MALAS GRADUATE STUDENT BIOGRAPHIES
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| Active MALAS
Graduate Student Biographies |
CHRIS
ALVARADO
 My name is Chris Alvarado. I am part of the Kumeyaay Nation that resides in San Diego, California. The village I am from is called San Pasqual or Amulkulkul in our language Ipai Aa, “Language of the People." The name of our clan is called Waipuk, which means “kingsnake” in our language. Our village was located originally in the San Pasqual Valley. The parking lot of the San Diego Zoo Safari is exactly where my great great grandfather’s village was located. Within the last 100 years, our stories, songs, traditions, and language have been documented by many scholars but for generations our own people have passed this knowledge down traditionally through oral traditions. I am a product of their knowledge. I am also business man. I graduated from University of Phoenix with Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. During my business career, I have been involved at the Executive level for 18 years. This involved the financial and gaming regulations of casinos. My experience involved implementing Marketing Analysis, Table Games Analysis, Slot Analysis, Direct Mail Analysis, Player Tracking Software, and most of all, casino design and slot layout. I have overseen a $2 Billion dollar revenue department that comprises 95% of the company’s revenue. In my recent adventures, I have been part of the operations team for the past 5 years overseeing Transportation, Security, Risk Management, Compliance for the State, Luxury Line Buses, our Players Club Card Program, and Valet. My first year of MALAS started in Fall of 2017 and I was able to test the program out for 2 semesters. I fell in love with MALAS because it is going to allow me to broaden my view on how we take our Kumeyaay Nation forward using education that is infused with our culture, language, and our stories. LEENA ALI  Hala hala! My name is Leena Ali. This
Fall 2018 marks the beginning of my MALAS journey! I
am new to San Diego, after making a coast-to-coast
road trip from Savannah, Georgia. I received my B.A.
in gender studies with a minor in sociology from the
previously known Armstrong State University (now
Georgia Southern University) in Savannah. Thus far, I have lived in Savannah and Ramallah, Palestine. These two places and the people I have met have done so much in teaching me and building my understanding of life. I am excited to take in all that San Diego will give me--when not researching or going to classes, I enjoy nature, music and keeping up with local and global grassroots activism. When searching for a grad school to study cultural studies, I magically and thankfully found MALAS! Some of my areas of study are feminist theory, transnational feminism, post-colonial theory, decolonizing studies, queer theory and sexuality studies. I am also interested in researching/communicating issues and injustices of poverty and violence within the Global South and the Global North. I focus on Palestine, Israel, the USA, as well as similar nation-states. I am thrilled to be with MALAS for this continuation of researching, learning and engaging! JWESLEY BASSARD  I
started as a Gelfling at Azusa Pacific. Then I found
what I thought was my stride with Integrated
Marketing and Communications at WVU. I never had the opportunity to think about rainbows, butterflies, and unicorns until I found the MALAS program. 
Now I know that snozzberries
taste like snozzberries. Let’s get ready to poke them with the pointy end because winter is always coming. P.S. This is my pup Darsha Happenstance the doberman.  STEFFI
BEIGHSteffi Beigh here, named after Steffi Graf, so yes, it is Steffi not Stephanie. No, I cannot play like Steffi Graf. Mom had ambitions for me to be a tennis player, but here I am, new to San Diego, a recent dog momma to a Rottidoo (rottweiler + poodle mix) and now embarking on my second MA in the funkiest program I could find (took me almost two years to find MALAS - so worth it!).  Professionally,
I am an Innovation Consultant for F500 corporations.
My work and purpose in innovating and creating
positive, conscious, Earth-aligned change within
corporations has proven impossible due to the
patriarchal paradigm and undervalue of
caring/overvalue of money. I realized
corporations fundamentally could not create/expand to
a higher consciousness and truly innovate because they
have suppressed the feminine energy** (i.e. swirly,
unrestrained, expansive, creative. -- **Feminine
and Masculine Energy ≠ Gender SpecificBecause of this - I am setting out on my MALAS degree to arm me with knowledge and articulation, so that I can re-enter the corporate-world to help lead the system through transformational change – where reconciliation of the feminine and masculine energy is possible. My hypothesis: Corporations, and, further – our entire system – only know how to operate and embrace masculine energy (i.e. analytical, direct, structured). Reconciliation with the feminine energy is required in order to innovate, expand, and thrive in harmony with Nature. The questions I seek to answer:
And
now, I’m off to drink a ButterBeer –
Like many people in my country, I have always been an extrovert, which explains my passion for traveling, dancing, and moving to new places which I believe is a gift as it has allowed me to travel around the world, learn 4 different languages, and gain knowledge of other cultures.  Sports have always been part of
my life, starting as rhythmic gymnast at the age of 4,
moving on to boxing during my teenage years, and
trying out and being part of the SDSU Women’s Rowing
team. I've joined the MALAS program, because it allows students to focus on their own interests and gives opportunities to be creative and unique. While I was doing my B.A., I discovered MALAS and even though I had offers from another university, my final decision was to be part of this program and continue with Sociology, Psychology, and journalism and media studies--at this point, my main focus will be on Sociology and Psychology due to my desire to be able to help other individuals in the future whether it would be working with at-risk youths or working with athletes as a sports psychologist.
 I have also been a dancer my entire life, rooted in jazz and tap, and have had the privilege of working professionally to perform a wide range of international styles. These include Latin (Folklorico, Samba, etc.) and Asian (Bollywood, Tinikling, etc.) dance forms. One of my biggest passions is the fantasy genre, whether it be in video games, artwork, movies/television, reading, or creative writing. Though I haven’t yet discovered a career or what direction my life will take, I hope to implement some of my interests in unique ways under the guidance of the MALAS program.
 His work has appeared in various online and print publications including GRAMMYs, FLAUNT, L.A. Taco, KCET, LA Weekly, Coachella CAMP magazine, Remezcla, Gamecrate, Panamerika, MTV Iggy, and others. His research at SDSU focuses on the ethnography of association football (soccer) fandoms/fans through the complex and interrelated relationship between the sport, art, culture, history, and politics as a means of creating and influencing such fandoms. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications from California State University San Bernardino (2004). He also writes (ir)regularly at his blog. GABE GARCIA   A San Diego native, Gabe is very excited to enter the MALAS program at San Diego State University. He is most interested in pursuing further study in the areas of literature and theatre, with a specific focus on the works of William Shakespeare. Gabe has spent nearly his entire adult life working for theatres in various capacities, most recently spending six years with the nonprofit Cygnet Theatre Company as development associate and grant writer.  Believing in the power of nonprofit
organizations to transform lives, Gabe has also
volunteered his time with various community service
organizations. Some issues near to Gabe’s heart
include Black Lives Matter, Democratic Socialism,
ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment, MeToo,
welcoming all immigrants, healthcare for all, free
college education, gun control, criminal justice
reform, and environmental protection, to name a few.
His other interests include reading, video games,
politics, baseball, craft beer, science fiction,
theatre, vegetarianism, hiking, and writing. Gabe graduated cum laude from the University of Washington with a B.A. in Arts, Media and Culture and a minor in Nonprofit Management. A proud queer, Gabe married his partner in June of 2018. They live with their cat in a sustainable, one car household in Lemon Grove.  DECLAN HALLORAN“I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.” Mark
Twain
Hello, my name is Declan Halloran. I am fortunate enough to call San Diego my hometown. I attended SDSU as an undergrad, and graduated in 2016 with a BA in Sociology. The highlight of my undergrad career would have to be my Cuba study abroad trip at the end of my last semester--it was a true test, and perfect platform to apply all the theories that I had studied, into real life. 
I
have been playing drums since I was a wee
lad, and have kept it up for the past 15
years of my life. Since I graduated from
school, I have been playing drums for
numerous projects around town. Music
is my true passion. I
also have a job as a rigger for numerous
venues and companies around San Diego, and
have had the pleasure of helping put on some
amazing concerts. Prof. Choi of the Sociology department at SDSU, highly recommended the MALAS program, and I can not wait to get started with new experiences, expand my mind, and meet some amazing people. Besides music, my passion is learning. I have an epistemological curiosity that leaves me with a thirst for knowledge. I’m really looking forward to making education and higher learning apart of my life again. DWAYNE HILL  Remarkably, it was 10-years before yours truly, Dwayne Hill, a non-traditional transfer alum graduated from City College with triple associate degrees in Alcohol and Drug Substances, Black Studies, and Sociology. Invested in modeling the transfer process, I endeavored to show young African American students how to navigate the higher education industrial complex that comprises the San Diego Community College District to matriculate into the university setting. I'm a mentor, recruiter, and advocate, and my undergraduate research revealed that only 30% of first-year African American students persist to graduation, which ignited my mission to assist students through the trauma incurred from racial battle fatigue.  I graduated
from SDSU with my bachelor’s degree in Sociology,
Spring 2019. I'm a regular presence at SDCCD board
meetings and a staunch Black Men and Women United
supporter; I work tirelessly to ensure successful
outcomes for young Black students and youths. I am
also a well-known community member and regular
contributor to San Diego’s Voice & Viewpoint
newspaper. I begin my graduate career at SDSU's
M.A.L.A.S. in interdisciplinary cultural studies
program in Fall 2020 and hopes to continue my journey
afterward to pursue a PhD and a career in
Education.  KATHERINE
ISOLAHi everyone! My name is Katherine Isola and I will be experiencing my first year of Graduate School this upcoming Fall with MALAS (2020). I completed my BA in anthropology here at SDSU and I find myself being pulled toward a career in the subfield of archaeology. As an undergraduate I was lucky enough to attend an archaeology field school offered through SDSU, which allowed me to excavate a historically relevant site. It gave me the opportunity to conduct research on artifacts, work with other involved students, and become a published co-author on a technical report. In addition, it allowed me to work on a conference paper under the supervision of Dr. Seth Mallios, which I would have presented at the 2020 Society for California Archaeology meetings had the Covid-19 pandemic not have reared its head. This field school confirmed my drive to pursue a career in archaeology, and I have faith that the MALAS program will provide me with the tools to harness my passions beyond archaeology.  I find archaeology very malleable--unique to each individual who studies it, and I want to challenge what I am capable of studying during my time as a Master’s student. Having always had a fascination with music (especially vinyl LPs), I look forward to bringing archaeology, public history, and music together in my researches. I understand that our campus has a vast music history from the bands that have performed on campus to the vinyls accumulated from use at our on-campus radio station. I am excited to start exploring our very impressive music collection (the art on the covers, the popular songs selected, and the favored bands), cataloging them, and researching their impact on students and student life over the years. But who knows! I’m a great admirer of comedy, movies, fiction literature, the environment, and I’m ready to avail myself of the many graduate classes offered here. I am so looking forward to the journey ahead of me, and can’t wait to take every opportunity the MALAS program has to offer. JULIE KITTERMAN  Hmmm… The
story of MALAS and Me. Though it has barely
begun, it appears to have the potential of a perfect
match. I was sure that I wanted to go to grad
school, but there was a bit of an unresolved
issue--how can I mesh my inspirations, experience, and
former studies together so that they coalesce into a
credentialed, progressive and
cutting-edge degree? This task seemed certain to
be a huge challenge, until I stumbled upon the
glorious MALAS website and …behold!  I
now feel confident that I have an excellent
opportunity to combine my Fine Arts degree, my
Chicano/a Studies degree, and my twenty years
experience in Sustainability and Conservation and take
things to the next level. I look forward to the
plethora of seminars to choose from and hope to come
out of MALAS as an expert, an artist, a scholar….and a
trailblazer of some sort...RACHEL NORTON  Hello all! My name is Rae Norton, and Fall 2019 will be the start of my MALAS journey. For as long as I can remember, I’ve had too many interests to count. My curiosity has always been one of the biggest parts of who I am, which may be responsible for my constant major changes while at community college. I graduated from Mount San Jacinto College, where I completed their Honors Enrichment Program and earned two AA degrees: Arts, Humanities, and Communications and Social and Behavioral Sciences. From MSJC, I transferred to the University of California, Santa Barbara, where I majored in Feminist Studies and was given the opportunity to be a member of the Feminist Studies department’s Senior  Thesis Honors program
and Feminist Studies Undergraduate Research
Community. Through these programs, I was able to conduct year-long, original research in which I explored how music is used as a way for queer people to express and build their queer identities. I graduated from UCSB in June 2019 with a BA in Feminist Studies with distinction in the major, and I am now embarking on this new chapter of my academic career with the MALAS program. I am excited to expand my knowledge through working with my peers in MALAS and being able to take classes in different disciplines! DAVID ORNELAS  Hello! My name is David Ornelas Jr. This Fall will be my first semester in the MALAS program. I graduated from SDSU in May 2017 with a BA in Rhetoric & Writing Studies. I enjoy going to the bookstore with my sister and just checking out different books. In my free time, I like to play basketball, go on long walks and listening to newly released music of all genres. After graduation I wanted to explore my future in the Rhetoric Writing Studies Master’s program at SDSU. With the recommendations from both past and present MALAS students, I couldn’t pass the opportunity up to apply to the MALAS program.  The MALAS program gives students
the opportunity to explore other areas of study versus
focusing on just one. You get to meet new people and
professors that are welcoming and opening to helping
you out with not only school work but real life
situations/problems. Talking to the Director, Dr.
