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2024-2025 Impact Report

Building Belonging, Advancing Equity

Equity at CSM is not just a value; it is a practice embedded across our campus that we strive to make stronger every semester. This year, we celebrated our federal designations as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and Asian American, Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI), which affirm our responsibility to create inclusive pathways to completion and beyond. Our community gathered for cultural celebrations, including Día de Los Muertos, Lunar New Year, Kamayan Night, and Black History Month. We opened our College of San Mateo Coastside educational site at Half Moon Bay, bringing opportunity and educational resources closer to the community. New spaces like the Pride Center gave students space to build community. Nationally, leaders like Dr. Finausina Tovo, who at the time was the Program Services Coordinator for CSM’s MANA learning community, carried our message of equity to the White House, showing how CSM’s commitment extends beyond San Mateo County.

Construyendo Sentido de Pertenencia, Avanzando la Equidad

La equidad en CSM no es solo un valor; es una práctica integrada en todo nuestro campus que nos esforzamos por fortalecer cada semestre. Este año celebramos nuestras designaciones federales como Institución al Servicio de los Hispanos (HSI) y como Institución al Servicio de los Asiático-Americanos y Nativos de las Islas del Pacífico (AANAPISI), que afirman nuestra responsabilidad de crear trayectorias inclusivas hacia la culminación y el más allá. Nuestra comunidad se reunió para celebraciones culturales como el Día de los Muertos, el Año Nuevo Lunar, la Noche Kamayan y el Mes de la Historia Negra. Inauguramos nuestro sitio educativo CSM Coastside en Half Moon Bay, acercando oportunidades y recursos educativos a la comunidad. Nuevos espacios, como el Pride Center, ofrecieron a nuestros estudiantes un lugar para crear comunidad. A nivel nacional, líderes como la Dra. Finausina Tovo, que en ese tiempo fue la coordinadora de servicios de programas de la comunidad de aprendizaje MANA de CSM, llevaron nuestro mensaje de equidad hasta la Casa Blanca, demostrando que el compromiso de CSM se extiende más allá del condado de San Mateo. 

Connection & Care at CSM Pride Center

Opened in Spring 2025, the CSM Pride Center gives 2SLGBTQIA+ students a daily, visible home, created in response to the College’s Campus Pride index national assessment and an internal campus survey that identified gaps in belonging, safety, and affirming services for 2SLGBTQIA+ students. The staffed space co-locates counseling, resource navigation, SafeZone training, student-led peer support, and workshops.

CSM Pride Center

Celebrating Who We Are

From community traditional Kamayan feasts to student-led cultural celebrations like Día de los Muertos, CSM showcased the stories and traditions that define us. The result: stronger ties, deeper learning, and a campus that feels like a truly connected community. We will continue to make space for everyone to see their fullest selves reflected on campus.

Día de los Muertos Celebration

Policy Meets Practice: CSM in Washington

This year, CSM’s Dr. Finausina Tovo joined Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (NHPI) leaders at the Inaugural White House NHPI Convening. On an education panel spanning pre-K through higher education, she brought CSM’s community-informed strategies into a federal conversation representing 1.6 million NHPI people. Her leadership connected policy dialogue to local practice at CSM, where the MANA learning community, which serves CSM’s Oceania student population, marks its tenth year as a model for culturally sustaining support. We’re proud to see CSM perspectives helping set the agenda for student-centered policy.

Dr. Finausina Tovo

Students Leading the Way in Antiracism Work

When students lead antiracism work, solutions meet the moment. CSM’s Title V HSI grant provided micro-grants that funded projects, such as a Literacy Circle centered on authors of color and peer programming to identify and address microaggressions. Along the way, students developed career-ready skills in project management, facilitation, and evaluation, while strengthening a sense of belonging and accountability across campus.