to these public health crises not just with numbers, but with a nuance that includes emotions.

8. Laura gurrola

"Espero que lo que yo supere ustedes lo mejoren."

Business administration senior Laura Gurrola believes that to be influential, a person must have “the ability to voice their values and strategically make them happen without letting outside things waver [them]. They have the bigger picture in mind.” She is influential because she feels a responsibility to her community and students to make a change. Gurrola wants to use her influence to make progress on the topic of inclusiveness at universities. Evidently, it already has.

One of the best parts about the struggle that comes with advocacy is the passion and sense of community that comes from it. For Gurrola, her passion is what drives her energy and sustains her efforts. Gurrola is not new to advocacy, but most recently helped organize the protests after the fraternity blackface incident— something that probably wouldn’t have been successful without her help. A poem by Assata Shakur was read at the conclusion of the day long protest, and Gurrola was able to feel that sense of community.

Gurrola has also always found inspiration from her family. Born to Mexican immigrants who faced hardship and worked incredibly hard to afford her and her siblings opportunities, she wants to make her family proud.

Relationships with her family as well as ones she has cultivated on campus are deeply important to Gurrola. She makes sure to reach out to people who share her interests and who she wants to get to know better. This is something that Multicultural Center coordinator, and Gurrola’s influential woman, Samantha Tran has emphasized to her. Their shared faith has also allowed them to form a meaningful relationship both within an activist capacity as well as a personal one.

Gurrola wants to continue to serve students in the future. Her ultimate goal is to open a middle school for underprivileged girls that will help them to reach higher levels of education. She is not the type of person to let words remain just words— they will become actions.

9. leilani hemmings-pallay

"There’s no one way to be!"

For Hemmings-Pallay, if someone is influential, “[they] affect the lives and views of people around [them] and even those who have not been around [them] directly.” She wouldn’t automatically think of herself as “influential,” but after a little more prying she acknowledges that people do often tell her that they have been inspired to further educate themselves or try to unlearn unhealthy behavior.

This inspirational aspect of her character is deeply intertwined with the advocacy and activism work she does. Not only does she serve on the board of many organizations, including as president of Triota, she is also a student assistant in the Gender Equity Center. Her long standing commitments have helped her develop skills that allow her to respond quickly when marginalized communities are in need to organizing. Most recently she organized and moderated the emergency town hall that took place after the Lambda black face incident. This provided a space for community members to voice their concerns in a productive manner.

The most influential woman to Hemmings-Pallay is Kimberlé Crenshaw. Her work is the foundation for arguably one of the most important theories about identity— intersectionality. Crenshaw also founded Critical Race Theory and continues to be an attorney and scholar on the issue. Hemmings-Pallay got to speak with Crenshaw after a recent talk at UCSB, which meant a lot to her because she has studied Crenshaw’s work and uses her theory of intersectionality “in nearly every space [she] occupies”.

Her fight for equity will continue for the rest of her life. She plans to do this either through obtaining a PhD, community work, the direct activism she does inside and outside of the classroom, or by her social involvements.

Hemmings-Pallay has a knack for challenging people on their beliefs in a way where they must consider the other side. Her eloquent words, written or spoken, and her attention to detail in action planning helps ensure that her plans come to fruition. She has made an impact on people on this campus, and it is evident that her strong desire to make sure every person is afforded the same rights will drive impactful actions in the future.

10. denise hensley

"I do not have superior intelligence of faultless looks. I do not captivate a room or run a mile under six min. I only succeeded because I was still working after everyone else went to sleep."

Working hard 24/7 is something business administration senior Denise Hensley has experience with, especially being a Residential Advisor (RA). To Hensley, being an RA is what set her up for success. Her understanding of people and the residents is what led her to be more personal in all her other jobs and professional relationships she has had in college. She finds great value in working with lowerclassmen because they are so easily influenced upon first coming to college. “Sometimes all it takes its two words to encourage them,” she said.

When she is not working as an RA, she is fulfilling her role as the director of finance for TEDxSanLuisObispo. Initially arriving to Cal Poly, Hensley did not know what she wanted to do here. However, joining TEDx exposed her to a diverse group of people that are into interdisciplinary work. Putting on a TED talk takes a lot of time but she finds it so gratifying because she is working with others as a cohesive whole. One day, she hopes to come back to Cal Poly and give a TED talk on effective leadership and its influence.

