Kremen School of Education and Human Development Commencement Ceremony

Graduate Dean's Medalist:

Luis Favián Ramírez Arizaga
M.A. in higher education administration and leadership

Luis Favián Ramírez Arizaga, of La Cañada de Ramírez, Mexico, earned his M.A. in higher education administration and leadership with a 4.0 GPA. Arizaga spent his formative years in Mexico, raised primarily by his mother while his father worked on farms throughout the Central Valley. Arizaga migrated to California as a teenager and attended Tranquillity High School. Through the AVID and Upward Bound programs, he enrolled in San Francisco State University in 2007. That same year, his father passed away while working in the field. Through grief and a life transition, Arizaga found his life’s passion: supporting students confronting similar challenges.

Arizaga earned a B.A. in Latina and Latino studies and a B.A. in women and gender studies from San Francisco State University and completed an M.A. from the sustainability and business transformation certificate program at IE University in Madrid, Spain. He currently works as an assistant director for the GEAR UP program at Wonderful College Prep Academy in Delano and Sanger, as a senior college and career readiness lead for the United We Lead Foundation in Fresno. Arizaga plans to continue his educational journey through the Fresno State Ed.D. program.

Undergraduate Dean’s Medalist:

Emily Gonzalez
B.A. in liberal studies

Emily Gonzalez, of Dinuba, earned her B.A. in liberal studies with a 4.0 GPA and will also receive her Multiple Subject/TK Teaching Credential through the Fresno Teacher Residency Program. Graduating from Dinuba High School, Gonzalez came to Fresno State as a Smittcamp Family Honors College scholar. 

After losing her father to cancer during her first year at Fresno State, Gonzalez volunteered as an outreach coordinator and summer camp counselor with Camp Kesem at Fresno State, connecting with and mentoring over 40 children impacted by a parent’s cancer. At Kesem, she established partnerships with over 25 local organizations and school districts, widening local children’s access to Camp Kesem. During her time at Fresno State, she also volunteered with Jumpstart, the Boys & Girls Club, the Fresno State Health and Counseling Center, Active Minds Club and several other campus and community organizations. Gonzalez gained professional experience as a teacher resident at Lincoln Elementary School, a student assistant in the Counselor Education Department and a STEAM summer instructor for GrowthPoint Technologies. Gonzalez plans to become an elementary school teacher with the Fresno Unified School District, while furthering her education with a master’s degree.