Undergraduate Distinguished Achievement Awardees 2022

Selena Giselle Perez, Labor & Employment Studies – Hood Recipient

Selena Perez represents the absolute best of SF State’s core values in terms of her family background, community involvement, academic achievements, work experience, positive ambition, and determination to follow a career path dedicated to social and racial justice.

Family Background: Selena is a first-generation Mexican American graduate, who was raised by a working-class single mother. Selena’s mother migrated from Mexico to the United States to escape poverty and seek better opportunities for herself and her children. Selena’s father was incarcerated for 15 years and subsequently deported to Mexico. Raised by her mother, Selena and her four siblings were forced to move several times in search of financial and employment stability. Higher education did not seem a realistic goal for most of her childhood.

Educational Experience: Selena left home aged 17 to attend community college, first in Stockton. She eventually attended three California community colleges before transferring to SF State in 2021, where she has made the Dean’s List for four consecutive semesters. While attending college, Selena has worked several low-wage jobs: sales associate, barista, cashier, line cook, and shift leader. Selena says that witnessing the mistreatment and exploitation of coworkers -- many of whom spoke little or no English and had little knowledge of labor laws -- is what most encouraged her to pursue a degree in Labor and Employment Studies at SF State.   

Extensive Community Service:  For years, Selena has volunteered with local community and social justice organizations, including Oakland Rising, a social justice community organization based in East and West Oakland; and Reimagine Richmond, which is committed to improving public safety and equity in the East Bay city. Selena’s experiences volunteering with these community organizations have strengthened her resolve to pursue a career dedicated to furthering social, racial and economic justice.

Current Employment and Future Academic and Career Goals: Even as she completes her degree, Selena already works full-time for the Service Employees International Union, proving administrative and logistical support for the landmark nationwide campaign, “Fight for 15” (which lobbies for a minimum $15 per hour wage and the right to choose a union for fast-food workers) and “We Drive Progress” (which aims to improve the employment conditions for app-based drivers). Next year, Selena will apply to law school, and then wants to practice labor law. After that, she would like to stand for local public office in order to advance the causes of social and racial justice.

Lan Hu – Accounting Department

Lan Hu was born in China and moved to the United States six years ago. She is a first-generation college student, and her interest in accounting gradually developed as she learned how accounting is pivotal to business operations and enhances value to the overall society. At SF State, Lan joined Beta Alpha Psi (BAP) in her sophomore year. She held numerous officer positions, including Director of Social Affairs, Director of Professional Development, Executive Vice President, and President. As President, she strengthened the partnership with her officers, other student leaders, faculty, four departments, and the College to expand opportunities for the students. Her crowning achievement occurred in Fall 2020 when she led the first Virtual Meet the Firms. In addition to her involvement in BAP, Lan served in the Volunteer Income Assistance Program (VITA) of BAP for two tax filing seasons as a Tax Preparer and later as a Site Manager. She viewed this involvement as a way to give back to the community. These valuable experiences have enhanced her knowledge of the accounting field, developed her professional and leadership skills, and ultimately enriched her four-year university journey. Shortly after graduation, Lan will work as an audit intern at PwC during the summer. She also plans to sit for the CPA exam and achieve her goal of becoming a CPA. Lan believes that her coursework and her extracurricular activities at SF State have fully prepared her to begin her professional career. Moving forward, she will continue trying to make a difference in others' lives.

Sandeep Kahlon – Decision Sciences Department

Sandeep Kahlon is graduating Summa Cum Laude in Spring 2022 with a major in Decision Sciences. He is a first-generation Punjabi-American and the first individual to graduate college from his immediate family. Growing up, he worked in various labor-intensive positions and connected with small business owners in his hometown of Rocklin, California. Sandeep was inspired to bring similar values, ideas, and work ethic from these experiences into his studies. Sandeep is honored to pursue a career in Decision Sciences as he perceives the field to be influential, impactful, and cutting-edge in driving data-backed decisions with financial, social, and environmental impacts. He credits his success to the Decision Sciences faculty who have educated, nurtured, and advised him throughout his academic journey. While attending SFSU, Sandeep actively serves as a DS Supplemental Instructor for DS 412 where he shares his passion and experience in operations management with other students and faculty of the DS department. Additionally, Sandeep is the founder of the new multidisciplinary Decision Sciences and Analytics Association (DSAA) within the LFCoB, which serves as a platform for programming, advanced analytics, simulation, and statistical experimentation. Sandeep is planning to go to graduate school in the related field of Data Science and has offers from institutions such as George Washington University and the University of Southern California.