On top of this, Hensley serves as the OCOB representative on the ASI Board of Directors. When asked how she can balance all these roles, she said that it is not easy but worth it because of all the wonderful experiences she has gained from it. “I’ve never missed a day where I’m learning and I’m sad I have to leave college because the growth in learning is going to be different in a big adult world,” she said.

One day, Hensley hopes to become the Chair of the Federal Reserve and to go back to the Philippines and educate people in rural areas about finance. Hensley and her mother immigrated here from the Philippines when Hensley was only three years old and her Mother was twenty years old. Her mom not being able to finish college but still going into finance and continuing to work in that field is what sparked Hensley’s love for it. Her mom still working towards pursuing a higher education while simultaneously chasing her dreams gives Hensley hope: “All it takes is effort, motivation, passion and a reason for doing it.”

11. aliza herzberg

“My goal is to build a life I don’t need a vacation from.”

When anthropology and geography junior Aliza Herzberg was a freshman, she immediately got involved on campus by joining Mustangs United for Israel. This club gives Cal Poly students an opportunity to learn more about Israeli culture and the conflict in the Middle East, as well as promote peace and act as a positive voice for Jewish students on campus. By her sophomore year, Herzberg was promoted to president. That year, the club won an award for Outstanding Student Leadership from an organization called CAMERA, which Herzberg accepted at a gala in New York.

Just recently, Herzberg was elected to the College of Liberal Arts Board of Directors. She ran on the platform of supporting sustainability on campus and social justice endeavors in addition to give a voice to students from the CLA. In the next year, she wants to increase transparency and assure people that things are being done about campus climate on a higher level within student government.

In addition to all her campus involvements, Herzberg has built an international portfolio full of experiences and endeavors related to her interests. Last summer she did an internship in Tel Aviv where she worked at a research institute that focused on food security and safety. In addition, while she was there, she worked to create a pilot program with an organization that was competing to create a data driven platform for farming and agriculture. This summer Herzberg will be interning in Berlin as a Humanitarian Fellow working with Middle Eastern refugees in urban refugee centers doing psycho-social support and art therapy programs for children.

From a young age, Herzberg’s mom taught her about the importance of compassion, care and having a genuine investment in the happiness of others. Herzberg continues to live by these values and has found a way to incorporate them into her passions and her career path as she strives to actively change the world in everything she does.

12. adriena le

“Lift people to their highest potential."

Business administration junior Adriena Le has been inspiring her peers for the past three years. Whether it be breaking that glass ceiling by competing in finance competitions or being re-elected to serve on the the Board of Directors as the face of the Orfalea College of Business, she is a true trailblazer.

Le always puts others before herself, and aspires to always positively impact those around her. “Any interaction you have with someone has a potential to be positive, why not always make it that way,” she said.

She recently was selected to compete in the Villanova Real Estate challenge in Philadelphia. Out of a sea of 64 people, Le was among only 10 women competing. In addition, out of 27 judges only two were women, one of which failed to attend. “Competing with all older men, it was intimidating. But in the end it motivated me more. If they build a wall, I’ll break it down.”

Although finance is a male dominated field, Le strives to pave a way so that future generations of women can aim for whatever goals they have, no matter which gender dominates the field.

Le was also re-elected to the 2017-2018 Board of Directors and now represents OCOB. In this position she works to give back to her fellow mustangs. This includes attending bi-weekly club council meetings and addressing various climate campus issues, sitting in on internal review of Student Government, and participating in the ADHOC for Diversity and Inclusion.

Overall, Le leads with humility, love and purpose. It is clear that she is achieving her goal of positively impacting those around her.

13. rosa elena lopez

“I am my own muse. I am the subject I know best. The subject I want to better.”

Frida Kahlo’s quote has always resonated with political science sophomore Rosa Lopez, who continuously tries to improve herself: “I’m not complacent in any sense of the word, I’m always looking for what can be fixed, and even within myself I know I’m not the most perfect person. I always try to identify things I can improve upon, and constantly aim to become a better person.”

As a first generation daughter of Mexican immigrants, Lopez will be the first in her family to get a college degree. Her mother, despite not getting past a sixth grade education, imparted on her the importance of education. And Lopez, through her time at Cal Poly, has definitely claimed her own.

