Meet our students

I transferred from RCC in 2016 and received my bachelors in Communication with an emphasis in Public Relations from CSUSB in 2018. For a long time I knew that I wanted to become a professor of Communication, so applying to the Masters in Communication program was the next step in my academic career. The program offers all the resources and opportunities to become a successful student and facilitates the tools needed to advance in the field/career. All the professors I have met along the way have been extremely supportive and encouraging during my time here. CSUSB has an amazing sense of unity, the faculty and cohort really make you feel welcome and want to see us succeed. We are rooting for you to come and join us next year!  

My name is Alexandra Winner Bachus, I am originally from France and moved to the United States at the age of 14. I work full-time with my husband, we do third-party Energy Testing and Air Balancing. I love my family, hot yoga, gardening, eating an organic plant-based diet, hiking and humanity. I look forward to continuing to educate myself on the powers that control us. I feel very privileged in having the opportunity to continue enriching my knowledge through education.

I attended and graduated with my BA in Communication Studies with a Concentration in Mass Communication in 2012. Since graduating, I worked in the hispanic radio industry as both a traffic reporter and in the promotions department. After leaving the radio industry I joined a small company called Intern Queen where I was a Community Manager and worked with college students across the US and Canada helping them secure internship opportunities as well as giving them career advice. I currently work on campus at the department of Public Administration where I help students with administrative tasks as related to the MPA program. I am very excited to finally start my Masters degree in Communication Studies. After I obtain my MA in Communication Studies, I hope to teach at the college level part time some day as well as become a Communications Director in the educational field. 

Malika Bratton was awarded the 2022/2023 Outstanding Graduate Teaching Associate for the communication studies department. She teaches courses in the communications department as an associated faculty at California State University San Bernardino. After transferring from Riverside City College, she received her bachelor's degree in liberal studies from California Baptist University and a Master of Arts degree in communication studies at California State University San Bernardino.

Malika's scholarship focuses on ways systemic oppression can create silence within hierarchical structure and is determined to give voice to those who are negatively impacted. Her thesis is titled “Black Women Professionals Charged with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Work: Use Silening^Voice to Resist and Navigate Embedded Structures of Whiteness in Hierarchical Academia.” Utilizing decolonial and qualitative methods with organizing silence and intersectionality theory that aid to disclose dimension of silence imposed on Women of Color. This study recenters WOC specifically Black Women voices by critically exploring strategies utilizing silence and voice to navigate hierarchical power dynamics. Her research continues as she collaborates with a CSUSB alumni in qualitative study that will be presented in November 2023, at the 109th Annual National Communication Association Convention title “Mood Management During Covid 19: How Families Coped Using Social Media.” This study will investigate how quarantined Black, Indigenous, People of Color and same-sex families connect with peers utilizing social media platforms during the pandemic utilizing mood management theory.

In November 2022, she presented two papers at the 108th Annual National Communication Association Convention. The first paper is titled “Black Women Struggles in Academia: Their Lived Experiences with Intersectionality of Gender, Race, and Silencing in Academia.” This project examines the intersectionality of gender, race, and class, and how Black women are silenced in the academy. In this project, organizational silence theory, racial foundation organizational communication theory, and intersectionality are used to uncover marginalized voices and how Black Women are silenced. The second paper “The Role of Gender and Race: Using Professional Titles During Leadership Council Meetings.” This project is an ethnographic study that examines gender and race and how individuals address one another's professional titles during leadership council meetings in academia. This project used organizational silence theory and organizational culture as a theoretical lens to uncover when silencing occurs for marginalized professionals. In May 2022, Malika was a Co-Discussant during a panel that focused on Black Women and aimed to mitigate gaps by exploring intersectionality as it applied to media at the 72 Annual International Communication Association Conference. She has also presented her research during CSUSB's Meeting of the Mind in April 2022 and April 2023.