William Nericcio (aka Bill) about my future in the
MALAS program has me not only excited but ready to
take on any obstacle that I face. If you ever have
questions about the program or any question in
general, don’t be afraid to email Bill. He welcomes
emails and will reply within 24hrs!DEE EDWIN REED  ¡Hola, MALAS! Es genial estar aquí! ¡Tengo la identificación! I am totally “ecstatic” to be in the MALAS graduate program. After shuffling around SDSU for years, a professor friend introduced me to the MALAS Program. MALAS is exactly what I have been looking for as a graduate: So much electricity, so much energy, so much excitement! In 1979, I graduated from SDSU with a BA degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences. I have 23 years of city government experience working in city planning. Now officially retired, I still work with CEQA as a student intern in Facilities Planning SDSU Administration. I will graduate this year with a second Bachelor’s degree as an Art Education major and Art History minor. My artistic interests are painting, ceramics and furniture. I even made my own paper out of lint from my clothes dryer!  My new interest is
Latin America: history, politics, culture, art,
language, customs, family and food. Did I mention
food? I want it all. By merging my art experience
with a working knowledge of Latin America, my goal
is to advise potential art students, from across the
border, not only in the different disciplines of
art, but in the incredible amount of art content
they bring with their heritage. My hobbies are
travel, travel and more travel, Europe (three
times), Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Hawaii.
Favorite places: Edinburgh’s Military Tattoo, the
Blue Grotto Isle of Capri, bicycling the Danube,
Beach Pub in Sidney, and Kalalua trail on Kauai. As
a grad student, I believe that we will only get out
of MALAS what we put into it, so let’s go for
it! ¡Buene
suerte MALAS estudentiantes de postrado!JILLIAN ROSA  Hi
Everyone, my name is Jillian Rosa. I am first-year
master's program student who is excited to join
the MALAS Program and the rest of you on this
intellectual journey known as graduate
school. I am an SDSU alumnist--class of
2017--with a major in Gender Studies and minor in
Sociology who graduate with honors (cum laude). I
am a first-generation college student and daughter
of immigrant parents who came to the United States
as a very young child. My parents are of
Portuguese descent and working-class who didn't
have much education -- I think my father had a
high school diploma, and mother, perhaps middle
school at best (this is what education looks like
in a second-order public education system within a
first-world nation like Portugal -- where a K-12
education is not guaranteed without personal
resources). I work full-time and love my job
because it is very flexible with a generous
employer who allows me to engage in personal
pursuits without much hindrance to educational
goals and life ambitions. I live in
the charming seaside community of Ocean Beach -- a
true oasis in a sea of conservatism known as San
Diego. This charming little town has its
unique character and eclectic flavor reflected in
diverse cultural and community membership.
Born from the turbulent sixties as a bastion of
the counterculture milieu AKA, the Haight-Ashbury
of southern California, it quickly gained
notoriety as the center of anti-war protests that
characterized this period. I have been
living in OB for my entire adult life, and have no
plans to leave anytime soon. Being a
"transgender woman," I see no reason to abandon a
town or community that has provided a safe haven
for individuals seeking a tolerant and diverse
community of likemindedness. My goals are to obtain a master's degree and continue my education (lifelong learner and academic who would like to continue along the credentialing path of higher ed. if possible) and become a professor at the community college level; I hope to obtain a position at San Diego City College: my alma mater. It has always been my personal dream to obtain the education my parents never had, and give back to the community (meaning community-college system in San Diego), which provided the primary, indispensable platform, for launching my academic career, undergirding "real" opportunities for advancement in life I would otherwise never have. To put it another way, I truly owe a debt of gratitude to higher to education that I feel must be repaid in some form. I look forward to this academic year and meeting new classmates to establish relationships and learn from one another. So, please feel free to reach to me either in-class or online as I am always inclined to meet new people and make friends wherever possible. ROBERT SANCHEZ  My name is Robert Sanchez, a newly accepted member of the MALAS family here at SDSU for 2020. I am very excited to begin this journey as I never imagined I would be in graduate school. School has never been my forte, and the trip here was longer than average. However, my time in the work field helped me become a better academic and critical thinker.  Before coming to SDSU, I spent
several years as a photographer here in San Diego,
working in product house studios, marketing for a
bicycle company, and documenting the local jazz music
scene. Photography introduced me to many elements of
culture, which lead me to study for my undergraduate
degree in anthropology at SDSU. My goal now in MALAS
is to continue utilizing my anthropological lens and
combining it with visual culture studies, ethnic
studies, and media studies. I hope to move forward
with my research interest in a Ph.D. program after
MALAS. I believe that an interdisciplinary program
like MALAS will be that engine to help further my
journey toward a doctoral degree.BRETT SEEBERGER   Hi everyone! My name is
Brett Seeburger, I’m originally from Oceanside,
CA, in north county of San Diego. I attended Vista
high school before accepting an athletic
scholarship to play baseball at San Diego State. I
played four years as a pitcher for the Aztecs,
while winning three Mountain West Championship
during my tenure here. Following my senior season
in 2017, I was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals.
I played two season with their organization before
ending my playing career due to a lingering
shoulder problem. I am now returning to Montezuma
Mesa to begin my coaching career as a Graduate
Assistant for Aztecs'
baseball. I am extremely excited to become
part of the MALAS family. The freedom that Dr.
Nericcio allows us to have when structuring our
masters is a privilege not many students can say
they have. I want to say thank you to faculty and
my fellow students, can’t wait to begin working
with each everyone of you.  MICHAEL SHAITRITHi there! My name is Michael Shaitrit and I am thrilled to begin my MALAS journey this upcoming Fall 2020 semester. I was born and raised in sunny San Diego, but ventured up north to San Francisco for my B.A. in Liberal Studies at San Francisco State University. I double-minored in Education and Special Education, adding an emphasis in Creative Arts. One of my favorite aspects of the Liberal Studies degree is the “no rules” roadmap in the program, leading me to explore topics that fed my curiosities. Throughout my undergraduate experience, I also had the amazing opportunity to be a Professor’s Assistant in a Pedagogy of the Oppressed Course.  When I’m not deep in the
books, you can find me curating delicious beverages at
Starbucks, as well as spending days off at the beach,
making art through painting and drawing, and taking
pictures. Although I don’t know what I would like to
specifically study in the MALAS program, I would like
to explore arts-based learning/therapy, psychology,
and music. I am excited to be a part of a program with
like-minded people like me who didn’t want to feel
restricted to one area of study. I appreciate the
flexibility this program has to offer and I can’t wait
to meet you all in person soon.  DANIEL
AUSTIN WARRENWhen not immersed in his work as a new first-year graduate student in the cultural studies MALAS program, Daniel Austin Warren is a performance artist whose ongoing work explores endurance, time, and memory. His previous experiences include copywriting for a division of Electronic Arts, ghostwriting for a libertarian doctor aghast with "Obamacare," and serving as an editor for Flaunt Magazine, Los Angeles's only international arts and culture publication. With MALAS, he is "circumscribing a transborder poetic in both performative and critical capacities."*  Having graduated from
SDSU in 2009 with an interdisciplinary degree
in Physics, English and Economics, Daniel has
now decided to embark on the Ph.D path, with
the ultimate goal of integrating the
neurobiology of trauma and the poetic praxis
to motivate new therapeutic possibilities: in
short, the dual (dueling?) function of memory
— a deeply implicit phenomenon that can both
exacerbate, and surmount, experienced trauma —
is a problematic that spans disciplines and
crosses class consciousnesses. Everything
Daniel does, if examined carefully, traces
back to this difficult, essential mystery. In this spirit, Daniel is currently memorizing a selection of 141 Emily Dickinson poems, surveying death; Shakespeare’s 156 love sonnets, implying creation and queerness; as well as Pablo Neruda’s love poems, in English and Spanish. With devotion to the philosophical contributions of Simone Weil, Daniel’s culminating performance will serve as a sublime ideological critique of Western consciousness’ latest shift — begging the question: has ideology shifted from the external control of eye, to the internal control of memory? *Graduate Student speak for "he will both 'read' and 'enact' performances/presentations concerned with the writings of Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson, Pablo Neruda, and more, whilst becoming bilingual."
|
| Our Amazing MALAS Alumni |
| RECENT
GRADUATES |
JOHN McEVOY  I
am a lawyer who retired from practice in December
2014. MALAS works for me as a retired professional
seeking the challenges of a graduate program at a
major university. For some years, I was an
American Bar Association liaison in Eastern
Europe. I set up an office in Bratislava not long
after Czechoslovakia overthrew its Communist
government (the Velvet Revolution) and, soon
thereafter, broke up into two nations, the Czech
Republic and Slovakia (the Velvet Divorce).