Within a couple months of her first year at Cal Poly, Lopez was ready to transfer. She didn’t feel welcome on campus, and was regretting her decision of accepting her admission. Then on a whim, she joined MEXA, a club dedicated to promoting higher education amongst Xicanx/a/o identifying students on campus. From the community she formed at the club, she decided to take up an officer position as the Xicanx Youth Conference (XYC) coordinator as a sophomore. In that position, she and her co-coordinator planned an entire day’s worth of events that included workshops tailored toward middle and high school students in the area. She worked with different clubs and departments on campus to host 300 students and give them resume and financial aid workshops, among other things. Outside of her own position, she’s also helped to organize dia del trabajador (day of the worker), an event hosted by MEXA every year to feed over 100 custodial staff on campus.

On top of this, Lopez is also currently founding a club, Mujeres, that intends to build an inclusive community for womxn-identifying people of color on campus. She was also a WOW leader last year, and is a part of the acapella group on campus.

Lopez hopes to pursue a career in civil rights and immigration law, combining her social justice background with her passion for law and working for underrepresented communities.

14. nikki matenaer

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you do are in harmony.”

That quote, to business administration junor Nikki Matenaer, is a reminder to always be a genuine person and never anything less than who you are. It has inspired her to know her interests and pursue them, to stick to the people that share her values and follow her overall life goal of making positive change in the world around her.

Matenaer is the President of Women in Business but she definitely understands what it means to work hard and work her way up. She initially joined WIB as a freshman, the week after WOW, when she attended her first meeting and immediately fell in love with the founders’ dream for the club and the issues that they were aiming to target within the business school. She jumped to get involved and over the years she has steadily moved up in the club by running the leadership academy last year among various other roles. This year, after being elected as President, Matenaer came in with the goal to bring more people together by making sure members feel connected to each other and the executive board. She also wanted to broaden the club’s reach to outside of OCOB and make connections with other organizations on campus. Next year she will be heading up strategic initiatives for the club and acting in a more advisory-like role after she returns from studying abroad in Florence in the fall.

In addition to her role as President of Women in Business, Matenaer is a Career Peer Advisor for the College of Business. She enjoys helping students achieve success by breaking down small barriers that might get in the way by helping with resumes and interview skills.

When pursuing a job after college she will look for a platform where she can continue to create a true impact. This, she said, can be done in any job if one is willing to make the effort to do things as simple as speaking up when needed or supporting others that need to be supported.

15. Madison Meredith

“She believed she could so she did.”

Crop science junior Madison Meredith is as well-rounded of a woman as it gets, and is a poster child for grit. With a torn ACL and a broken knee from running a Spartan race, you’d think she’d be sitting at home in bed-rest. But Meredith, like her military mom, believes that no matter what life throws at you, you just have to get back up and keep going.

Meredith was influential from a young age. After seven years of competing statewide and two years internationally at science fairs, she was ranked second in the world for research her junior year in high school and was awarded California’s Science Student of the Year her senior year. She received the award not only for her research in plant biology, but also for creating Question It, an after school workshop for fifth and sixth grade students that leads them through the scientific method and encourages a passion for science. The program is now used in 30 counties throughout California.

Her main focus, in whatever stage of life she’s at, is giving back. While in high school it was through Question It, in college it’s through Cal Poly Dance Marathon. Meredith was born with a hole in her heart, and was treated at a Children’s Miracle Network hospital. So it’s only fitting that she was a co-founder for CPDM, which is a student-run movement that raises money for Cottage Children’s Medical Center in Santa Barbara. In the two years since it has started, the movement has raised over $100,000 for the hospital. Meredith has held the positions of chairman of event operations, internal director, and now external director. In those positions she has organized the entire 12 hour event, overseen hospital relations, event operations and sponsorship and finance. Next year she will be working on dancer relations and PR.

On top of all this, Meredith is also the sole student voice on the Cal Poly Foundation Board, which is the residing board on campus that oversees all the funds that come in from donors. In her role as student director, she meets with student groups to see what their needs are, how to bring up those concerns to the Dean, and then how to present the initiative to the Foundation Board. Next year, she will sit in on the investment committee to a give a student voice to ensure more sustainable investments from Cal Poly.

After getting surgery done on her knee this week, the next goal Meredith will be working toward is running a marathon. Though she doesn’t have her life figured out yet, she hopes to go into sales and marketing for food products, which aligns with her passion for health and wellbeing.

“I 100 percent believe that you just never stop,” she said. “Right when you stop, you’re moving backwards, so you just keep going. And if it’s the wildest goal you’ve ever heard of, you find a way to get to it. As long as you keep pushing forward, you’ll always be successful.”

