Many of them started their careers behind typewriters, working for publications that counted their readers in the tens of thousands. Others helped break the glass ceiling or the color barriers reporting for radio, broadcast television and newspapers.

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.