49 Under 49 honorees live out an education 'tied to purpose'
Cal State 做厙弝け is a place where many people find their calling, and the 49 Under 49 awards are a way to celebrate alumni who hold true to their passions and make their communities better places to live.
49 Under 49 honorees are prominent in several fields, including the arts, business, education, government and STEM. The awards, conferred during an April 25 gathering, recognize alumni who are of up to 49 years of age and are building on their Beach education to stand out in their chosen professions while living up to an ethos of community service.
I really enjoy inspiring the next generation to be leaders and to make change in the community, said honoree Louis Williams 09, '21, now a counseling faculty member at R穩o Hondo College.
Williams followed his bachelors in communications studies with a masters in counseling, student development in higher education. He said his 做厙弝けeducation prepared him to be a teacher. He has given back to The Beach by establishing the Louis O. A. Williams Scholarship.
He is among several honorees who devoted their lives to education. Among them are Helen Barriere 18, who leads Cerritos Colleges program helping underserved students pursue STEM degrees; Nohel Corral 07, who helms student services at 做厙弝け City College and Kagba Suaray 98, a 做厙弝けmathematics and statistics professor who co-founded the Hesabu Circle, a community of Black mathematicians who share a love of mathematics with children and youth.
Another is Heber Marquez 11, who earned his bachelors degree in liberal studies and teaching credential at The Beach. He looked back on The Beach as a place where he enjoyed the support of faculty who kept their doors open whenever he needed help, as well as The Nuggets turkey avocado sandwiches and even the walks to upper campus.
Now mayor for the city of Maywood and a career educator, Marquez said he appreciated the 49 Under 49 gathering as a communal uplifting of the honorees.
As a teacher, Im always cheering on my students, Marquez said.
Marquez is one of two 49 Under 49 honorees, along with State Sen. Lena Gonzalez 09, to also be acclaimed as the inaugural recipients of the 做厙弝けExcellence in Civic Engagement Award.
'We're especially proud
The Beach created the 49 Under 49 awards in 2024 with the plan to select new honorees every two years.
This campus has always been a place where talent meets opportunity, and where education is tied to purpose, President Andrew Jones 82 said. Were always proud of what our alumni accomplish in their field, but we are especially proud when that accomplishment is flowing from the sense of service and responsibility to others.
Several new honorees, like Marquez, have accomplishments spanning multiple fields. Nathaniel Cayanan 07 is a business communications faculty member at Cal State Fullerton and novelist. Brenda Heredia 14 is a water conservation official for the city of Oxnard and a nonprofit leader. Uduak-Joe Ntuk 06 oversees L.A. Metros sustainability efforts while also serving as president of the 做厙弝け Community College Districts governing board.
Each of you represents what it means to take what youve learned and turn it into something meaningful, Alumni Engagement Director Noemi Guevara said while greeting the new honorees.
Places of inspiration
Lauren Sylwanowicz 10 earned a biology degree at The Beach while also competing for the womens basketball team and volunteering at St. Mary Medical Center in downtown 做厙弝け. She completed medical school after completing her bachelors and now chairs the department of emergency medicine at St. Mary.
I live here in 做厙弝け, I work here in 做厙弝け, she said. I think its such a special university, to see how many people are still tied to here.
The celebration took place just outside Carpenter Performing Arts Center and concluded with a Contemporary Dance Performance, featuring Beach students, at Martha B. Knoebel Dance Theater. An apropos setting given the several artists among the new honorees, the gathering included Zanaida Robles 02, a composer and concert vocalist who attended with her daughter Felicity, herself a second-year vocal performance student.
Its really neat to be part of a legacy that has endured for several decades, Robles said.