16. laura mountain-Tuller

“If you don’t love what you do, you won’t do it with much conviction or passion."

“Everyone is influential in their own way. To be influential, you should inspire people to step outside of their comfort zone,” material engineering senior Laura Mountain-Tuller said. She lives up to this idea through the way she bridges the gap between Cal Poly students and the SLO community. She is passionate about volunteering, and loves being a leading member among the CP Student Community Services office.

She works with the CP SCS office to create and support volunteer opportunities across many areas of the community. Focusing her efforts in the Central Coast Autism Spectrum Center and Special Olympics, Mountain-Tuller works to spread awareness of the fact that “everyone is human, and everyone wants those common human interactions.” She loves being involved in these events and related programs because she can find ways to inspire others to get involved while serving the community. She believes that it’s essential to have “your whole head and your whole heart in whatever you choose to do."

About two years ago, Mountain-Tuller was talking with a past volunteer who was getting ready to graduate. The volunteer told Mountain-Tuller, “your event was life-changing. You inspired me to pursue special education and working with kids”. This interaction has left an impact on her, and she hopes to continue to inspire others to get involved. Mountain-Tuller plans on staying in the SLO community and continuing to volunteer upon graduation, and she hopes to make a difference through whatever career path she chooses to pursue. She truly is the embodiment of "learn by doing good."

17. isabella ojeda

“Everything happens for a reason.”

Meet economics junior Isabella Ojeda, Delta Sigma Pi’s first female president in four years. She is paving the way with not only passion for her organization, but love for her peers. As president, Ojeda is not afraid to take chances as she strives to push the boundaries and be innovative in any way she can. Whether it be leading an 80+ person co-ed chapter, executing a primarily female executive board or constantly meeting with faculty, it is obvious she is no stranger to impacting and inspiring her peers. “It’s so cliche, but I am surrounded by so many of my best friends [in Delta Sigma Pi], they are my family here,” Ojeda said when asked about her presidency. “When it came to being a leader it was easy because I wanted to just be there for my friends and lead an organization I am passionate about.”

She is also currently working on her senior project that analyzes price discrimination between female and male products. She gave the example of women shopping for a razor. Why is it that the pink shaver is two whole dollars more than the male razor? By tracking price discrimination across a variety of industries throughout an extended timeline, she hopes to gain insight on whether the current Women’s Rights movement could potentially benefit the female consumer.

In her nomination Ojeda was described as “someone who leads by example and is always putting others before herself.” Whether it be working on campus at Cal Poly Parent and Family Programs, her remote internship with Philosophy PR & Marketing or even starting her summer internship at Tesla, it is clear she puts 100 percent effort into everything she does, and there is no doubt her hard work pays off.

18. melinda ong

“Ohana means family, and family means noone gets left behind or forgotten.”

Throughout her time at Cal Poly, electrical engineering senior Melinda Ong has served as a Counselor for the Engineering Possibilities in College (EPIC) summer program, College of Engineering Ambassador and has also had many responsibilities for Cal Poly Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Outreach core. Her involvement and dedication to the engineering department is admirable.

As the president of the Society of Women Engineers, she has led the organization to success and accepted many awards on the group’s behalf. Through the organization, Ong has had the opportunity to interact with thousands of students across the region. She hopes that her involvement has sparked excitement about engineering as a career path among more female students. She was also recognized as a Cal Poly Champion, an award the university gives to distinguished students, and she was also recognized by the College of Engineering for her outstanding achievements and dedication to academics and leadership. As a Cal Poly Champion, Ong went on a tour of the state capital with President Armstrong.

Ong believes that in order for someone to be influential, she must reach out to as many people as possible on a personal level. She values creativity, exploration and acknowledging the successes of other strong women. By supporting these values, Ong has made her mark on the Cal Poly community.

She is excited to enter the engineering industry and continue learning. Ong has spent the last two summers interning for Intel, but she will be moving to New Jersey after graduation to work for a Department of Defense company. One day, Ong hopes to start her own company.

19. Vanaaisha Pamnani

"Just be resilient."

To history senior Vanaaisha Pamnani, the key components that make someone influential are drive and passion, the ability to change people’s perception, and leading by example.