I worked with the Slovak government as it replaced
its Communist legal system with a western system,
and prepared itself for entry into the European
Union.The experience helped to develop a deep
interest in the way that a legal system can
advance (or impede) the progress that a society
makes towards achieving its goals. Now that I am
free of the need to practice law on a daily basis,
I want to continue to study in the general area of
law and society. It would be difficult to fit my
proposed area of study into a single discipline
(philosophy, history, political science,
etc.?) So, when I learned of the MALAS
program, I felt that it was designed to give me
freedom to experiment. The MALAS graduate emphases
in Social Justice, American Studies and
Intellectual History provide a perfect framework
for the graduate curriculum that I want to pursue.JACOB JIMENEZ  Howdy everyone! My name is Jacob Jimenez and Fall 2019 will mark be the beginning of my MALAS journey. I was born and raised in Round Rock, Texas, and attended Pflugerville High School. My high school was also made famous by a popular television show named Friday Night Lights!  Following high
school, I was offered a full football scholarship at
Brigham Young University (BYU) where I graduated
with a BA in History. In addition to graduating, I
managed to finish before exhausting my football
eligibility--in this way, I was able to transfer
schools to extend my education as well as finish my
athletic eligibility. With that, I am pleased to
announce that I will be finishing my football career
here as a San Diego State Aztec this 2019-2020
football season! When I am not immersed in my studies, or locked in on the gridiron, I enjoy giving back to area neighborhoods through community service projects. If I am not doing either of those things, then you will most likely find me trying to learn songs on my guitar. I have too many interests to list, but that is what made the MALAS program so appealing to me. I am thankful for the opportunity to create a schedule that will let me explore my passions in depth. I cannot wait to start working with you guys! DANIEL DAWSON  Hi There! My name is Daniel and I am a first-year MALAS student. Having received my Bachelor’s Degree in Art History from Humboldt State University in 2001 and a Masters of Divinity from United Theological Seminary in 2005, I have spent the past 15 years or so in a religious profession, and have had the pleasure of spending six years living in and exploring various parts of Japan. I’ve entered the MALAS program to fully give myself over to my intellectual curiosity about the intersections of spirituality/religion and music festivals, environmental ethics, and justice-driven, ethics-based social movements. In my spare time I enjoy running, hiking, spending time on the water in my kayak, and listening to live music. JENNIFER DAWSON  Hello! Fall of 2017 marks my first semester in the MALAS program. I graduated from Humboldt State in 1999 with a BA in English (emphasis in teacher prep) and through an odd twist of fate, spent the last 18 years as a professional bellydancer instead.  After living and teaching dance
in Japan for the last six years, I’ve decided to hang
up my spangles in favor of more academic pursuits.
I’ve come to the MALAS program with a burning
curiosity about how hate groups construct ethnicity
identity, using dance as a mode of storytelling, as
well as an interest in religion (specifically Judaism)
and am currently being seduced by Japanese ceramics.
I’m also interested in Freirean critical pedagogy and
LGBTQIA issues. I still dance on occasion and can
sometimes be spotted in the wild spinning poi, playing
with fire, roller skating (I’m a recovering derby
girl), paddle boarding, or cruising through campus
splattered with mud from sitting at the pottery wheel.KATELYN MAY   Ahoy! My name is Katie May, a first
semester MALAS student, Fall 2018. Born and raised
in San Diego, I completed my BA in English at SDSU
in 2017. In my year off, I worked as an English
tutor for K-12 students, in which time I came to
realize working with kids wasn’t for me. I’m still
open to the possibility of becoming a professor, and
I believe MALAS is a fantastic stepping stone to a
PhD program. Still, truth be told, I don’t know what
sort of career I’ll end up in. That’s actually the
biggest reason I chose MALAS over SDSU’s English MA
program: I wanted the flexibility to conduct
research in multiple fields. At the moment, I plan
to focus my research around some key questions: what
can be classified as literature? and how do we read
different literature as it bounces between various
media? I’d like to focus specifically on the way
women are portrayed/read in film, possibly comparing
print sources to their film adaptations.  Now that
we’ve gotten the scholarly side out of the way, a
little bit more about me outside of the classroom!
I’m an artist at heart. I’ve been playing saxophone
for 13 years, including 4 years as a Marching Aztec
at SDSU and 3 years in our Pep Band. I also had the
amazing opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall in
New York during my senior year of high school. I’ve
also been in various choir programs since I was 9.
I’ve always had a passion for writing, and hope to
show my unfinished screenplay some love someday
soon. This past summer I’ve spent a decent amount of
time sailing out at sea, learning the ropes (pun
intended) and competing in races. When not on the
water, you can catch me jetting off to cities across
the country on weekend trips; recently I’ve made it
to Palm Springs, Pittsburgh, Seattle, Denver, and
Chicago. But the wanderlust bug I caught years ago
is consistently pointing me back to Europe. In 2016,
I spent a summer studying in London with a fantastic
group of people (a few of which I’m lucky enough to
now call good friends) and one pretty cool Professor
(who may or may not be the MALAS director).
I’d love to study abroad again during MALAS, but if
not, you can bet I’ll be on the first plane to
Heathrow once I get that degree!
 I love to read
(when I have time) and watch films/mini-series. A few
of my current media favorites are Black Panther,
Stranger Things, Blade Runner, and The Matrix; zombie
films (although I admit that I’m not a fan of Walking
Dead!); for music I like classic rock (Led Zeppelin,
The Beatles) and alternative (Pearl Jam, Arcade Fire);
I just read Overstory (about trees and the world we
share with them) and am really enjoying The Fifth
Season by three time Hugo Award winner N.K. Jemisin
(she’s amazing!). In general, I like media that is
both entertaining and offers food for thought in the
form of social or philosophical analysis.KIRA CARREON  “The purpose
of anthropology is to make the world safe for human
differences.”
-Ruth Benedict Hello everyone! My name is Kira Carreon and Fall 2018 marks the beginning to my MALAS adventure. Born and raised in San Diego, it was difficult to imagine earning an education anywhere else. I received my BA in Anthropology from SDSU in Fall 2017. During undergrad, I worked at Grossmont College as an English teacher's assistant and reading and writing tutor.  Also, I was an intern at the
San Diego Museum of Man in the Cultural Resources
Department. This semester I have the great opportunity
to be a Graduate Assistant for the History Department.
When I’m not immersed in academics, you’ll catch me teaching swim lessons and lifeguarding at the local YMCA. MALAS was my top choice because I am able to integrate my skills and knowledge in English, anthropology, and history as well as explore other disciplines. My areas of interest include political violence, terrorism, and human rights. PAUL WENTURA  Hello,
my
name is Paul Wentura and I am a MALAS graduate
student. Growing up in San Diego, I have been
fortunate with regard to the ocean’s proximity to my
home. For the last 15 years, I have been surfing and
spending time in the water and I see an opportunity
to explore my passion for surfing--both literally,
in San Diego's amazing surf sites, and
academically, through the diverse channels of
investigation afforded by our interdisciplinary
MALAS program. I completed my undergraduate work at
San Diego State University in philosophy with a
minor in history. I intend to continue research in
these fields with a plan to investigate the history,
philosophy, and science of surfing. With the support
of MALAS, I hope to learn more about the influential
moments, people, and technologies associated with
the surfboard industry and ultimately survey the
impact it has on cultures external to its own.
 |
|
HAYLEY KASDEN
 I have earned a job as a technical writer at Illumina, a
biotechnology company studying the human genome. Here,
I get to continue on my interdisciplinary path as I
use my writing and design skills to craft technical
documents for scientific research. MALAS was the best experience
I’ve had in academia as it allowed me to discover my
passions and then gave me the tools to excel in them.
Faculty, staff, and colleagues in this program are all
on your side, wanting you to succeed just as much as
you do. MALAS is a family and we support each other
even past graduation. I will be forever grateful! |
STEWART
PARKER Stewart Reid Parker grew up surrounded by the dusty plains of West Texas, in the town of Odessa, one of the United States's most prolific producers of natural gas and oil. Having grown up an only child with an interest in creating music, film and art in a predominantly conservative, blue-collar community, Stewart headed for the cultural mecca that is Austin, Texas, after high school graduation in 2002. Stewart spent 10 formative years in Austin, Building his identity of creative curiosity that eventually lead him back to the classroom in 2010. After studying film, literature, and art at Austin Community College, Stewart graduated from the University of Texas of the Permian Basin with a BA in Studio Art and a minor in English. From there, he entered the Ceramic Art program at San Diego State University's School of Art + Design in 2016. Stewart's curiosity lead him into a number of diverse classes at SDSU and he realized his passion for writing and research had been too long on the backburner. Trading his pottery wheel for a pencil and paper, he is now happily under the tutelage of the MALAS program, and through its guidance has hopes of continuing his career in academia at the Ph.D level. ISMAEL POHLERT   Hi! My name is Ismael Pohlert and I
am a First-Year MALAS student. I graduated
from SDSU in May 2018 with a BA in
Sociology—that same summer, I studied abroad
in London and immersed myself in the
culture. I enjoy cooking, reading, playing
sports, listening to music, and eating food;
in addition, I relish writing yelp reviews
and collecting shoes. I chose the MALAS
program so I can be flexible and find ways
to incorporate my hobbies into my
schoolwork. Creativity is one of the most
important outlets for humans because it
allows us to expand our mind and make our
dreams become reality. I am excited for the
school year and look forward to continue my
collegiate career as a graduate student. I
am constantly looking for new people to meet
and would love to connect with past,
present, and future MALAS students, as well
as anyone reading this. Send me a message on
Instagram @ice_24 or on Facebook at Ismael
Pohlert.JOHN RUBIO  John Rubio is a first year MALAS graduate student at San Diego State University. He is pursuing work in literature and cultural studies. John received his bachelor’s degree in the Philosophy of Education from the Johnston Center for Integrative Studies at the University of Redlands. He is a twenty year veteran of high school teaching, having taught classes in English, creative writing, film studies, speech and debate, and self-defense/physical education. John is an active member of the San Diego writing community, having worked as a film reviewer for The San Diego Reader and appearing/featuring at many San Diego area events. He is currently a regional editor for The San Diego Poetry Annual. |
CHRISTIAN BENAVIDES “Caminante, no hay puentes, se hace puentes al andar.” - Gloria
Anzaldua
Saludos! Fall 2015 marks the beginning of a new journey for me and I have MALAS to thank for that. In Spring 2015, I became the first person in my family to graduate from a 4-year university. After many last minute changes, I ended up graduating with a BA in English and a minor in Television, Film, and New Media. The past 5 years contained very difficult times but also some of the most beautiful experiences of my life. For many of the beautiful experiences, I have MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chican@ de Aztlan) at SDSU to thank. MEChA has been more than an organization but my guiding spirit as it helped me shape who I was, gave me motivation, inspired me, and gave me a purpose. I’m a Chicano now and forever. And being a Chicano comes with a responsibility to always be a part of your community and help improve it so that social equality can be made possible.  Besides activism, my passion also lies in literature. I come from a working-class family so my experiences are limited. By that, I mean that my parents were working all the time and I spent many many many days home alone. Plus, I grew up in San Marcos, CA, which didn’t really give me much to work with. Drawing, films, and especially fiction was how I traveled and saw new places. And when when my quiet high school senior self needed a way to let out all the thoughts and feelings I’d bottled up, creative writing became the voice I needed. I  ’m
excited to join MALAS because it is the perfect
program for me to explore multiple different subjects
I am passionate about on and off campus. That list
would include: Chicanismo, literature, creative
writing, social justice, anthropology, immigration,
and latin american art/culture. It is safe to say that
my future plans are still under construction but I
know I’ll be sticking to academia until my PhD is
hanging on a wall. In the meantime, besides studying,
you’ll catch me scribbling in a journal trying to
channel Ray Bradbury, hiking somewhere, playing
soccer, joining a rally, or just binge-watching anime.
