In celebration of reaching the historic milestone of three million living alumni, the California State University has chosen three graduates to each receive a $10,000 scholarship, sponsored by Herff Jones. The winners—Paul Gomez (Cal State L.A.); Gordon Jones (CSU Northridge); Dana Stemig (San José State and CSU Stanislaus)were randomly selected from the thousands of entries on CSU’s Class of 3 Million Yearbook. Scholarships may be used for continuing their own education, given to a current or future student to be used at any accredited higher education institution, or donated to a CSU campus to support students.

“Herff Jones is honored to recognize and support CSU in their milestone achievement of three million alumni,” said Monika Sinclair, director of strategic partnerships at Herff Jones. “We’re proud to participate in this celebration and excited for the scholarship recipients. Congratulations Class of 2015 and CSU alumni!”

The Class of 3 Million celebration began in October and will culminate in May and June with the graduation of more than 100,000 students. Throughout the celebration, alumni from all 23 of the CSU campuses made connections to each other by creating an online yearbook profile, sharing stories about faculty and staff members who inspired them, and supporting current and future students through volunteering, donating and advocating for the university.

“One in twenty Americans with a college degree earned that degree at the CSU,” said Aaron Moore, director of advancement at the CSU Chancellor’s Office. “The positive contributions of the CSU alumni family to California, the nation, and the world simply cannot be overstated. The Class of 3 Million celebrates these contributions and the Herff Jones scholarships provide a wonderful way to promote lifelong education for our current and future graduates.”

Conferring more than 100,000 degrees annually, the CSU continues to lead in providing a high-quality, affordable education. The university has produced industry pioneers who have taken their fields to the next level, including NASA astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson, Rubio’s Restaurants founder Ralph Rubio, Bluetooth creator Jim Kardach, and LucasFilm president Kathleen Kennedy. In 2014-15, the CSU will exceed three million living, addressable alumni, which includes graduates from all CSU campuses as well as the Class of 2015. Each spring graduate in the Class of 2015 will receive a Class of 3 Million wristband to commemorate being part of the Class of 3 Million graduation celebration.

About the California State University
The California State University is the largest system of senior higher education in the country, with 23 campuses, more than 460,000 students and 47,000 faculty and staff. Created in 1961, the CSU awards more than 100,000 exceptional degrees annually and this spring will be celebrating the milestone of reaching 3 Million alumni. The CSU is renowned for the quality of its teaching and for the job-ready graduates it produces. The mission of the CSU is to provide high-quality, affordable education to meet the ever changing needs of the people of California. With its commitment to excellence, diversity and innovation, the CSU is the university system that is working for California. Connect with and learn more about the CSU at CSU Social Media.