As far as what has meant the most to her in her activism career here at Cal Poly, OWN stands out. Original Women’s Narratives has allowed Pamnani to use her own talents as a director and facilitator for impactful discourse. She has seen this event grow and improve year to year and it has reassured her that her efforts are worth it. Not only has OWN helped other women- identifying students, but has also helped Pamnani and her personal development.

Pamnani’s growth has also been encouraged by her mother, someone who she describes as influential. She immigrated from Fiji to the United States and taught people about Indian culture through her passion and performance of traditional dance. Pamnani has understood that she can do the same thing— meld her passion with educating the public about important issues.

Pamnani currently has minors in ethics, public policy, science & technology and statistics. She believes that continuing her education by obtaining a law degree will allow her to amplify marginalized voices in a different capacity. She will focus on public policy and believes that laws can benefit everyone if the right person is helping to create them.

She has left a lasting impression with her advocacy and work with OWN, and it’s even more exciting that such a compassionate and thoughtful person might one day be the one assisting in writing U.S. laws.

20. lauren quinata

"To lead others, walk behind them."

According to business administration junior Lauren Quinata, everyone is influential. “We all have relationships with others, and with that, we have the ability to create an impact on them in some way,” she said. “As I’ve made my way into positions that allow me create new relationships and interact with more and more people, I try to be a positive influence and recognize that a lot of people may not know me, but they can be affected by decisions I make and the words that I say.” In this respect alone it is easy to understand the basis of her reasoning, but there is so much more about Quinata that makes her influential.

She is the President of the United Sorority & Fraternity Council as well as a sister of Lambda Sigma Gamma Sorority, Inc. She has had the opportunity to meet with administrators as well as other organizations and clubs to voice needs or concerns as well as share the positive accomplishments of USFC members. USFC is less well known compared to Panhellenic and IFC, but Quinata makes sure these students, mostly students of color, are recognized and feel that they belong at an institution that is predominantly white.

For Quinata, she was also able to observe the influence of her great grandma. Quinata highlights that the best characteristics about her great grandma were her work ethic, dedication and loyalty. She also was a self-assured, resilient woman who new the importance of family. She would always plan family get-togethers which were "an essential part of keeping [her] family together.” Her grandma was deeply influential and someone who Quinata is inspired by every day.

After establishing a career in accounting, Quinata would love to open a bakery with her great grandma’s namesake. She also has plans to work in student affairs at a university, focusing on work with culturally based sororities and fraternities.

21. Amanda SCHAFER

“In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” -Acts 20:35

According to economics senior Amanda Schafer, her mother has a Bible verse for everything, and Amanda’s religion has been an integral part of her life. “I’m Christian, and that pulls into a lot of what I do,” she said. Her work gives back to those who need it, and she intends to continue this work all her life.

Schafer has always worked to help the disadvantaged. In eighth grade, while many of her classmates chose to write about their parents or grandparents being their heroes, she chose a woman who started a Dream House for women who had been victims of sex trafficking. This sparked a passion in her to help women in this situation, and to now dedicate her senior project to studying how wages and environment affect a woman’s susceptibility to sex trafficking.

She is seeing the intersectionality of her passions this year, as she was accepted to attend law school at the University of Southern California (USC) in the fall. As an economics major, and president of Cal Poly’s Economic Society, she is incorporating these skills with her passion to combat sex trafficking, either in politics or the courtroom. Her freshman year, she said there were no women on the Economic Society’s board, and so she said, “You need me.” She ran for the board, is now the president of this society, and is still advocating for more women in economics.

One woman Schafer looks up to is a deputy district attorney for Placer County whom she interned with one summer. She calls her a total “badass,” and is honored that she will be a guest at her wedding in the summer. “Anyone who reaches down and pulls up is incredible,” Schafer said about one of her most influential mentors.

Schafer’s future plans include getting married to her best friend in the summer, receiving a law degree from USC, and continuing to make a lasting and influential change that will positively affect the world.

22. sierra scolaro

“Nothing is worth doing unless it embarrasses you just a little bit. You have to take chances and speak up for what you want.”

Business administration junior Sierra Scolaro was the previous Event Coordinator and is the current standing President of Cal Poly Entrepreneurs club. Wickedly smart, bold, caring and not afraid to show her goofy side, Scolaro is making a huge impact here at Cal Poly.

Starting off as Event Coordinator, Scolaro worked six months planning Startup Weekend: a 54 hour hackathon on how to start a business. This event gives people a platform to launch their business ideas, present to a board why their start up should be chosen and gives the opportunity to make their model really come to life. Now as president, she is providing guidance and support to the organization that helped her find a home here at Cal Poly.

