Of the graduates that took part in California State University, Northridge’s Honors Convocation on May 13, six individuals were singled out for special recognition as outstanding graduating students. Three of these grads appeared in last week’s edition of the San Fernando Valley Sun/El Sol. The three others are featured here.
Vianney Quiroga Paez, Outstanding Graduating Senior
A first-generation college student, Paez is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in deaf studies. At CSUN, Paez has been heavily involved with M.E.Ch.A., the Deaf Studies Association and the Deaf CSUNians, a club for Deaf CSUN students.
While not deaf, Paez has become a leader in advocating for Deaf students and providing translation services throughout campus. During her time at CSUN, Paez was a familiar presence at events and fundraisers to offer support for Deaf students.
During her senior year, Paez interned at the California School for the Deaf in Fremont. This allowed her to provide interpreting services to deaf educators, families and students.
Paez’s goal is to become a trilingual interpreter for those in the ASL community.
“I’ll soon start a career doing what makes me the happiest: interpreting and serving the community,” Paez said. “I am grateful that my journey led me to this point because I am able to heal by giving back to the communities I cherish greatly.”
Eden Shashoua, Outstanding Graduating Senior
Shashoua is graduating with bachelor’s degrees in business law and business honors. During her time at CSUN, Shashoua served as the Associated Students (AS) Vice President and worked with the Student Senate and the university’s higher administration to advocate on behalf of students.
She also collaborated with AS Sustainability to create a sustainable fashion series to educate students about the fashion industry’s environmental impact.
Her work goes beyond just academics. Shashoua was involved in Jewish and cultural organizations, including Chabad of CSUN, Hillel 818, and Sigma Alpha Epsilon Pi.
Through the Business Honors Program, Shashoua volunteered two hours a week to peer tutoring for a variety of subjects such as business law, marketing, and the Business Gateway lab. She also served as the tutor for the business law department, dedicating an additional four hours a week to tutor students in various introductory business law courses.
Last summer, Shashoua interned at the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office, where she was assigned to the asset forfeiture division and worked under a deputy district attorney. Her career goal is to be a prosecutor for the LA District Attorney’s Office.
Nidah Mohammed, Outstanding Graduating Senior
Mohammed came to CSUN with aspirations of a career in medicine. But, after getting involved on campus, she transitioned her focus to cognitive psychology and media use. She will be graduating with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in literature.
Mohammed is the chair for public affairs and marketing for the Phi Delta Epsilon International Medical Fraternity, a shadower for the Clinical Access Shadowing Experience (C.A.S.E.) at the Klotz Health Center and co-founded the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) on campus.
She spent her final semester as a senior fellow in the Center for Achievement in Psychological Sciences (CAPS) program. Mohammed was selected from a pool of more than 1,500 applications for the prestigious Presidential Scholarship — not once, but twice — to support her research endeavors. She was also awarded the General Education Honors Research Fellowship.
From 2016 to 2021, Mohammed volunteered at West Hills Hospital. In 2020, she helped administer COVID-19 tests and vaccinations in low-income areas throughout Los Angeles.
Mohammed has received offers from five universities with numerous fellowships. She is leaning toward an offer from the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania to study media use and neuroimaging.
“As a child of immigrants and a woman of color in academia, the idea of completing my doctoral training amongst the top communication scholars in the country excites me every day,” she said.
“However, I would not be where I am today if it weren’t for the endless support and opportunities provided by CSUN.”