This past October, the 2024 CSUN Distinguished Alumni Awards brought together alumni, faculty, students and university leaders for a night of celebration, inspiration and pride. This year’s outstanding alumni honorees, Rudy Pereira ’85, Pamela Villaseñor ’06 and William Watkins ’74, exemplify the university’s core values of leadership, service and academic excellence.
Rudy Pereira ’85 (Computer Science), president and CEO of Premier America Credit Union, has been an advocate for and steadfast supporter of CSUN and has dedicated his career to providing financial opportunities for the Matador community. He is an active industry executive and serves as a member of the Velera Board, the California Credit Union League Legislative Advocacy Committee and the California State University Channel Islands Foundation Board.
Pamela Villaseñor ’06 (Psychology), is the first Native American to receive the Distinguished Alumni Award. As the director of the Pukúu Cultural Community Services, Pamela has continued her tireless efforts to support policy and system changes that uplift the narratives and resilience of Native Americans and Indigenous Peoples.
William Watkins ’74 (Urban Studies), the vice president for Student Affairs and dean of students at CSUN, celebrated his 50th year of service to the institution. As an undergraduate, Watkins was the first African American to be elected as the student body president. In addition to his role as the chief student affairs officer, Watkins continues to serve as a student advocate and advises student leaders, clubs and organization.
Felicia Conlan (MS ’09, EdD ’17), Alumni Association president, welcomed the close to 400 attendees to the awards ceremony and emphasized the importance of CSUN’s reputation, resources and relationships, praising alumni as “a testament to an excellent CSUN education as evidenced by their many contributions to their respective careers and spheres of influence.” CSUN President Erika D. Beck, also commended the work of the Alumni Association for continuing to support student success through scholarships and professional development guidance and stressed CSUN’s “highest purpose – to enable human potential through the transformative impact of higher education.”
Each of the honorees spoke about the influence of CSUN on their lives and career paths: Rudy Pereira credited CSUN with “shaping his journey” and “instilling a sense of purpose and commitment to service,” which have affected all aspects of his life. As he mentioned in his remarks, CSUN taught him “that excellence is not just about personal achievement, but about lifting others up so that together, we rise.” Pamela Villaseñor emphasized the importance of her CSUN network, including faculty, staff and fellow alumni, who helped “give life to the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians’ Education and Cultural Learning department.” It is through her work that Pamela has been able to continue her advocacy for tribal rights in Los Angeles County and beyond. William Watkins stressed the importance of community and of being, “united in the imperative of insuring college access for all students … and to insuring that the students we admit, are students we assume the responsibility to help graduate.” He addressed the close to 400 attendees with a promise of, “a belief that we can make a difference, and that, in true CSUN can-do style, we will cut through the noise of human discord and despair and hold someone’s hand as we open doors to a more promising tomorrow.”
This year, the event also featured the CSUN mission of excellence in education by highlighting the exemplary work of our faculty and students. José Luis Benavides, journalism professor and the co-director of the Institute for Arts and Media and director of the Tom & Ethel Bradley Center, shared his innovative approach to digitizing and archiving the history of minoritized communities. His work has created a collection of close to 40,000 digitized images that are publicly available at the University Library.
Tamar Sebesta ’25 (Public Relations) is an Alumni Association Student Scholarship recipient and embodies the extraordinary talent, dedication and drive of CSUN’s Matador student community. As a first-generation college student who faced early-life challenges, Tamar’s journey is an inspiration to others who have travelled a difficult path to reach their dreams. In her remarks, Tamar credited her time at CSUN for providing her with opportunities she never imagined possible.
Throughout the evening, each story served as a reminder of the university’s mission to shape individuals who make positive impacts in their fields and in their communities, and celebrated CSUN’s values and commitment to our students and the community at large.
You can find pictures from this extraordinary evening online.
You can also learn more about our honorees and the work of Jose Luis Benevides in special videos shared at the event.
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