One of the main reasons Scolaro joined Cal Poly was because of an interaction she had with the CP Entrepreneurs club president at Open House. As a freshman looking to a find her home away from home, she was inspired by the organization’s willingness to lift others off the ground in starting their own business, while also building connections and support. Three years later, she now stands as the president. “I want to influence people the way others have influenced me,” Scolaro said, thinking about how that five minute interaction with the president at open house guided her to finding Cal Poly. “As president, being able to support someone on their path to success is incredibly rewarding and makes all of our hard work pay off!”

Off campus, Scolaro is a part time wedding planner for Kramer Events and a Sales Development Representative for Dozuki, a company that sells SaaS web-based documentation and training platforms. Through all of these roles, she is able to help students start a business, provide an efficient and successful program, or even help people plan the day they have been dreaming of their entire lives.

23. katie segars

“It is better to know how to learn than to know.” - Dr. Seuss

After business administration senior Katie Segars graduates in a few short weeks, there will be many things she is leaving behind in the Cal Poly community. To her, the most important legacy she will leave is her crucial role and involvement in reinventing the school’s supplemental workshop program within Student Academic Services. As a freshman she was recruited to be a Statistics tutor and she has stayed with the program ever since. In her junior year, she had the opportunity to step up and essentially turn the current framework of the program on its head in order to make them more interactive for students. By designing it in this new interactive way, she helped create a more safe, open and approachable space for students to come and learn among and with their peers. This redesign has increased attendance and student satisfaction with this on-campus resource.

Additionally, Segars has worked as a data analyst for Ulzi, a safety app made to prevent sexual assault, during her time at Cal Poly. Using her statistics expertise, she has helped them create a competitive pricing strategy for the app within the marketplace.

She has also run Club Track and Field, been a WOW leader, and stayed consistently involved in her sorority. Above all, she has never failed to prioritize her role as a strong mentor for all of the people in the community whose lives she has touched. She believes that teaching others has been such a special way to make an impact on people’s lives and be influential in small ways by acting as a role model and a support system.

Segars will be attending the University of Southern California in the fall to earn her Master’s in data analytics before moving to San Francisco to work as an auditor in the Deloitte San Francisco office. Segars’ goal is to one day be a CFO and then ultimately move back into the realm of teaching as a professor.

24. caroline skae

“Use what you’re passionate about to fuel you.”

Biomedical engineering junior Caroline Skae lives by this motto each day as she follows her passions to help those around her. As she studies biomedical engineering and is involved with Cal Poly’s Quality of Life Plus (QL+), she simultaneously works at Safer, and with administration and Associated Students Inc. (ASI) to influence a change in the Title IX process. Her passions vary greatly, but they all have one thing in common: They all serve to help those around her.

Skae’s biggest goal she hopes to achieve, however, is changing the climate of Cal Poly’s campus. She is a constant supporter and advocate for survivors of sexual assault. She works to bring more resources to Safer, increase counseling programs and increase transparency in the Title IX process. She says that she is proud just knowing that she is trying to help others.

“I think everyone is influential in their own way,” Skae said. The most influential women in her life are Kara Samaniego, the Director of Safer, and Skae’s friend, Maura Gately. These women have worked hard at Safer to improve the lives of survivors of sexual assault, and she said she would not be where she is with her advocacy work today without them.

Skae hopes to start an all-female company after she graduates. In the meantime, she continues to follow her passions of working with QL+ on prosthetics and her work with Safer as she works to change campus culture.

25. amanda stahler

“There is not limit to what we, as women, can accomplish.”

To architecture senior Amanda Stahler, this quote reminds her that as a society, we should always be striving for gender equality. In an effort to close the gender gap, Stahler started working with the non-profit humanitarian organization Journeyman International (JI). Coming to Cal Poly, Stahler did not know what to do but knew that she wanted to use her architecture background to help others. Through JI, Stahler dedicated the summer following freshmen year to designing a school in Kenya. This year, Stahler has created her own project through JI as her senior thesis.

For her thesis, she designed a Women’s Opportunity Center and Cooperative in eastern Rwanda. She works closely with a group of ten women who has started their own sewing cooperative in the Rubona and Ntunga Village. Because some of the the women have to walk over an hour every day to come to work and face domestic issues at home, Stahler is working towards providing a temporary living and sleeping space in the facility as well.