 GABRIELA
BORTOLUZZIOlá! My name is Gabriela Bortoluzzi and I am originally from Brazil. I am a current graduate student in the MALAS program and the Administrative Coordinator for the Program on Brazil at San Diego State University. After receiving my B.S. in Business Administration/Management at SDSU, I learned about the MALAS program and realized that it would be a great fit to continue learning about the world around me. The Program has been crucial deepening my expertise and broadening my perspectives of diverse topics. When I am not working or studying, you will find exploring San Diego with my golden retriever puppy.  ALEIAH
BRANDONHey there! My name is Aleiah Brandon and I am a first year MALAS graduate student from Corona, California. I completed my undergrad here at SDSU as well. I majored in Business Administration with a specialization in Entrepreneurship and minored in Communications. I am also a member of the SDSU women's basketball team, GO AZTECS! In my free time I enjoy spending time with family and friends and watching movies. I am so blessed to be apart of this very special graduate program and I am looking forward to making the best of this wonderful opportunity!
CASEY HANDS
 KARESHMEH KABIRI Hi everyone, my name is Kareshmeh Kabiri. I was born and raised in San Diego and attended SDSU as an undergrad and receiving my degree in Biology. I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do with that so I thought I should try MALAS out to explore my options and so far I love it. I have worked everywhere from managing a restaurant to working in a biotech company. My parents are from Iran so I visit there often and other countries as well. I absolutely love traveling and aim to visit one new country a year. My hobbies include dancing and figure skating. I used to be a competitive figure skater and now I am hoping to coach ice skating. XINYI LU, aka HAZEL
ANDREW MARTINEZ  My
name is Andrew Martinez and I am a resident of San
Diego, both born and raised. I received my undergraduate
degree in Sociology from the University of California,
Irvine, in late 2016 and was a member of their baseball
program for all four years. My last year of athletic
eligibility put me in particular situation where I could
transfer, play, and begin a Masters program at any other
Division 1 establishment. I could not think of a better
location to spend the last year of my academic and
athletic career than here at home. I was blessed with
this opportunity and was welcomed with open arms into
the MALAS program as a late addition. With a background
in Sociology and interests in Homeland
Security/Criminology, the MALAS program fit perfectly to
accommodate my interests and goals as a student. Not
only was the program accommodating, the professors were
extremely helpful in their flexibility working with my
baseball and work schedules. What separates MALAS from
any other graduate program is its diversity,
specifically the students themselves, the classes
offered, and options to graduate. I am beyond lucky to
be apart of the MALAS community and look forward to
graduating at the end of this semester. Cheers!MARLENE MOORE  Hi there! I’m Marlene, native San Diegan, middle sister, super-mom, university employee, lover of all things Italian, oh, and most notably, a MALAS student! I graduated from SDSU in 2010 with a BA in English and am excited to be returning to begin my graduate studies in the multi-disciplinary realm that MALAS offers. I actually began my pursuit of higher education some time ago but got mildly distracted by life! I took a big break from school, worked for many years in the world of the 'corporate American cubicle,' had four kids (several of them SDSU graduates), went back to SDSU, and completed my degree, then jumped back into the working world the past five years, all the while planning my return to my favorite university to begin work on a graduate degree. For anyone out there who may think it’s too late to begin pursuing the dreams and goals you may have lost along the road of life, take it from me - it is NEVER too late! I got braces on my teeth, graduated from college, and accepted to grad school way beyond the typical and predictable timeline of life. The MALAS program was designed for someone just like me - a lifelong learner! And did I mention that my daughter is already in the MALAS program and we will be attending classes together? It doesn’t get much better than this! Ciao! THOMAS MURPHY   Hello, my name is Thomas Murphy, I’m originally from northern Indiana but I did my undergrad work in Albuquerque, NM. At the University of New Mexico I received Bachelor’s degrees in English (Creative writing), as well as Religious studies/History. Traveling is one of my strongest passions and I have spent time in 22 countries throughout Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean. I was born in America but hold dual citizenship in The EU/Ireland through my father’s side of the family and love every opportunity I get to roam the countryside there. I don’t know if my love for traveling or my love for history came first, but they are irrevocably intertwined. I travel to the places I study, to experience them for myself, and along the way I expand my studies into the people/places/cultures I continually encounter. Like many of my fellow MALAS students I often have a hard time explaining to people “what I study.” My other academic interests include areas of art history, architecture, religion, theology, philosophy, mythology, geography, and literature. I am excited to continue exploring the world and pursuing knowledge within the MALAS program at SDSU! DAMIEN ROSALES  Hello all, I’m Damien Rosales and I am
excited to begin the next chapter in my life as a
MALAS graduate student this fall 2015! I’m
interested in the MALAS program because of it’s
flexibility to create a master’s program based on
coursework that I can select myself. When
researching appropriate graduate programs, I had a
hard time deciding on one single program because my
interests vary substantially. When I discovered the
MALAS program I knew this is the program I was
destined to be a part of! When I first began school
at the community college level, I was attending
Cuyamaca College working towards a graphic design
degree. I eventually transferred to San Diego State
University and earned my B.A. in Multimedia Design
in 2009. After SDSU, I went back to Cuyamaca College
and have been working towards earning multiple A.A.
degrees in Ornamental Horticulture. My focus is in
Sustainable Urban Landscapes, Landscape Technology,
and Nursery Technology. I should be earning my
degrees at Cuyamaca soon! I am interested in
ecology, geography, geology, photography and
sustainability. I plan to focus my MALAS studies in
these areas. I dream to one day work in a field that
helps to protect and preserve the environment. I
currently work at Cuyamaca College and SDSU. At
Cuyamaca I work in the Ornamental Horticulture
Department as the Plumeria Production Assistant and
at SDSU, I am the Department Coordinator of
Aerospace Engineering! MAURA WALTERS  Hi! My name is Maura Walters. I
graduated from Centre College in Danville, Kentucky
with a BA in Art and English. I never planned to
work in art libraries, but luckily for me that is
the way things turned out. After a brief stint at
the Huntington Library outside Pasadena I was hired
by the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library in
La Jolla, where I have happily worked since 2005. I
am looking forward to learning about curating and
organizing quality arts programming. SDSU's MALAS
program appealed to me for the flexible schedule and
wide range of subjects available. |
| PAST
GRADUATES |
JINANE ABBADI Hi,
I am Jinane Abbadi, and I have been enjoying the
diversity, and the multiple possibilities of MALAS☺. The
interdisciplinary concept became very appealing to me when
I was looking to enroll in a graduate program. I received
my Bachelors degree in fine Art from San Diego State
University, and I have been working in the areas of
painting, printmaking, and bookmaking since. I love making
artists books that deal with different topics such as
culture, diversity, and identity. Here is a page
from my thesis/project: I grew up in Morocco, and I have a special interest in race, identity, and the many constituents of history, politics, and economics, which have affected the culture of the people in that area. My thesis project is an artist book entitled “Speaking Subaltern” that discusses the traces of orientalism and colonialism in the shaping of my personhood as a postcolonial artist. THIAGO A. ARELLANO Não sou nada
Nunca serei nada, Não posso querer ser nada, À parte isso, tenho em mim todos os sonhos do mundo’ Álvaros
de Campos – Fernando Pessoa
 Dreamer on board! Originally from
Brazil and a Literature major at the University the
São Paulo (USP), I had the pleasure of joining the
MALAS Family in 2015. Certainly, it has been an
amazing experience. MALAS Classes are extremely
interesting and relevant, and I have been learning
so much since the moment I joined. If you are a
dreamer and you are more worried about enhancing
your cultural background than anything else, this is
your place to be! Another great experience out of
the MALAS program was having the opportunity to
teach Portuguese at San Diego State University
(SDSU) during the ProjectGo summer program--an
inspiring experience that I will carry with me the
rest of life. More
about me? Ok, I moved to the U.S because the love of
my life happened to be a handsome Mexican-American
living in California. I am extremely passionate
about Latin America, Brazilian and Portuguese
Literature and, as a writer-to-be, I try to travel
as much as I can and go to my native Brazil and also
any place south of the American border as often as
possible in an attempt to experience and miss less,
the Latin America vibes I love so much. Also, I
believe that, now more than ever, it is time to
dream of a better world: a world made from all of us
and for all of us! Silly dreamers are still here! We
will resist! (=STEPHANIE AWALT 
Hi there! I am a San Diego native who attended
UCSD for my undergraduate studies--my BA is in Sociology
with a minor in Critical Gender Studies.I am currently a
second year SDSU graduate student in the MALAS program
and couldn’t be happier! I also work full time as
an adolescent substance abuse counselor,  so
the MALAS program allows me the freedom to choose
courses that both fit my hectic schedule and eclectic
academic interests.In my free time, I enjoy attending
shows, being artsy-craftsy, and occasionally sleeping.
