Ensuring that every student at California State University, Northridge has the tools they need to succeed drives everything that Freddie Sánchez does at CSUN.

For his commitment to advancing holistic student support and success strategies, Sánchez, CSUN’s assistant vice president of student affairs for equity and inclusion, has been recognized with one of the California State University’s highest honors — the Wang Family Excellence Award.

“It feels surreal to learn that I got the Wang Family Excellence Award,” Sanchez said. “Chancellor (Mildred) Garcia was the one who called me, and I told her that what makes this honor so significant is that it focuses on our students and our contributions to them. That’s what makes this award so exciting for me — it’s the acknowledgement of our equity-centered framework and philosophy.”

The Wang Family Excellence Award is given each year to four CSU faculty members and one CSU administrator who, through extraordinary commitment and dedication, have distinguished themselves in their academic disciplines or university assignments. The awards, which include $20,000 to each recipient, were established in 1998 through a gift from CSU Trustee Emeritus Stanley T. Wang and administered through the CSU Foundation. Sánchez formally received the honor on (today) Tuesday, Jan. 28, during a meeting of the CSU Board of Trustees.

In her letter to Sánchez formally informing him of the award, Garcia thanked him for his “unwavering commitment to the California State University and our students.”

CSUN President Erika D. Beck hailed Sánchez as “an unrelenting champion of our students” when nominating him for the Wang Award,

“Dr. Sánchez is a passionate advocate for equitable access to higher education and a dynamic changemaker focused on empowerment of historically underserved student populations,” she wrote. “Recognizing the criticality of fostering a sense of belonging for our students, Dr. Sánchez has created authentic opportunities for students from every background, identity and lived experience to genuinely feel seen, supported and celebrated. Students learn from Dr. Sánchez that their identity is their power.”

Sánchez acknowledged that receiving an award for his equity-centered work is important now more than ever.

“Our focus on equity is not in response to the moment, but with long-term impact in mind. The issues we are looking to address are how do we create practices, policies and programming that elevate our students to learn about themselves, learn about others, and then be able to work in their communities and sustain themselves beyond these walls and be productive, active, contributing members of our society,” he said. “We’re hoping to build character for our students, so that they can boldly and courageously do that for themselves. That’s what’s important. That’s why we need to step up, do the work and continue to do the work, even when it’s the most difficult.”

In his previous role as associate director of programs and inclusion for CSUN’s University Student Union, Sánchez expanded capacity and resources for CSUN students though the university’s Pride Center, Veterans Resource Center and the DREAM Center and was a leader in the university’s shift from a deficit model to an asset-based framework. He also pioneered programs that engender belonging, such as the Women Inspired to Succeed and Discover Opportunities through Mentoring (WISDOM) program and the HEAL Project, which connects CSUN’s at-promise students with tools and resources they need to thrive in college and complete their degrees.

Sánchez serves as co-chair of CSUN’s Commission on Diversity and Inclusion and also served as one of three campus leaders responsible for guiding CSUN successfully through the process for earning the Seal of Excelencia from Excelencia in Education. In 2021, he assumed co-leadership of a research study to explore the feasibility and impact of identity-based resource centers to eliminate equity gaps, in alignment with the CSU’s Graduation Initiative 2025 goals. Throughout this project, he ensured that the resulting report and recommendations incorporated the ideas, insights and feedback of the students the centers serve.

Sánchez pointed out that regardless of the political climate, universities and colleges are facing challenges as they compete for an ever shrinking, yet increasingly diverse, college-age, college-ready population.

“If we create an environment where all students know they will have the support they need to succeed, then I think we have an edge on other universities,” he said. “But you can’t just say that you’re welcoming, you have to prove it. You have to make it a reality.”