This project has opened up Stahler’s eyes. On her trip to Rwanda, she was able to meet the women she was helping. “The most humbling and wonderful part was being able to meet the women for whom the project was for,” she said. “I was able to sit down and discuss design ideas with them while also learning about their lives and what they want.”

One day, Stahler hopes to become not only a licensed architect but a humanitarian architect so she can continue to create designs for those in need. “I would love to start my own firm or run a section of a firm that had an emphasis on affordable housing, working in undeveloped areas, and charitable architectural solutions.”

26 I. rutu samai

“Life is 10 percent of what you do and 90 percent of how you react to it.”

Computer science sophomore Rutu Samai empowers people to make the world a better place through her love for coding. She focuses on user experience, product management and human-centered design.

These passions led her to become the Lead Director of Camp Polyhacks, Cal Poly’s oldest hackathon. This organization brings together designers, developers and entrepreneurs to build real companies and solve local communities’ toughest problems, like fire safety, clean energy and drunk driving, among other things.

Her dedication to empowering women stems from her involvement in Girls Who Code, a global initiative and summer program that helps over 90,000 young women break through the glass ceiling in the traditionally male-dominated tech industry. As an alumni speaker for Girls Who Code, Samai gives talks to hundreds of high school students. “It’s all about empathy," Samai said. “The best way we can lead others is to truly care and give them the tools to overcome obstacles.”

This year, Samai is founding the Cal Poly chapter of Interaction Design Association (IxDA). IxDA unites over 100,000 people across the globe to research and develop best practices and trends in User Interface and User Experience. Samai is excited to introduce Cal Poly students to this upcoming field in technology. Last year, Samai was one of four directors for SLO Hacks and had taken on the responsibility of Director of Technology. She helped create branding for the organization, and it was was the first time she managed several different people, but she found herself thriving in the environment.

Last summer, Samai worked at a Y Combinator startup called Lockitron, which exposed her to the startup field. This summer, she will be interning at Microsoft and is looking forward to seeing herself grow in a more dynamic and larger, pioneering environment. In the future, she plans to start an initiative for women’s education equality in developing countries.

26 II. selynna sun

Computer science sophomore Selynna Sun had an unusual year compared to most Cal Poly students. This year, she co-founded SLO Hacks, Cal Poly’s largest hackathon that brings in college students from all over California. She now runs three hackathons a year with over 200 attendees each.

Much of Sun's experience from hackathons comes from her being a major league hacking coach. Sun has domestically and internationally traveled to these major hacking events where she works hands on with a community of over 160,000 hackers. So far this year, she has already been to ten.

Her upcoming travel? To represent Cal Poly at the worldwide competition Microsoft hosts in Seattle. Sun earned her spot at World’s by coming in sixth at the Imagine Cup U.S. Finals last weekend where over 4,000 students competed. She and her partner developed a HoloLens app that helps dyslexic students read better.

Sun’s drive comes from looking up to empowering women in tech, such as Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook. “It’s hard as a woman in tech having people say, ‘Oh you’re doing this just because you’re a girl right?,’” Sun said. “Seeing women like Sheryl Sandberg in high positions in tech serves as a great role model for younger women.”

Sun hopes to eventually launch a startup and continue leading hackathon organizations.

27. KASSIDY TRAN & michelle wong

“Get comfortable being uncomfortable.”

Kassidy Tran and Michelle Wong are the first ever Pink Campus Representatives for Cal Poly SLO. After being recruited by PINK corporate and attending brand certification in July, the two have launched the program Fall quarter and it has been growing exponentially ever since. The purpose of the program is to grow Victoria Secret PINK’s brand across various platforms. They do this by executing experiential marketing events and interactive social media campaigns. After hosting eight large-scale and highly successful events, such as Yoga Night, Spring Break Frenzy and In Store Panty Parties, Wong and Tran were acknowledged as one of PINK’s Top 10 Campus Rep Schools from over 100 different schools.

Individually, each woman is extremely hard-working, dedicated and passionate. Wong tackles a male dominated field as an Industrial Engineer major. “Balance is extremely important in my life and I strive to always follow the montra work hard, play hard.” she states. In addition, Wong recently finished her term as the VP of Business Development for the professional business fraternity, Alpha Kappa Psi. She successfully designed and marketed SLO-themed hats and ultimately raised over $1800 for the fraternity.