My thesis topic is still in the works, but will most
likely focus on media representations and socialization
of adolescent marijuana use.VINCE BIONDO  {From his bio page at CSU
FRESNO, where he serves as Associate Professor
and Chair, Department of Philosophy, Religious
Studies, and Pre-Law and Middle East Studies
Program} " In 1963 the Supreme Court of the United States in Abington v. Schempp recognized that understanding the world’s cultures and the role of religion in them is vital to national interests. Justices Goldberg and Harlan clarified how this would occur when they wrote that there is a clear difference between teaching religion and teaching about religion. As a professor of Western Religions at a public university I am committed to increasing knowledge and understanding about Judaism, Christianity, and Islam without indoctrinating students into a particular faith or ideology. I do this using a History of Religions methodology that is comparative and multidisciplinary and examines how religious phenomena interact with their historical and political contexts. Mircea Eliade popularized this approach in the United States and influenced a generation of scholars including my teacher at the University of California, Santa Barbara (1999-2005), Richard D. Hecht. Another important scholar in this field was Ninian Smart who argued that scholarship pursued with empathy and epoché, or bracketing one’s own judgment, makes it possible to apply the leading social scientific methods of the twentieth century to increasing our understanding and appreciation of religion and its role in the world. At the undergraduate level, an exploration of the richness and complexities of the world’s religions effectively sharpens critical thinking and communication skills." Ph.D. Religious Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara (2005) (With Critical Theory coursework at UC Irvine and Intensive Arabic at The American University in Cairo) M.A. Liberal Arts and Sciences, MALAS, San Diego State University (1998) (Also enrolled in Teaching Credential Program) B.A. Religious Studies, University of California, San Diego (1995) (With Pre-Med, Buddhism, and Economics coursework at UC Davis and University of London, SOAS STEPHANIE BOBP  Hi! My my
name is Stephanie Bobp and I received my BA from SDSU in
Religious Studies department, 2008. I am a
first-year MALAS student with interests in
globalization, poverty, urban renewal, culture,
population issues, religion, equal rights, and so much
more! When I am not working or attending school you will
find me somewhere abroad. I live to travel and it is  my
number one passion. I have traveled to thirty-nine
different countries and cannot wait to see the rest of
the world! In the MALAS program I aim to focus my study
analyzing our many worlds’ problems in hopes of finding
sustainable solutions! JENNIFER CARTER  I'm a writer, poet, and German-English translator from the San Francisco Bay Area. My passion for academia stems from the interconnection between my many studies, my inherent love of reading, and culminated in the founding of The California Journal of Women Writers in September 2012. My work has appeared in The New Union, the UC Berkeley Comparative Literature Undergraduate Journal and is forthcoming in Pomona Valley Review and various other capacities. My research has been presented, or is forthcoming, in a published collection on Jane Austen, and at conferences by CSULA and Ryerson University. I have a BA in English, with an emphasis in Women’s Studies, and an MA in Liberal Arts & Sciences, with emphases in Literature, Ethnic and Women’s Studies, and Media and Popular Culture. I'm truly bicultural and divide my time between my homes in California and Germany. My love affair with words has given me the fuel to publish and submit my work, long after graduating from MALAS. I have the incredible program and its dedicated professors to thank for my continued success. MARIO CHAVARRIA  Hello there. I received
my BA in the fall of 2006, and studied abroad in Europe
for a year, one of my best experiences ever. Some of the
things that I enjoy doing are reading at the beach,
surfing, exploring new places, road trips, and I like
meeting people from all over the world. One of the
craziest things that I do is to constantly train for 5K,
10K, and full marathons. I love to sing all kinds of
music, especially rock and gospel music. One of my
favorite books is The
Structure of Scientific Revolutions (1962) by
Thomas Kuhn, and two topics that I’m very passionate
about are globalization and nanotechnology. I’m
currently serving as the Vice President of University
Affairs for the Graduate Student Association, and the
main reason  I was drawn to
the MALAS program is because of its flexibility and the
wide range opportunities it presents after graduation.
And since I didn’t want to be limited to just one area
of study, the MALAS program was a perfect fit for
me. The topic for my thesis is still developing and
taking shape, but it could possibly be “the impact and
the relationship of nanotechnology with the
environment.” One last note to prospective graduate
students: once you join our program, you’ll soon find
out that it has the coolest students and most awesome
professors at SDSU. Cheers!NATALIA CLINGAN   Hey! I'm
Natalia Joanna Clingan and I have a B.A. in Comparative
Literature, where I focused on British Literature. I
studied at Oxford University for a wee bit and could
easily pick up and move there at any moment. I hope to
journey into the book publishing world after I complete
the MALAS program. I was drawn to MALAS because although
I'm a nutty Anglophile, I do enjoy dabbling in a wide
range of topics. So this is obviously a perfect fit!INEZ COQUEREAU   As
you get to know me, you’ll find that I am full of random
facts. I’ve been known to drop
little nuggets of information, like “Lions can’t purr,”
casually into conversation. I am a collector of
unusual tidbits of information, but I’m not a hoarder--I
share what I learn. This strength is good for two
things. One, I make an excellent party
guest. Two, it makes me a perfect fit for
MALAS! I have always been naturally curious and I
am so excited to be in a program that values this
Rainman-esque quality in me. Definitely. I did my undergraduate
work at California State University, Long Beach, where I
received my B.A. in Liberal Studies with a concentration
in Bilingual Education. Today my
passion/focus is on sustainability, the creative
process, design, alternative economies, the power of
women, and much more. I love group collaborations,
making connections, and I have lots-a-ideas. In my
spare time I like to find adventures, which means
pushing me out of my comfort zone (locally or on
travel). I train in Muay Thai and I love to
hike. Now, let’s mix it up and see what happens,
MALAS!
VICTOR FABIAN DELGADILLO  Hello MALAS.
My name is Victor Fabian Delgadillo and I too am a San
Diego native. I studied briefly at Southwestern College
where I received an AA in photography. I then went on to
study film and cinematography at UNLV where I eventually
received a BA.  My interests revolve mostly around
technology, although I do also enjoy fine dining,
classical music, and nature, particularly Baja
California. I dabble in graphic and web design as well
as video production. I am intrigued by the technological
evolution of photography and the influence the digital
age has placed upon it. Having said all that I found the
multidisciplinary diversity of MALAS to be an ideal
match for my interests. YADIRA DIAZ  Mucho
gusto… me llamo Yadira Diaz. I was born and raised
in San Diego. I am very
fortunate to have grown and been partially raised en el otro lado, Tijuana.
I obtained my B.A. in Sociology with an emphasis
on social problems and I minored in Chicana/o Studies. I am a proud Xicana who is
passionate about being part of a movement that creates
social justice. I am driven
to end violence against women, racism, and social
inequalities. I have spent
the last six years working and advocating for victims of
domestic violence and sexual assault.  I have a special
interest in working with the undocumented community
because they are my community. My
thesis project focuses on the lives of women that are
forced to live on the margins of our society because
they are undocumented and living in a relationship where
there is intimate partner violence.
They live in fear and stay silent. My goal is to
allow their voices and concerns to be heard.ANNALISA DUARTE  Hi everyone, my name is Annalisa Duarte. Originally from Hayward, a city in the San Francisco Bay Area, I chose to come down to San Diego for undergrad and ended up falling in love. I just received my Bachelor’s in Sociology this May. I was really unsure what master’s programs I wanted to apply to and I’m very thankful that my coach pointed me in the direction of MALAS . The flexibility and wide range of courses I can take in this program is great for me. I currently don’t know what I would like to focus on within this program but I know in time I will figure it out. I am currently a member of the women’s rowing team here at SDSU--this will be my final year competing. I am ready to take on the challenges and adventures this program has to offer just like I accepted the challenges of rowing when I walked on to the team several years ago. MICHAEL EDMISTON  “The only true voyage… would be not to visit strange lands but to possess other eyes, to see the universe through the eyes of another, of a hundred others, to see the hundred universes that each of them sees, that each of them is.” - Marcel
Proust
“So what do you study?” It’s a very common question, but I’ve been trying to come up with a concise answer to it for quite some time now. “Life, the Universe and Everything” seems like a bit of a cop-out as answers go, after all. Another answer is that I am interested in understanding the connections and liminal spaces between areas of knowledge than in one particular field or discipline. Of course, I am ravenously curious about anything and everything, which I am happy to say is par for the course around here! I would also say that I am engaged in a sort of “epistemological archaeology”, digging through the massive mounds of information and knowledge that have been discarded, discounted, or simply ignored by the academic mainstream. Dumpster diving behind and between the Ivory Towers. I’ve spent some time inside those towers, too. I’ve acquired a Bachelor’s degree from Swarthmore College, with a major in Theater and a minor in Environmental studies, which ought to give you a sense of the range of my interests. I’m still working on a way to connect the two together in an artistically interesting and politically relevant way. I’ve worked a variety of jobs from food service to summer camp counseling, but am currently employed as a G.A. in the Education department. And just before school starts this semester, I’ll be attending Burning Man, an amazing art-explosion, festival, and temporary city constructed in the Black Rock Desert. But enough about me, my fellow linguistically-enabled ape; I want to know about you! RITA ENDERS  Hi, I'm Rita Enders, a returning MALAS
student. I earned my BA in Sociology with a minor
in Women's Studies at SDSU. Living with a passion
for travel and academics I found a niche with Semester
at Sea, currently having sailed 14 voyages in the past 8
years. I work as a freelance computer technician
and voyage administrator, which allows me to travel the
world and ardently practice being a part of one race,
the human race. Look for me at the beginning of
the lineup for a "World Passport" when that queue forms.
MALAS is providing the opportunity to make my Master's
degree dream a reality.  The
flexible format offers the perfect opportunity to
further my interests in the lives of women worldwide …
how they reinvent themselves to achieve self-sufficiency
and survival for themselves and their families. My
love for cooking, growing anything with roots and good
conversation finds me in kitchens, gardens and often
unusual educational environments. By choice I
practice and appreciate learning from personal
experience and close observation so live without TV or
movies. Real life situations are my preferred
reference points so I plan to incorporate these in my
MALAS work. I'm very excited to be back!KENNY ENG  My name is Kenny Eng and I am a singer/songwriter/musician/nice guy. I use music to inform my understanding of the world, the people and experiences around me, and most importantly, myself. It works the other way around, too. I came to San Diego from the Bay Area after studying music theory and political science at UC Davis to find adventure and my way in life. I've held all sorts of odd jobs from freelance construction to working in an OB-GYN office to what I do now as a web content and social media manager. I am constantly looking out for new and exciting experiences to help broaden my perspective of life and the world, or at least to have an interesting story to tell when I come back home. I have no idea what I want to do with a masters degree from the MALAS program, but I'm up for the challenge. LETICIA GOMEZ FRANCO  Hello everyone! I was
born and raised in Los Angeles (Pico Union). I
received a B.A. from UC Berkeley, where I double majored
in Chicana/o Studies and English (class of '04), I
actually started working on my Masters in 2005 as part
of the first cohort of the new Chicano Studies graduate
program... after a year of being in the program, I
decided to take a one year leave to birth other
projects...its been 5 years. I have an awesome little
boy who will soon be 5 and have also spent the last 5
years working in the border community of San Ysidro as
the Director of Arts & Culture for Casa
Familiar. I run THE  FRONT
art gallery (we got named best Community Cultural Space
by the Citybeat Best of 2010! ;-0), our new art space, el salon, and am
also the organizer and co-mother of the Annual Dia de la Mujer
Celebration--now in its 4th year. I've always been
fascinated by sexuality and its many manifestations, and
so I plan to focus my research on sexuality, visual
representations/art, and space. That's pretty much
it--I'm a very open minded person, who has created her
own identity by taking bits and pieces of what thrills
her about everyone else's... I'm a little bit of a lot
of things: a xicana
xingona, sexual activist, Macondo-residing poeta (moonlighting
as an arts director) and am very excited to be joining
the MALAS team this year!  CHRISTOPHER
GONZALES ‘Hi,
hello, how are you? Well I guess I’m doing fine.’ I got
my AA in Liberal Arts from Ohlone college in Fremont CA,
then transferred to San Diego State, where I got my BA
in English literature. Best decision of my life! After
graduating I moved back home and promptly realized how
much I loved San Diego, SDSU, and learning. Other than
being a rock star, education is the only career I’ve
ever been interested in, and MALAS gives me the
opportunity to explore the broader issues, and ask the
tough questions, about politics, the increasing role of
government in our lives, and the repercussions of
technological development. Though I still haven’t quite
given up on the former, as I love all sorts of music and
playing guitar. Some other hobbies include classic cars,
camping, and traveling. And I will be studying abroad
next semester in Estonia and backpacking all over
Europe. Cheers! UPDATE: Mr. Gonzales is well on his way
to becoming Dr. Gonzales; he is presently in the
American Studies doctoral degree program at Charles
University, Prague.MALI HINESLEY  As our globe becomes smaller and our knowledge expands, information constantly intersects and this is why I love the MALAS program. The interdisciplinary freedom allows me to satiate my curiosity through multiple departments, broadening not only my awareness but imagination as well. After receiving my B.A. in English Literature from U.C. Berkeley and living in Mexico for four years, I’m back in my native San Diego to research deconstructing literature from a Buddhist perspective. ALEXANDRA HUNT  Hi!
