SMSU Board of Directors Welcomes New Chair
Angelica Agudo is the Chair of the Santos Manuel Student Union (SMSU) board of directors. She helps oversee the SMSU and the Student Recreation and Wellness Center. In her role. Angelica meets with CSUSB administrators and leads the board’s monthly meetings, serves as a spokesperson, and ensures that everything the board does is with students' best interest in mind.
“I feel like I'm serving two different purposes: one, the entire campus, and two, my goal is to prepare those that are going to come behind me and serve as a resource,” said Angelica.
The SMSU board of directors is an incorporated body that acts as an auxiliary organization of the university to oversee the operations of the SMSU and Student Recreation and Wellness Center. Ultimately, the board serves the students and represents their interest and voice.
The SMSU board of directors provides open forums for students to come and express their concerns and share their comments. Angelica has made it a priority to work closely with the Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) President Carson Fajardo to help inform students about ASI and the SMSU and the roles each play on campus.
Angelica is in her third year of the Educational Leadership doctoral program at CSUSB. After graduation, Angelica plans to teach in higher education and do consulting.
“The goal was never to get the doctoral degree,” said Angelica. “I was supposed to go to Chaffy [College] and get my A.A. after raising my kids, and then I just kept going.”
She earned her bachelor’s and dual master’s degrees from Cal State San Bernardino. Angelica’s kids motivated her to get involved on campus as she pursued her master’s degrees and began attending the events on campus. She became a global ambassador for the Jack H. Brown College of Business and Public Administration and later an ambassador for its Master of Business Administration program.
Angelica went on to participate in the finance committee and served as a graduate student representative for ASI. When she began her doctoral program, she became involved with the SMSU board of directors, serving as a student representative and vice chair.
Angelica considers herself a nontraditional student because she went back to school later in life and has used that experience to advocate for graduate students in her different roles at CSUSB.
“I was always a mother before anything else, and now I feel like it's my time,” said Angelica.
This year, Angelica plans to focus on philanthropy efforts with CSUSB students and alumni and develop a plan to increase their involvement and donations.
Students interested in serving on the SMSU board of directors can apply on the SMSU website. Stay connected and follow the SMSU on social media: Facebook, Instagram, X (formally Twitter), and TikTok.