Tannaz Haghi – Economics Department

Tannaz Haghi is a senior at SF State, where she is majoring in Economics. She has secured A’s in all her courses at SF State and has a 3.97 GPA. Her interest in economics began in 2008 when her family lost everything due to the financial crisis. Since then, she has always questioned the workings of the economy. Her first economics class in community college motivated her to explore the subject further. At the end of her undergraduate career, she feels there is much more to learn. She will continue her education at SF State in the Fall of 2022 to pursue a Master of Science in Quantitative Economics. This year, she had the privilege of working with her mentor, Dr. Anoshua Chaudhuri, as a research assistant on two research projects. She is assisting with data analysis and data visualization for a community-based research project with San Francisco Small Business Commission and will be assisting the campus team on the Housing Needs Survey this semester. Tannaz aspires to pursue a career in the government conducting research and perhaps influencing policy. When she is not busy studying economics, she enjoys time with her family and hiking with her dog. 

David Albert Kingsford – Finance Department

During my time at San Francisco State, I was a double major in Business Administration, with concentrations in Finance and Marketing. During this time I have prided myself on my strong academic record and work ethic, and have always wanted to, if possible, help my fellow classmates along the way.

I grew up in a small town in the Central Valley, and my love for the city's Bay Area sports teams brought me to SFSU in the Fall of 2018. The diverse culture and welcoming professors encouraged me to pick up a second major, and I’m extremely appreciative of their guidance through rather uncertain circumstances that we’ve seen over the past 2 years.

Outside of my academics, I have worked as a 49ers Event Sales Specialist, Junior Giants Baseball Coach, and am now a Program Lead for the San Francisco 49ers. All three of these roles have surrounded sports philanthropic fundraising and/or service to various California communities, and have greatly shaped my personal career aspirations. In the past year under my current role, I have been able to raise over $350,000 through my program to support local Bay Area youth. I plan on returning to school in the near future to earn my MBA to help achieve my long-term goal of being a high-level executive for a professional sports organization.

In my personal life, I enjoy photography, art, music, and playing sports with my friends. After graduation, I plan on traveling around the world once normalcy resumes, and am looking forward to being a proud Gator Alumnus!

David Machajewski – General Business Department

I was born and raised in the East Bay Area, and my life has been deeply formed by the relationship I have with both of my parents. My relationship with my parents has helped me through school and my life, as both my mother and father have always encouraged me to do whatever I want to do. The support of my parents has allowed me to be an accomplished violinist and leader, participating in SF State’s Orchestra and Chamber Groups as a section leader and driving me to always strive for perfection in whatever task I pursue.

My 4.0 GPA at SF State reflects my drive and focus to do the absolute best I can on everything I work on. When I graduate, I hope to go into the field of business and continue to apply my skills and determination to all future endeavors.

Kain J. Kotoucek – Hospitality & Tourism Management Department

Kain J. Kotoucek’s statement: HTM At 16 I attended the Carol Martin Gatton Academy for Science and Mathematics at Western Kentucky University. Over the next four years, I studied Civil Engineering and Chinese. For a long time, I thought I was in love with what I was studying, but as time went on, I realized I was only infatuated with the challenge that these subjects provided. I took some time off of school and began working in hotels and restaurants. It is here where I found my true passion to be in hospitality. I went to school full-time at San Francisco State University by day and tended a bar at a rooftop lounge in SOMA by night. While this was not easy, this time was incredibly special to me. Everything I would learn during the day in class, I could use at night in my job. I then took this challenge a step further and assisted Dr. Roe and Dr. Smith in completing a research project that was published in an academic journal on how restaurants utilized GoFundMe’sduring the pandemic.

In January 2022 I moved to the Big Island of Hawaii to participate in the Auberge Resorts Collection Manager Development Program at Mauna Lani. I was recently promoted to Food and Beverage Manager and currently work at CanoeHouse restaurant, which is a Hawaiian/Japanese fusion restaurant. CanoeHouse was recently voted one of the top 10 restaurants in the state of Hawaii and number one on the Big Island. When I am not working, I spend my time outside mostly (which is pretty common in Hawaii). I volunteer to tend a garden on the Kohala Coast once a week and hit the golf course or the beach whenever I can. My future plans are to keep growing within this company, develop and hone my ability to lead a team, and someday become a GM of a luxury resort.