I’m
Alexandra.
I’m happy to be living back home in San Diego after
living in Orange County for my undergraduate work at UC
Irvine. I majored in Global Cultures, an
interdisciplinary program that is structured similarly
to MALAS. I’m very happy with the freedom and creativity
this type of program provides. For example, this
semester I am taking a Geography class on human
geography of urban areas and an Education class on
curriculum development for urban schools. The content of
both classes inform each other and are  leading
me in the right direction for my thesis. I would like my
thesis to address issues of language, power, and
bilingual education. I spend most of my time on research
and reading, but I’ve always loved sailing and have
recently been getting into running. PATRICE JACKSON  Hey all! My name is Patrice Jackson and I received my BA in Economics in 2013 from SDSU and did not want to leave. I wanted to further my education, but didn't want to limit myself into one topic. The MALAS program was perfect for me--I could still further my education while getting to meet other amazing classmates and expanding my horizon about the way people think. I want to eventually start my own business and I believe in order to do that I need to learn and understand the way we as humans think and view certain things. This can lead to larger conversations that I am eager to learn about and I know that MALAS will certainly teach me! SOPHIA JACOUB  I grew up in San Diego and began
my higher education at SDSU for a B.A. in English,
followed by a teaching credential in 2007. I currently
teach high school English in El Cajon and love every
aspect of my job that doesn’t involve administrative
politics, state testing, or budget cuts. I decided to
return to State for a MALAS degree because it was the
most appealing and eclectic program I could find.  A
part-time masters program and full time career is
definitely challenging, but how else could I avoid a
social life? I’m uncertain as to what I want to “focus”
on in the program. Right now, I’m just sponging up all
that the liberal arts have to offer. When I’m not neck
deep in learning and teaching, I dabble in photography
and write comedy sketches for my school’s Faculty
Follies in which I make a complete fool of myself.
DANIELLE JOHNSON  I
grew up in south Orange County and began to pursue a
bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies at Cal Poly San
Luis Obispo in 2004. During the first few weeks of
class, I realized that I didn’t want to become an
elementary school teacher after all, and spent the next
two years trying to find my “perfect fit” major. The
university approved a new degree in Comparative Ethnic
Studies at the end of my sophomore year, and after
taking a few of the department’s courses I fell in love
with the field. I switched majors and took a leave of
absence to work for a year with a college-based
nonprofit in China. Once I returned from China to
my studies at Cal Poly, I graduated Magna cum laude with
a B.A. in Comparative Ethnic Studies and a minor in
Spanish. I planned to begin a doctoral program in
Afro-American Studies that fall, but after much
soul-searching I decided to turn down the fellowship
offered to me because of uncertainty over whether my
passions truly existed within academia. I considered
various other career avenues, including photography,
divinity school, and opening a bakery-bookstore.
However, I became increasingly aware that my passions
were teaching and fighting against issues of social
injustice.After a few years of what I call my “quarter-life crisis,” I started working for a local school district with at-risk middle and high school students, many of whom were enrolled in special education programs.  During
that time my passions merged: I had the opportunity to
work with students of color, support the needs and goals
of individuals facing disenfranchisement and
discrimination, and teach. I plan to become a special
educator and advocate for students of color who are
over-represented in special education programs. I always
knew I would eventually end up in graduate school, and I
joined the MALAS program once I realized that my diverse
interests couldn’t and wouldn’t be sufficiently
accommodated in a more traditional program. Through
MALAS, I am able to pursue my ever-evolving interests in
Ethnic, Sex/Gender, Religious, and Disability Studies,
and find my own niche within academia. When I’m not
reading scholarly works or writing academic papers, I
enjoy taking photos of and writing haikus about my
miniature schnauzer. PATRICK JOHNSON   After
receiving my BS at Ithaca College in Television-Radio
with a minor in Scriptwriting, I moved to Los Angeles to
work in the film industry. After having several jobs at
talent agencies and on reality television shows, I
worked as a researcher on documentaries for Discovery
Channel and History. In 2008, I returned to school
to get my masters, originally in Television and Film,
but ultimately switched to MALAS @ SDSU, where my
current research is mainly focused on how media
influences culture. UPDATE: Patrick Johnson begins his
Ph.D. program in media studies Fall 2014 at the
University of Colorado, Boulder. STELLA KARL  I graduated from San Diego State University with a BA in Art History in 2013 and with the MALAS program, I will continue to expand my horizons.Though art is my first love, I am excited to brush up on my writing, knowledge of history, linguistics, politics, business, a language or two, anthropology, sociology, philosophy, and anything else I can fit in. Somewhere along the way I discovered that my true passion is learning and though I will never know enough, I will certainly work to know more. For the past five years I have been working for nonprofit arts organizations while pursuing my BA. I have the great fortune of being able to see live classical music, dance, visual arts, and more right where I make a living. I plan to focus my career and my research on understanding and infecting others with the arts bug that has bitten me. MARLA LAGUARDIA  Greetings!
My name is Marla Laguardia and I graduated from San
Diego State University in 2009, receiving a B.A. in
Communication with an emphasis in Media Studies and
minor in Sociology. I love and enjoy working for the
community and hold a strong interest in social
justice movements. I’m currently a part of AF3IRM, a
transnational women’s movement.  I’m also a
member of the Organizing Committee of the
Filipino-American Arts and Culture Festival, also
known as FilAmFest,
held in National City annually. The diversity of the
MALAS program is giving me a chance to continue
exploring the many interests that I have, including
race and gender issues and how they are perceived in
the mainstream media. ANDERS LARSSON  Hi Everyone! My name is Anders Larsson, and I'm ecstatic to be returning for my second year of study in the MALAS program this fall. I am currently working on my MA thesis, entitled The LP as Post-WWII American Zeitgeist. Cultural Studies allows me to explore different interests of mine, including Sound Studies and Complexity Theory. I've enjoyed studying everything from Vampires to Bruce Springsteen to Susan Sontag to Sigmund Freud to Deleuze....and that's just scratching the surface! When I'm not at SDSU I'm usually behind the drum kit, playing for artists like Gary Wilson, Two Wolves, Westside Inflection, Lady Dottie and the Diamonds, Jim Gibson, and Archie Thompson. ASHLEY LAZARE  Hi! I was born
and raised in San Diego, and in June 2010, I completed
my undergraduate work at UCSD where I majored in History
with an emphasis in the Middle East. I like to
travel to faraway places, experience other cultures, and
eat  good food! I am interested in
history, religious studies, gender/sexuality, and all
things ancient and Near Eastern, so my planned thesis
will attempt to undertake an investigation of some sort
of mixture of that. The MALAS program saved me
from studying something restrictive, so to all you
present and future graduate students reading this who
are looking for a fun program full of variety, come join
us!VICKI LINDEM  Hi, I'm Vicki and I am just starting my
journey as an MALAS student this year. I was born
and raised in San Diego and attended Cal Poly in San
Luis Obispo for my undergraduate degree. I started
in Computer Science and then switched to Liberal
Arts and Engineering Studies, a major which gets a
"huh?" response from most people. How can you study
liberal arts AND engineering? Well you just do.
