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Volunteer extraordinare Donna Ziel was recognized for her many years of service to the Santa Cruz community
Looking at Donna Ziel’s life and activities, it is clear that education, especially education for the underserved, has been the keystone of both her career and volunteer work. Read more.
CHP Officer Mike Remmel was A Happy Man Before He Lost His Legs -- and He's A Happy Man Now
Mike Remmel remembers headlights coming at him. He remembers flying through air, and he remembers excruciating pain. An 80-year-old driver in a pickup truck struck him at a speed of 45 miles per hour. He lost both legs that afternoon, but never lost his desire to return to his job as a California Highway Patrol officer. "My life was altered. It wasn't over." Read the inspiring story.
Kathleen Low does not wear her hair in a bun except on Halloween
Two weeks into a new job as a reference librarian, Kathleen Low, ’79 MLIS, came to work on Halloween dressed in costume, as did the rest of the staff. Low wore a long-sleeved white blouse with high collar, a plaid, below-the-knee skirt, eminently sensible low-heeled shoes, her mother’s black glasses and her hair pulled back in a bun. Throughout the day, she waited for her colleagues to comment on her costume. None did. Why? Because they didn’t realize she was in costume. Read more.
Lisa Isaacs keeps the environment up front
Mammoth Mountain Ski Area’s environmental programs director Lisa Isaacs, ’90 BA Journalism, ’95 MS Environmental Studies, grew up in the Santa Teresa Hills overlooking Almaden Valley. Her home was surrounded by acres of wild pasture lands, and the family always had “lots of creatures living with us,” Isaacs recalls. “Dogs, cats, chickens, ducks, rabbits, goats, sheep, horses, a really mean steer—and whatever wild creatures I could catch and try to tame.” Read more.
Melissa Dyrdahl's second act
From Adobe executive to social entrepreneur
Long before becoming a card-carrying Spartan, Melissa Dyrdahl, '82 Advertising, was familiar with the byways of campus. A San José native, she spent her early years in a house on Twelfth Street -- and a lot of time walking around with her mom. Read more.
The other blue at Blue Sky Studios
This is a story with a moral: keep in touch with your classmates and professors. There might be a dream job in it for you.Robert MacKenzie, ’98 Graphic Design, designer and color key artist at Blue Sky Studios, and Jeff Biancalana, ’98 Graphic Design, Blue Sky story artist, started out as classmates at SJSU. Read more.
Politics takes patience... at least in California
California State Assemblymember Jim Beall Jr. (D-San José) may be in his first term representing the 24th Assembly District, but he's no novice when it comes to holding elected office. In 1980, at age 28, he was elected to the San José City Council, where he served 14 years. That foray into politics stemmed from a desire to halt urban sprawl. Read more.