Tran is no different. With a passion for people she is constantly connecting with those around her. She is heavily involved in the College of Business and Cal Poly’s campus as a whole, as she served as the American Marketing Association’s VP of membership and works as the lead marketing mentor for the intro to marketing course while also working as a Recruitment Assistant for ASI.

Both have an ability to do anything they put their mind to and with their unparalleled work ethic, it is not surprise that these two make a large impact on whoever’s lives they touch.

Used with permission of Kassidy Tran and Michelle Wong

28. aditi vepa

“Whatever you are, be a good one."

This quote hangs on the wall of business administration senior Aditi Vepa’s room, reminding her of all the goals she strives to accomplish some day. “One day I’d like to work in India and I think it’d be cool to work for a NGO to help develop women’s rights and feminism there,” Vepa said.

Helping people is one of Vepa’s passions. She currently works with the department of social services to combat homelessness in San Luis Obispo. She became involved when she went to a careers and social justice panel as a second year and did not leave until the head of the department offered her an internship.

Since then, Vepa has worked on a database that looks at cases and sorts them into the most dire needs. She helps to provide homes, healthcare, veterinarian health and haircuts to numerous homeless people around SLO. Using her degree in a way to help people is what makes this job so rewarding to her.

To Vepa, her Mom has been the most influential woman in her life. “She’s had a lot of struggle and she was able to overcome them and be selfless.” Seeing her Mom overcome her adversities has inspired her to continue to be hardworking so she, too, can own the title of an “influential woman.” For now, Vepa modestly says that she doesn't consider herself to be influential because she is just doing her part for the community.

“I’ve gotten really cool opportunities to do things and I’m grateful for them, but I feel like there’s so many people doing big things that we all need to play our part,” she said.

29. Haley Wintsch

“Hunger is not an issue of charity. It is an issue of justice.”

When asked how the nomination made her feel, nutrition sophomore Haley Wintsch thought, “Did someone contact the wrong Haley?”. Despite this, her nomination was well deserved. Wintsch is humble, determined, and compassionate. These strengths have helped her set and reach many goals throughout her first two years at Cal Poly. Wintsch is the Secretary of Health and Wellbeing for ASI, and this position allowed her to get involved in numerous campaigns such as Buck the Stigma and It’s On Us. Wintsch believes that just as long as one person is positively affected by her work, all the time and effort she puts into the project will be worth it. Although both of these events were challenging to plan and work on, Wintsch's dedication and attitude made a positive impact on campus. Her involvements across the campus community has made her an influential figure at Cal Poly, and her work has touched countless students.

Next year, Wintsch will be working with Pulse and CalFresh with a focus on developing Cal Poly’s food insecurity programs. Tackling food insecurity in higher education is one of her greatest passions.

Wintsch's drive and compassion comes from the most influential woman in her life: her mother. Her mother was a single mom who went from barely being able to provide for her family to working her way up to a full-time management position in the same company. She was the first in her family to get a college degree, and the way that she pushed herself to support her family and get an education inspires Wintsch to stay involved and serve others as much as she can.

3o. tiffany yeung

“Build your own dreams or someone will hire you to build theirs.”

While seventh grade for many consisted of lunchtime gossip and sleepovers, young entrepreneur Tiffany Yeung was busy starting her first of many businesses to come— a custom t-shirt company. Although that company did not pan out, a few years later and she was back on her feet with her next start-up, a corsage and boutonniere business. To this day, that company continues to operate from the Bay Area, and Yeung oversees the company from afar while some trusted employees ship corsages and boutonnieres to high school prom-goers around the country.

And if that isn’t enough, Yeung’s latest and greatest endeavor since being at Cal Poly is an online retail store for women’s lifestyle products and clothing. To make this platform unique, she has built the company to support philanthropic efforts led by other organizations. Approximately every two weeks, Yeung’s company partners with a new organization and designates a certain percentage of sales that will go towards their charitable efforts. On May 28th, Yeung will be competing as a finalist in Cal Poly’s Innovation Quest to win funding for the retail company.

Although Yeung isn’t sure what idea will come to her next, she is excited to continue pursuing entrepreneurship and building businesses for the rest of her life. This lifestyle can be a lot of work and very taxing, but she believes that it is always worth it when she is able to share her ideas with the world and receive feedback from customers.

“I’ve always just wanted to be a creator. I want to create solutions and opportunities and really just touch the lives of the people around me,” Yeung said.

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