Meanwhile I traveled, worked on a reality TV show,
and got to go stormchasing! All of which I never
could have done in a traditional major. After
graduating I was faced with the prospect of getting
a "real job" which I did for a  couple
years until I realized that I was living the life of
Peter from Office Space. I have always wanted
to go to graduate school but my interdisciplinary
undergraduate degree along with my array of
interests deterred me from doing so. Then one
magical day I was scrolling through all the possible
graduate programs at SDSU and found MALAS! I'm
not quite sure what I want to focus on but my
general interests include documentary film, cultural
studies, non-profit organizations, computer
science/technology and I'm sure I could go on
forever so I'll just stop there. MALAS feels like
the perfect fit for me because it doesn't actually
require me to fit in anywhere. I'm so excited to
start the program!ILIMA-LEI MACFARLANE  Aloha mai. My name is Ilima-Lei Macfarlane and I am a second year MALAS student. I am originally from the islands of Hawai’i, but flew here to San Diego in 2009 to pursue a “mainland” college education. Although I was miserable at first and enjoyed nothing about Southern California (in fact I hated it and almost moved back home after a year!), I grew to love San Diego and am proud to call it my new home...just don't ask me to go in the water--I'm still a beach snob and miss my Hawaiian waters! I studied Anthropology here at SDSU for my undergrad, but was unsure if I wanted to pursue it as a graduate student as it has always been a dream of mine to become a teacher. I spent the better half of my senior year applying to the teaching credential program here at State, so you can imagine my disappointment when I didn’t pass the CSET by five points and did not get into the program. However, I suppose it was fate, because in doing so I stumbled upon MALAS (by seeing Bill’s crazy office door!), visited the website, and transferred my application. MALAS has allowed me to take courses that I have always been interested in, but didn’t get a chance to explore in my undergrad, as well as pursue my love of anthropology and indigenous rights issues. I’ve taken the most inspiring, challenging, and eye-opening seminars that truly reflect the interdisciplinary and liberal arts nature of the program. My MALAS seminars have ranged from water sustainability, to homeland security--all of which I have been able to tie back into Native-Hawaiian issues and share with other scholars back home, as well as relate to teaching and education. I am forever thankful for Bill’s dedication and whimsical door décor, and am proud to be a member of the MALAS ‘ohana!  GUADALUPE MEDINAHola me llamo Guadalupe Medina but please call me Lupe. I consider myself a Midwestern girl from Columbus, Ohio, a BUCKEYE of course. And yes, I did attend THE Ohio State University where I received my B.A. in Public Affairs with a minor in Communications. While I love my Buckeyes, I have grown to love SDSU, MALAS in particular and have made a special place for it in my heart. I am Latina, but growing up I had little to no exposure to Latinos outside my family. I was interested in discovering more about who I was as a Latina, as well as giving back, which led me to the L.A.S.E.R. (Latino and Latin American Space for Enrichment and Research) program. It was exactly what I needed! It was through that program that I finally began to appreciate and love being Latina, and the reason I applied to the MALAS program. I would have never imagined what was in store for me, more than just an education, but an experience of a life time. Traveling is something I have always wanted to do more of and I had the amazing opportunity to represent MALAS and present my research at two international conferences, one of which took place in JAPAN, another country to check off my bucket list.  My excitement with the program continues this semester as I work closely with different Native American tribes, while teaching Kindergarten Spanish to students in La Jolla. I am loving the diverging experiences, as I close out my last semester with MALAS.  FRANCISCO MIRAMONTES  ¿Que onda
my fellow MALAS Heads? Hope your journey here has been
as amazing as mine. A little about me: first off mi nombre es (my
name is) Francisco Antonio Miramontes, El Segundo, or
"Cisco" for short. Right out of high school I joined the
U.S. Navy as an IT (Information Systems Technician);
next came four years service in Operation
Iraqi Freedom and Enduring
Freedom. Through the military I have been able to
see the world, one of my many passions in life. I
recently graduated from SDSU with a degree in
Television, Film, and New Media.  I
joined MALAS to diversify my intellect, and in hopes of
using my degree to become a professor of either/both
Film and Chicano Studies, as both subjects fascinate me
very much. Other miscellaneous items of note include my
love of/indulgence in fine dining and my work as a
professional beatboxer/musician; lastly, I have been
known to occasionally plank
on a random surface if my back permits it. I have many
passions in life as does any other living, breathing
homo sapien sapien, and am greatly looking forward to
MALAS being an amazing opportunity for me, and my fellow
colleagues. OZZIE
MONGEHey there, I’m Ozzie! I’m from Los Angeles, but my family is from Southeastern Arizona. For fun, I play the doumbek, perform with bellydancers and play the Native Flute. I serve on the Arts Advisory Committee of the Centro Cultural de la Raza, the Council of American Indian Organizations of San Diego County, and the USD Native Alumni Association. I’m a member of the American Indian Warriors Association and I am also a Gourd Dancer. I am an honorary member of the San Diego Cherokee Community (they put up with me), and I volunteer at the local elementary as a tutor. I may be joining Veterans for Peace, if time allows. I’m an occasional activist, although I dare not lay claim to being a real Activist, since there are so many out there doing far more good than me. I earned my BA in International Relations from the University of San Diego in 1989. After a brief 23 year hiatus from academia, and a minor case of procrastination, I’ve elected to make my return to academia by joining the infamous and glorious MALAS program!  What have I been doing during my break? Well, how kind of you to ask! At the beginning of my hiatus, I served as an officer in the United States Navy. Of course, given the diplomatic nature of my degree, it would naturally follow that I would go to war during Desert Shield/Storm. After my stint in the Navy, I went on the become a defense contractor, eventually working my way up to VP of Business Development at a local, major defense contractor (which has since been assimilated by an even more major defense contractor). I spent about 14 years as a “legal” international arms dealer, working mostly with the Aegis Weapon System, but the last 5 years of that time were spent working with (dramatic music) drones. The great thing about those years was the travel. That job took me pretty much everywhere in the world the U.S. has an ally (since I was a “legal” arms dealer, I couldn’t go to those “other” places). Of course, the bad thing about those years was that I was a merchant of death. A petty one, perhaps, in the grand scheme of things. Regardless, my earnings came things that kill people. While I didn’t peddle the things that go “boom,” I did sell the things that tell the things that go “boom” where to go “boom.” (Without going too much into my psyche and the details of my childhood, there has always been an aching within me. It got louder and more pronounced the longer I worked in the defense industry, and it eventually became a gnawing "I don’t belong here” feeling. Then, in late 1996, a series of seemingly unrelated events began. First came the voice of Guillermo Gomez Pena on NPR talking about “Temple of Confessions,” then a chance encounter with an Ndeh (Apache) elder on a flight to DC, then my time as a delegate to the “San Diego Network for Homeland Security” where I witnessed the dirtier side of the defense acquisitions world (working directly with politicians, including congressmen and senators) and finally, the build-up to the Iraq War. It all lead to me discovering a dusty box in my closet that contained my soul, which I promptly reclaimed. And that led to me being a bit more vocal about the inner workings of my company, and being a vocal critic of sabre rattling of the Dubya/Cheney administration, which naturally lead to my semi-voluntary departure from being a VP at a Major Defense Contractor. The Iraq War started a couple months later. And so I began to walk the earth--of course,you can only do that for so long before becoming a bum. I worked in the Video Games Industry for a bit, but it wasn’t meant to be. And so, here I am. I’m done procrastinating. I’m going to grad school! I’m in MALAS! And so it begins. NATASHA NACE  Hello! First off, let me introduce myself.
I am a lover of music, film, and art! I was born and
raised here in San Diego and received my BA at SDSU in
Television, Film, and New Media. A year or so later
after graduating, I had the desire to go back to school.
I felt like there was still so much more to accomplish.
There were still so many areas that I wanted discover
and grow in. In the 2-3 years I’ve been with
MALAS, I have uncovered and explored topics on
economics, philosophy, ethics, globalization,
religion--courses on religion and violence, future
technology, poetry, art, and even, the history of rock
and roll! It’s an excellent and outstanding
interdisciplinary program. I am sad that I will be
graduating soon because the classes get more and more
interesting each semester. During this journey I am
thankful to have had some of the most incredible and
influential teachers in all my education; Professor Choi
and Professor Jeroen Pinckaers. After reading “Mountains
beyond Mountains” and after taking an “Ethics and
Globalization” course, I felt compelled to write my
thesis on the subject of Poverty. Specifically:
‘Neo-Liberalism and its impact of Poverty.’ It is
currently a work in progress and has been quite
challenging and much harder than I had anticipated! I
have been so lucky as to have worked at several
incredible places. Last year I had the opportunity to
work at Legend 3D, a company specializing in the newest
cutting edge of 3D filmmaking. Before that I was the
Site Manager at High Tech High International. I have
been fortunate enough to meet some of the most amazing
and extraordinary friends.  Currently I’ve decided to
focus on my thesis and my passion for non-profit work. I
support and volunteer for several local non-profits
including: USD Joan Kroc institute for Peace &
Justice, the International Refugee Committee, and more
recently I started an annual toy drive for a children’s
orphanage in Tecate, Mexico. Lastly the other love of my
life is my 10-year-old son Isaac! Simply put, he is
amazing!SHARON PAYNE  Hi, I'm Sharon Payne, and I've been in
the MALAS program for 4 years...the slow and steady
option of one class per semester. My area of interest
is globalization and issues of poverty, so I'm piecing
together a program from all over the university.  My interests stem from my global travel
experience and my two boys, both adopted as babies
from Kazakhstan. By trade, I am a certified
financial planner, specializing in socially
responsible investing. This my second masters
degree; the first was after my first mid-life crisis
(I say with a wink) in 1995 in Cultural and
Spirituality from Holy Names University in
Oakland. Mid-life crisis' (plan on a
few) are a perfect opportunity to go back to
school. See you on campus!PAUL PITTS  Wassup World!???
My name is Paul Pitts III and this is my first
semester officially in the MALAS graduate program!
I graduated Undergrad from SDSU with a BA in
Religious Studies with a Counseling and Social
Change Minor. My future are aspirations are to be
a Christian Pastor as I love the Lord Jesus Christ
and am thankful for his Gospel! I also play
football for SDSU and have played on the team
since 2011--Go Aztecs! I'm a blessed here and
looking forward to growing in my education
enlightenment! God Bless, Grace & Peace!ALLIE SCHULZ  As a roaming artist and
student I have seen much of the beautiful American
west. I now work as a technology instructor, but my
favorite part about life is the great outdoors. I
completed my undergraduate work at Oregon State
University where I focused on the study of global
social and economic inequalities, environmental
sociology, and our modern interactions with
technology. With the help of MALAS I hope to continue
to creatively express my knowledge while making an
impact on some of the world's most pressing social and
environmental injustices.ZACHARY SHULTIS  I graduated from California Lutheran University with a BS in Political Science and a minor in History. After spending a year coaching football at my alma mater, I have been given the opportunity to become a Graduate Assistant for San Diego State Football.  Upon hearing that the MALAS program
allows individuals the freedom to form a Masters
degree that fits their interests, I knew it was
perfect for me. While I do not know what challenges
this life has in store for me, I am ready to take them
head on. There will always be people telling you that
you're not good enough. But all that matters is what
you think of yourself. Go after our dreams because,
"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're
right." CARLOS B. SOLORIOHello fellow MALAS compas! My name is Carlos B. Solorio. Fronterizo aka transborder alien! I was born in Tijuana, BC, Mexico and raised in San Diego, CA. I received my BA in TV, Film & Media Studies from CSULA after transferring from SDSU. My interest for the visual arts spawned from my grandfather who collected antique cameras and captured family gatherings with his polaroid cameras. Growing up as the travieso kid from both sides of the border where the wild things are, the arts always brought me closer to finding my center. While at Mission Bay High School, I learned the language of photography and the process of dark room developing. While at SDSU, I took film history and theory classes that inspired my first short film "Think", which was selected to the Best Fest Student Film Festival, motivating my move to Los Angeles, CA for the film experience. The plan was to stay in the mecca of motion pictures after film school, but I knew my odyssey was to return home to my dual world and capture positive images and stories of our modern day US/Mexico border. I've been blessed to work behind the camera in various projects for non-profit organizations, art movements, musical concerts, tv/radio shows, film festivals, documentaries and independent films. I'm excited and ecstatic to embark on the MALAS journey and believe that the jedi powers gained from the program will catapult me to master the next phases of my personal, professional, and educational careers. I like movies, baseball/soccer, traveling, kerouac books, beer, tacos and love raising two beautiful children with my wife. In honor of my father, my ancestors and all the vatos, chucos, socios, mentors, and compas that came before me, Ahi los wacho! LUKE SPONSLER   Born in another era, I would have
likely been part of a nomadic empire or a cavalier.
