Fresno State President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval greeted 50 high-achieving high school graduates from across California who make up the 26th cohort of the Smittcamp Family Honors College.

Established in 1998 through a generous $1 million gift from Earl and Muriel Smittcamp, the Smittcamp Family Honors College continues to thrive with support from the Smittcamp family, local donors and alumni.

The incoming class was selected from a competitive pool of over 500 applicants, said Dr. Saeed Attar, director of the Smittcamp Family Honors College. Each scholar receives a President’s Honors Scholarship, up to a maximum of eight semesters, for their undergraduate degree program. Each scholarship, valued at $6,000 per academic year, also covers an optional credit for a standard room in university housing should a scholar choose to live on campus.

Orange Cove’s First Honors Scholar

Among the new scholars is Adilene Gomez, a first-generation college student who is the first-ever honors scholar from Orange Cove High School. Growing up in a rural town after moving from Las Vegas, Gomez found solace in her close-knit community, which mirrored her own Mexican American heritage. However, as the first in her family to attend college, she faced significant challenges, particularly navigating the complexities of the college application process without familial support.

“When I was looking at colleges, it was difficult at first,” Gomez said. “The process required certain paperwork that my parents, as non-citizens, couldn’t provide. This added a lot of stress, and I often wondered if I could afford college at all.”

Encouraged by a high school staff member who was a Fresno State alumna and a Smittcamp scholar, Gomez decided to apply for the Smittcamp Honors College, even though the program seemed “so prestigious” that she initially doubted her chances of getting in.

The honors college in the California State University system is distinctive because it admits President’s Scholars as a cohort. The scholars undergo a set of specially crafted honors courses, engage in weekly colloquiums with guest speakers and discussions, and participate in educational, scholarly and social activities.

“When I received the email that I was admitted, I cried,” Gomez said. “It was a reminder that when one door closes, another opens. I realized that with determination and hard work, nothing is out of reach.”

Gomez is pursuing a pre-health major with a focus on nursing, drawn to the field’s broad opportunities to make a difference in people’s lives. She is eager to immerse herself in the diverse campus environment and is already building connections with her peers. Through the honors college, Gomez looks forward to giving back to her community, a core value of the program through community service work.

Community Service Required

President’s Scholars are required to perform a minimum of 70 hours of community service during their four-year stay. For example, during the academic year 2023-24, scholars performed a total of 4,045 hours of community service at 67 events with 37 organizations on and off campus.

“I’m so grateful for this opportunity,” Gomez said. “There’s really no program in the country like this one. It’s an honor to be here, and I’m excited to see how I can grow and contribute over the next four years.”

To remain a member in good standing, a scholar must enroll in at least 12 units each semester and maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25 in their first year, 3.35 in the second year, and 3.5 in third and fourth years. Over 90% of the President’s Scholars graduate in four years, mostly with the summa cum laude (3.9 to 4.0 GPA) distinction.

The 2024 President’s Scholars

• Ray Alfaro (Firebaugh High)
• Taleen Alkhayyat (Madera High)
• Johnathan Andrade (Riverdale High)
• Jaskaran Badesha (Sanger High)
• Lavina Botros (Clovis North High)
• Bryson Brandon (Kingsburg High)
• Benjamin Bylsma (Turlock Christian High)
• Isabelle Caquias (Reedley Middle College High)
• Christian R.J. Castillo (Clovis East High)
• Leanne Chavez (Clovis East High)
• Mya Correa (Golden West High-Visalia)
• Kamdyn Dotson (Buchanan High)
• Victoria Edwards (Clovis High)
• Luis Alonso Figueroa Hernández (Kerman High)
• Brendan Fregoso (Hallmark Charter School-Sanger)
• Delyssa Garcia (Fowler High)
• Genesis Garcia (Parlier High)
• Jonathan Gerena (Clovis North High)
• Adilene Gomez (Orange Cove High)
• Giselle Gomez (Justin Garza High)
• Sophie Heu (Clovis High)
• Alyiah Imperial (Sierra Pacific High)
• Harmanpreet Kaur (Clovis North High)
• Yamin Kiwan (University High)
• Kelsey Lieng (Buchanan High)
• Ella Lopez (Clovis High)
• Luis Macias (McLane High)
• Luz Angelica Medina (Corcoran High)
• Kaitlyn Mundello (John H. Pitman High-Turlock)
• Luciano Noguera (Redwood High-Visalia)
• Sam Elisha Pakingan (Clovis East High)
• Kernpal Parmar (Clovis East High)
• Andrea Parra Lopez (Dinuba High)
• Sopanha Peo (University High)
• Mustafa Ramadan (Clovis North High)
• Maxine Ramirez (Clovis North High)
• Sophia Riser (University High)
• Jacqueline Rocha (Fowler High)
• Angela Rosa (Firebaugh High)
• Lukas Rosas (Santa Maria High)
• Emily Sahakian (Buchanan High)
• Anessa Sarieddine (Clovis High)
• Manroop Singh (Sanger High)
• Harjap Singh (Clovis East High)
• Areeba Syed (Clovis North High)
• Austin Tathong (Clovis West High)
• Palak Tohan (Selma High)
• Kevin Vang (Sunnyside High)
• Brianna Voon (University High)
• Julia Yang (Clovis North)