A Moment with President Tomás Morales – November 2023

November and December are the holiday season, from Thanksgiving to the many wonderful religious and secular celebrations of the winter months. It is truly a time for community, and I know that the students, faculty and staff of Cal State San Bernardino are ready for the end of the fall semester and a chance to re-charge with family and friends for the coming spring.

The campus doesn’t truly slow down, however, over these upcoming weeks.  As October wrapped up with what has become a robust collection of events in celebration of Homecoming (which ran this year from October 23 – 28), we ended the month with another record achievement in our capital campaign fundraising—$212 million, as of October 26th! I remain incredibly grateful for the ongoing support of our campus community, our alumni and our supporters in the region, who believe strongly in the benefits of a Cal State San Bernardino education and who continue to give to ensure it is securely available for future generations.

We will be celebrating the second President’s Medal on Thursday, November 30th.  This year, the recipient will be Terrance Stone. Mr. Stone is a national- and state-certified gang intervention and prevention specialist who has reached more than 185,000 at-risk youth through Young Visionaries Youth Leadership Academy, of which he is the founder and CEO.

Mr. Stone is an inspirational and strategic leader who has dedicated his talent and life experience to empowering young people and helping them discover their true purpose. He is truly deserving of the President’s Medal, which recognizes the extraordinary service and outstanding contributions he has made to enhance the well-being of others.

We are also looking forward to a time to celebrate the holidays with our local alumni on December 12th at the Mission Inn in Riverside.

Finally, we are looking forward to holding of our fall commencement ceremonies on Saturday, December 16th, which will be held in the Coussoulis Arena on the San Bernardino Campus.

A quick reminder before I close: November is the month where we honor and recognize the lives, cultures and histories of our First Peoples across the North American continent. We know that the land on which our beautiful campuses in San Bernardino and Palm Desert sit were never “empty” spaces but rather lands inhabited and cared for, over millennia, by Native American Tribes and Nations. We remain grateful for their stewardship and for the partnerships we have built with our local First Peoples over the years.

As we enter this holiday season, my wish for all of you is health, connection and caring—the ultimate markers of wellbeing, in my book. I look forward to catching up with you in the New Year of 2024 on the latest events and achievements taking place on our beautiful San Bernardino and Palm Desert campuses.

Tomás D. Morales

President