Alas, in the 21st century the bicycle is my steed
which I have ridden over much of North American and
Europe. Adventure and travel keeps my spirits
high and my mind at ease. I was born in Chicago, but have lived
in San Diego almost half my life and currently teach
Social Studies for SIATech High School at the San
Diego Job Corps site. I served on the SIATech Board of
Directors from 2010-2013 and in June 2010 I was
awarded the San Diego SIATech Employee of the year. I
obtained my Teaching Credential from San Diego State
University, and received my bachelor of arts in
Anthropology and American Culture Studies from the
Washington University in Saint Louis. I am currently
working toward the Masters of Arts in Liberal Arts and
Sciences at San Diego State University and have been
involved in my community as Ocean Beach Community
Development Corporation Board Member and Project
Manager. CALEB
RAINEYCaleb Rainey graduated from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and majored in Women's and Ethnic Studies with a minor in Sociology. His research interests include social justice, gay male literature and politics, sexuality, and environmentalism. He is hoping to teach and do activist work in local communities upon graduation. THUPTEN TASHI  Hello, My name is Thupten Tashi. I
was born to a Tibetan family in India. I did my high
school and undergraduate studies in India, and move
to the USA in 1998. While in India, I also studied
Buddhist Philosophy from a private institute for
seven years. I was in the MALAS program in
2008, and I had to discontinue for a while. I am
glad to be studying in the MALAS program again. With
the knowledge that I gain from studying in the MALAS
program at SDSU, I strongly feel that I will be able
to accomplish my deeply felt goal to serve the
Tibetan community and to enrich Tibetan culture with
a more modern perspective. Since the Tibetans came
into exile in India, Tibetan youths are being taught
modern education in science, law, economics, and
environments in the medium of English. But Tibetan
language has not progressed in these numerous
subjects. Efforts are being made to translate and
teach all subjects in Tibetan language; however, due
to a shortage of highly educated people in our
society in these fields, so far no standardized
books are being published. I have been urged by my
fellow brothers and sisters to pursue my study and
to engage in such projects which I personally feel
that I can definitely undertake. Unlike other
academic fields, the MALAS program at SDSU allows
one to see gain knowledge in many areas. I am
enjoying this program.JONATHAN VALDEZ  I’m a San
Diego native and after a year from graduating from San
Diego State University with a BA in Asian Studies in
2010, I am back in the mix of school once again. I’ve
been involved in community organizing for the last five
years and that has deeply influenced my drive for
learning about issues that affect all communities. My
interests lies in Asian and Asian American Studies,
Comics Studies, and Ethnic Studies, but I know I’m a
dabbler and with the great diversity in these fields and
in the MALAS program I’m excited to see what’s around
the river bend and to challenge myself with new
things to learn and how to view the world.  I joined the MALAS
Program because it provided me the space to focus on
comic books as academic literature.With Cultural Studies
and Media Studies a core focuses of MALAS, I knew that
this was a program where I could get the support and
guidance as a graduate student with non-traditional
interests. I am currently planning to write a
thesis revolving around the Asian American as a
superhero and exploring both the rhetorical nature
artwork and story and how the writer and artist
construct superheroes of color as well as how comic book
readers receive them. Besides having my nose stuck in a
book or comic, I am a community organizer primarily
working with the Filipino American community where I
currently serve as a mentor in the Kuya Ate Mentorship
Program and as a member of the FilAmFest Organizing
Committee educating the youth and putting on
awesome events for the community. UPDATE: Mr.
Valdez begins his 2nd year in the Ph.D. program in
American Studies at the University of Hawaii, Manoa, Fall
2014. JENNY WEISENBORN  I’m what you call a “TCK”- a
third culture kid. My parents come from two different
cultures and I’ve spent my whole life living in various
places around the world. I’m truly an international
citizen, from both nowhere and everywhere, and I’m
thankful that I’ve had an unusual and diverse
lifestyle. Since graduating from UCLA, where I
focused on biogeography, I’ve continued on the path of
adventure, which has included attending foreign
universities, years of experience teaching English as a
second language abroad, and of course, traveling! The
more off the beaten path, the better.  Photography is one of
my main hobbies and I enjoy doing exhibitions. I’m also
interested in various global issues, such as
conservation. Through the flexibility and creativity of
the MALAS program, I’m curious about ways I can combine
my passions to create fun, meaningful, and inspiring
work. I’m looking forward to another new
adventure! SIOBHAN WHITE  I am excited to pursue
a second master's from SDSU in the MALAS program. I
recieved a BA from USF Tampa in 2004, and moved out west
to complete a MA in Literature from SDSU's English
Dept. After taking a hiatus from graduate study
and immersing myself in the time-consuming labor of
being an adjunct English professor in SD's local
community college districts, I have returned to my own
studies. Between balancing teaching writing and
doing my own writing, I enjoy taking road trips,  chasing the
Kerouacian charm of our national highway system, tasting
and collecting excellent examples of America's booming
craft beer industry, and wandering the CA coast to
contemplate the abyss. Academically, I'm
putting together a study of apocalyptic theory by
contemplating late 20th century literature, contemporary
philosophy, and psychoanalytic reasoning for repression
of memories. The MALAS program is flexible enough
to allow me to pursue this widely interdisciplinary
study and eventually receive a degree for it. The
best of both worlds! RICHARD WHITEHEAD 
Born and raised in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, I began my
college career at the University of Georgia, and then
finished my undergrad at Washington and Jefferson
College with a BA in History and Russian Language--it
was during that time that I studied abroad in Eastern
Europe. In 1999, I received my Social Studies teaching
certification from Penn State University and taught U.S.
History, Government, and World Cultures until June
2010.  I love the game of baseball and
was able to go to Europe to coach. I’ve been known
to watch a good movie and even a bad movie on occasion.
A member of the
Pennsylvania Bigfoot Society, my interests are
broad--and when choosing a Masters program, the MALAS
program @ SDSU was the perfect fit. The current
focus of my thesis is to look how technology is
influencing religion, culture and society.KELCEY WILSON  Born in Pasadena, California,
Kelcey Wilson studied philosophy at Boston College,
where he received his Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, in
1998. Kelcey has had an eclectic work history, including
jobs such as motorcycle courier, U.S. Navy Radioman,
production manager for a toy company, Production Editor
for Harvard Business School’s Business History Review,
and, most recently, owner of a coffee shop. Observing
the role media played in encouraging the unprovoked 2003
invasion of Iraq, he became interested in the
relationship between media and politics,  and enrolled in the Mass Communication and
Media Studies program at SDSU in 2004, but quickly found
the program limiting and transferred into MALAS. Kelcey
has spent his time at State developing strategies for
improving government, particularly through
Internet-based transparency and campaign innovations. He
is currently working on his thesis project, which is
mainly a multimedia documentary of his glorious if not
entirely successful 2008 campaign for President of the
United States of America.NORMA WITZEL  Hi there, my name is Norma
Witzel and I am a new MALAS graduate student. I
received my BA in SociologyPolitical
Science with a minor in History
from the University of California San Diego in
2010. I have always loved school and learning, and
I have a special love for all things related to
liberal arts and humanities. After undergraduate
school I took a few course at community college
just for fun, but I always knew I would eventually
want to get my masters. When the time felt right
to go back, I began to look into graduate
programs, but I was beginning to feel defeated
since I did not want to commit myself entirely to
one field. This is when I stumbled upon the MALAS
website. After reading the description I instantly
knew that this was the right program for me.
Through MALAS I will be able to pursue my academic
interests without being held within the confines
of one subject. I have not yet definitively
decided whether I will be taking the comprehensive
exam or the thesis, as that decision is a year
away for me at the moment, but there are definite
pros and cons to both routes. If I do pursue a
thesis I am interested in the idea of social
deviance and how that idea has developed and
changed throughout history. I am excited to begin
this new chapter in my life and the embark upon
the journey that is the MALAS program.JANEAN THURBER YINGLING  I have found that learning does not end just because I have a piece of paper with a degree stamped on it. Realizing that satisfying my curiosity was much more interesting than working, I have become a perpetual student ever since leaving college (GO, Boise State Broncos!). I have slowly worked my way down the Pacific coast, first as a psychiatric aid in Seattle, then as a music student and piano teacher in Sacramento, and now as a happy MALAS graduate student in San Diego. My bachelor’s degree is in psychology. After a short stint as a graduate student in neuropsychology, I left the field and finally fell madly in love with music (much to my mother’s happiness after paying for years of piano lessons). I studied musicology for one semester at SDSU but missed the sciences terribly so I switched to the MALAS program. I now have the unique opportunity to pick and choose from the best of SDSU’s humanities and science courses.  My long list of interests
includes wanting to know more about human brain
function, the workings of the cosmos, animal
evolution, and (finally!) how to play Chopin’s “Black
Keys” etude. I tear up when I see a da Vinci
painting and sigh at hearing Rachmaninoff. I
want to understand the thoughts of the great thinkers,
work towards women’s equality, hone my debating
skills, open educators’ eyes to the power of science
and rationality, and help the world’s children to go
to bed with full stomachs. I want to develop in my children the curiosity of Richard Feynman, the wonder of Carl Sagan, and the inspiration of Beethoven. The MALAS program is the only place I can pursue my education MY way so I can feel prepared to pass on this knowledge to the next in line. Following my great-grandmother’s lead, for every big birthday (the ones that end in “0”) I am taking on a new challenge. For the last one it was a triathlon. This time it’s a master’s degree. Will I learn the cello when I’m 80 like she did? Stay tuned! Besides learning, I love traveling and throwing a great party! |
  the master of arts in liberal arts & sciences at san diego state university |
| MALAS is the Master of Arts in Liberal Arts & Sciences, an interdisciplinary/cultural studies graduate program in the College of Arts and Letters @ San Diego State University • office mothership: Arts and Letters, 226B • phone: (619) 594.1516 • fax: (619) 594.4998 • mail: 5500 Campanile Drive, mailcode: 6020, San Diego, CA 92182-6020 • Director and Graduate Advisor: Dr. William A. Nericcio • Administrative Coordinator/Guru: Katie Waltman |
KIM
ELLISON
Hello all! I hail originally
from Los Angeles, where I grew up doing Junior
Lifeguards each summer until I overcame my utter lack
of coordination and became a proficient
surfer. With my umbilical cord still attached to
the Pacific I moved to San Diego to study Anthropology
at UCSD and further delve into the Ocean’s bounty by
gorging myself on the meaty peaks at Black’s beach.
Early travel to far flung regions such as Micronesia,
Mexico, and Greece had opened my eyes to the
adaptability of humans and inspired a fascination with
the interaction between culture and
environment. I am excited to be at MALAS as it
seems an ideal place to further my grand ambition to
promote the positive cultural exchange tourism makes
possible. I aim to create a thesis
that looks into how positive potentials can be
maximized by empowering local cultures in the process
of development. As a pragmatist with a radical bent
towards equality and cooperation (!Freedom throughout
the Universe!) I see advancing technology and a
growing understanding of the potentials and pitfalls
of tourism combining to lead a revolution in how
tourism is both developed and received.
Hello
MALAS people! My name is Xinyi Lu (Hazel). I am an
international student from China and have been in
the United States since 2010. First, I studied at
Syracuse University and then transferred to
Australia to complete my B.A. in Media,
Communication and Culture. I joined MALAS in SDSU
because I love the arts. I enjoy all forms of arts,
including photography, music, cinema, and books. I
go to cities just to see all the art museums, and
NYC is my mecca. I am also obsessed with film and
music (I think they literally better my life). And
MALAS is the program that gives me the access to all
my interests. This program is really fun, and
learning what I am interested in with MALAS makes
the entire process more enjoyable. I had seminars
focusing on women’s studies/ gender, race, and
social justice. I genuinely like all the courses
that I have encountered. 
Learning
through watching films and reading books is such a
pleasant experience that keeps me being engrossed in
the content. It's a pleasure-filled process that
helps me gradually uncover what I truly like, and
what I want to do in the future. What’s fascinating
is that I can fuse different fields together and in
the process, I get myself focused better for my
research. For example, I have learned to analyze
contemporary cinema focused on racial issues even as
I was learning how to curate art galleries
focusing on themes of female empowerment. And we
have a lot of cool professors!!!