On Ki Lai – Information Systems Department

Ms. On Ki Lai is a first-generation immigrant from Hong Kong. She moved to the US with her family after finishing high school. She enrolled in college, but she dropped out two years later to take care of her family. During this time, she worked at a bank, where hard work led to a promotion as a loan officer, despite not having a college degree. During her six years of working in the banking industry, she found little satisfaction, but she continued to work to support her family.

After fulfilling her family obligations, she decided to give up her well-paying job and move to the public sector, serving the community, especially those with language barriers. She became an emergency dispatcher in San Francisco. Although it was a very stressful environment, she found her work very fulfilling, saving lives through her service.

Her priorities changed after becoming a mother. Reminiscing about what she could have achieved had she completed her college degree, she decided to go back to school and finish her education. While it was challenging to raise a child and take 18 units, she insisted on it. In doing so, she set an example for her son that no matter what life throws at you, it is possible to achieve one’s goal with discipline, consistency, and determination. Ms. On Ki Lai is a double-major in Information Systems and Decision Sciences.

Christina Jauregui – International Business Department

I was born and raised in Vienna, Austria, and what influences me most is my upbringing: my family is a constant source of inspiration and I aspire to their level of integrity, hard work, and desire to help others succeed.

Soon after moving to the US, I realized that what I had studied in my country wasn’t enough to compete in the Bay Area. So I enrolled in community college while working full-time. As I pushed hard and climbed the corporate ladder within my workplace, my desire to progress at university increased, knowing that in the end, it would enable me to be in a position where I can have a greater impact on the workforce’s welfare. I was attracted to the International Business major because it offers tools to accomplish just that and I plan to use them to empower others and create positive change.

Besides my full-time job, I was afforded the opportunity to tutor for some classes, which is an extension of what I have been doing “on the side” since I was 14. As my skills grew, so did what I could offer: from languages to Excel skills to financial literacy to international business matters.

My future aspirations lie in sparking interest in higher education and creating a more equal, diverse, and inclusive workspace following the footsteps of my professors who have helped me succeed and opened doors I didn't know existed. A great deal of who I have become at San Francisco State is owed to them.

Kaylie Hagen – Management Department

Kaylie Hagen became a first-generation college student when she took a leap of faith and enrolled in community college after working for a few years in banking and healthcare administration.  Her passion for working with others and solving complex problems eventually led her to major in Management at SF State.   Outside of school, she has spent many hours volunteering to care for patients at John Muir Hospital, which helped her develop people skills while communicating and connecting with others. She currently serves as the President of the Management Organization for Business Students (MOBS), which exists to enhance students' experiences and give them tools to succeed academically and professionally. Managing the MOBS team of volunteers and driving its mission has been a great learning experience for Kaylie.  Her near-term goal is to work in healthcare administration, and she hopes to earn an MBA and eventually become the CEO of a hospital or healthcare organization.

Marc Gabriel De Ocampo – Marketing Department

Marc Gabriel De Ocampo is a first-generation Filipino American, studying Marketing and Information Systems at San Francisco State University. During his early youth, Marc’s parents worked double jobs to make ends meet and provide a sustainable living for him and his brother. Determined to help relieve a portion of his family’s financial needs, 12-year-old Marc created his own business at his middle school, waking up at 5:00 am each day to bake cookies and brownies, which he sold to his peers for $1 each. It was through this experience that he fell in love with the concept of business and marketing.

During his time at SF State, Marc opened doors for his peers to succeed in the business tech industry. Combining his interests in consumer behavior, marketing analytics, and product marketing, he cofounded the Gator LinkedIn Group in the Fall of 2020 amid the pandemic, where he organized, promoted, and led community information sessions and workshops to help Gator students gain the confidence and knowledge needed to expand their professional development. Gator LinkedIn Group has helped over 100+ Gator students bridge the gap between students and businesses through providing the fundamentals of networking, LinkedIn, and resume building. Marc takes pride in helping others build and succeed in their careers and uses his passion for marketing to create pathways for him and his peers to flourish.

In addition to his exceptional leadership as former Vice President and current President of the Gator LinkedIn Group, he has a 3.97 GPA with a concentration in Marketing and Information Systems and is a recipient of the CIO Scholarship fund. He is also a proud member of Alpha Kappa Psi and serves as their Vice President of Marketing. Upon graduation, he is set to advance his ambitions with Wells Fargo as an incoming Data Analyst for the Strategy, Digital, and Innovation team. He looks forward to representing SF State as a dedicated business leader and hopes to inspire others along the way.