CSU Trustee Award Winner Fernando Sánchez López Lives with Purpose

Fernando Sánchez López, '25 Computer Engineering, speaks three languages: English, Spanish and the language of computers.

"I like to say that I know how to talk to the computer in some way, to do or create something," he says.

As San José State's recipient of the 2024 CSU Trustee Award, which recognizes students who have "overcome adversity and have attributes of merit including superior academic performance, significant personal achievements, and exemplary community service," he clearly speaks this third language just as fluently as the other two.

His journey to SJSU wasn't a simple one.

A native of Mexico City, Sánchez López was raised largely by his grandparents after his parents immigrated to the United States when he was three years old. "It was one of the most prevailing challenges in my life," he explains. "Both my mom and my dad would call me every day and they would visit every so often. Everyone was present, but just not in the traditional way."

This challenge was "heightened" when his parents separated and his dad was deported to Mexico. After high school, Sánchez López decided to reunite with his mother and attend college in the United States. He began his US education at the College of Marin in 2018. Then in early 2021, due to Mexican and US governmental policy changes, his mom lost her ability to work legally in the United States. Both she and Sánchez López became undocumented as a result.

"Despite that, we still decided to stay here in the country because I was only halfway through my journey in education," Sánchez López explains.

It was a difficult time, but he leaned on support from friends and mentors at the College of Marin. And since he transferred to SJSU in fall 2021, he has received support from various SJSU centers, including theUndocuSpartan Student Resource Center, Centro (a.k.a. theChicanx/Latinx Student Success Center) and theNative American Indigenous Student Success Center(NAISSC). Together, they figured out a path for his continued education.

His main challenge was financial; as an undocumented and non-DACA student, he doesn't qualify for any kind of government-based financial aid, and he's unable to acquire a work permit. "I rely solely on scholarships and opportunities like that to fund my education and relieve the financial burden that comes with additional expenses," he explains. "[But] all those support systems allowed me to continue my journey and overcome those different challenges."

Learning to thrive

In spite of these challenges, Sánchez López saw his immigration to the United States as a "clean slate" that "allowed me to explore more of myself." In community college, he joined student government, working his way up to the role of president. "I discovered what community involvement can do not only for me, but also for others," he says. "It was a win-win situation." When he transferred to SJSU, he says, "I knew I wanted to translate that to San José State and continue to be involved."

So he did: During his first year he participated in events and programs organized by Centro; the Mathematics, Engineering, Science, Achievement (MESA) Engineering Program; the MOSAIC Cross Cultural Center, and the César E. Chávez Community Action Center (CCCAC). He also joined student organizations like the Society of Latino Engineers and Scientists (SOLES), Science Extravaganza, and Hermanx de SJSU, where he quickly found a new home.

"Sometimes it's really hard being Latinx in engineering," Sánchez López explains. "In most of my classes, I'm one of five or six Latinx students and that count's even lower in engineering. SOLES provides me with a community of people within engineering who look like me. And we share interests because most of our club members are Latinx-identifying or come from backgrounds similar to mine."

A home and a purpose

He didn't just find a home; he found a purpose. "I knew I wanted to keep giving back to my community," he says.

Through SOLES and Centro he volunteers for panels and other events with middle- and high-school students from the local area, focusing specifically on East San José, to encourage them to pursue STEM careers.

"I love talking about my journey and my experience," he says. "I'm open about my undocumented status, my financial status, what I am and where I come from. I have no shame in sharing it."

After a recent high school panel, where he spoke about navigating college while undocumented, two students approached him. They told him they were both undocumented, too, and had no idea that college was even an option before he'd spoken about it. True to form, he gave them his information and asked them to keep in touch.

"It's about being that testimony that even with those challenges, you're still able to succeed," Sánchez López explains. "That's important. I really value representation in everything: representation of all the different challenges, identities and intersectionalities that exist."

The reward of an award

Even with all his impressive efforts, Sánchez López was surprised to hear he'd received the CSU Trustee Award. He was on vacation in New York City when the news came through.

"I remember getting that email and I could not even believe it," he says. "I remember thinking, 'This seems like a scam or something,' but then I double-checked the email address, and I just thought, 'Wow. This is truly an honor.' I was shocked."

"This is a really big deal for me because it recognizes the effort I've put in and the work that I've done academically and non-academically," he adds. "It validates that effort, it makes me feel supported financially, and it pushes me to keep going in this last home stretch to graduation."

The financial award also "eases a lot of the financial burden that comes with education," as Sánchez López explains. "That's the most important part: the financial relief, but also the support I have, that people believe in what I'm doing not just in the classroom, but also outside of the classroom."

He's quick to thank many people for their support: his family and friends, of course, but also Mathew Stowe, the director of MESA; Janeth Canseco, student engagement advisor at MESA; Lilly Gangai, the senior director of identity-based retention centers on campus and former director of Centro; Elisa Aquino, the director of the Native American Indigenous Student Success Center (NAISSC); Selene Ramirez, Centro program coordinator; and Ana Navarrete, the program director of the UndocuSpartan Student Resource Center.

"San José State has helped me connect with people who have supported the work I've done," he says. "And those people allowed me to connect with other students and opportunities and have shaped me into the person I am today."

A proud mentor

Aquino first met Sánchez López in 2021 when he connected with the Chicanx/Latinx Student Success Center. She calls him "a strong ally to the Native American Indigenous community here at SJSU," adding that he volunteered at various NAISSC events throughout the academic year.

"In the few years that I have known Fernando, I have witnessed his commitment and dedication to serving historically marginalized students at SJSU," she adds. "He has displayed his strong leadership engaging with various departments and organizations, and he is always actively looking to give back to other students. He has a kind spirit and shares his kindness with those around him; at the same time, he is also a fierce and tenacious person. I have seen him overcome the challenges he has faced and never give up."

"Wherever he goes he will continue to be a champion for change and upholding values for social justice," she says. "I have been very honored to be able to learn from Fernando; he has so much strength and wisdom to offer, and he motivates me to continue my own journey striving for change."

In her nominating letter, SJSU President Cynthia Teniente-Matson echoed these sentiments: "San José State University is honored to nominate Fernando Sánchez López for this prestigious award as a student who has overcome significant challenges while striving for systemic change for the greater good," she wrote. "We are excited to see what he will do as a future STEM professional and the impact he will have on the field as he continues to foster diversity and inclusion and social justice."

As is everyone else.

Learn more about Sánchez López and his fellow CSU Trustee Awardees.

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