Malika strives to create an environment that shows her commitment to expanding on developing and advancing equitable practices for colleagues and students. Her mission is to aid her students with achieving their academic goals. She achieves this by creating a culturally relevant community of advancing equity through fostering learning opportunities, teaching practices, and scholarship. She continues her growth and experience with teaching and scholarship as a Co-Chair of the Student Equity college committee at Riverside City College, where she has worked as a classified professional for 22 years.

In recognition of her leadership skills in addressing inequities in the classroom, Malika was selected as a Region 9 Faculty Fellow. Region 9 is a mentorship program led by faculty.

Furthermore, she volunteers with the Adriene Dell and Carmen Roberts Foundation, which promotes cultural interaction within the community. Malika demonstrates her mission to build relationships and outreach by fostering equitable practices along with creating a culturally competent classroom and working environment.

Malika believes that change is made by communicating effectively and purposefully to understand the communication barriers between various groups of people. She seeks to erase the blurred lines of communication and reconnect the lines of understanding to promote learning and teachable moments that bring about systemic change.

After completing my B.A. in Mass Communication here at CSUSB in 2015, I realized that there was so much more I wanted to learn in the communication studies discipline. So, I decided to pursue my M.A. in Communication Studies here at CSUSB shortly after. While pursuing my degree, I have also had the privilege of serving as a graduate teaching associate, which has been a true joy. This program has by far been my most rewarding endeavor. I have gained a wealth of knowledge within the discipline, along with a passion for instructional communication and teaching. Our department's strong sense of community, and level of support and engagement from both faculty and students, has contributed immensely to my growth and success as a student and a scholar.

I am currently developing my research interests in journalism, mass communication, critical, cultural, and queer studies. Currently receiving an M.A. in Communication Studies, after graduating with a B.A. in Mass Communication from CSUSB. Through my studies I seek to enhance my understanding of varied communication theories/concepts, as well as produce my own independent ideas/knowledge as a scholar and future professor. I am humbled and honored as a first-generation student to become involved in higher-level academia. I look forward to expressing my unique voice in the communication field.  

I am a Graduate Student in Communication Studies conducting research in Innovative Technology and Human interaction in Communication research and in Cultural Studies in Communication specifically in Latino/Chicano studies and research. I am a First-Generation college student, who is active in the Latino/Chicano community. I aspire to achieve a PhD in Communication Research and come back to a CSU school to teach Communication in Innovative Technology and Cultural Studies. 

Coming from a media and film studies background, my previous research interest was to explore media representations of Latinas and the ideological messages attached to those productions. My research now involves critically analyzing self-presentations on social media sites. I am interested in the way marginalize groups, in particular indigenous, Latinx, and/or Chicanx use social media sites to revolutionize their representations and promote their artistic culture. I hope to identify how social media platforms can create opportunities of recognition for marginalize groups that continue to be underrepresented/misrepresented in traditional media. My focus has expanded to cultural and gender studies. My goal is to obtain a PhD in Communication Studies within the near future.   

A re-entry student, I will be obtaining my Master's degree in Communication in May 2018. For my culminating experience, I will be designing a handbook on how ex-offenders released from incarceration can better communicate after release into society. A lifelong resident of San Bernardino, I have two adult daughters and previously received a Bachelor in Liberal Studies from CSUSB in 2014. I was a journalist for 20 years and enjoy travel as well a good game of Scrabble. 

First and foremost I am a husband, a father of two, and a first-year graduate student. I am a Marine Corps combat veteran with a B.A in Communication Studies with a human and organization concentration. I decided to apply to this particular program due to the great experience I had as an undergraduate student here at CSUSB. The professors I have been lucky enough to interact with have been both challenging and supportive. I am exploring interests in several areas of communication to include theory, intercultural, and instructional communication. I ultimately want to teach in the classroom but am interested in researching how food intersects with communication and how the information gained might be used to reduce negative ethnocentric views and cultural misconceptions. 

I am a Fullbright graduate student and just completed my first year which were primarily pre-requisite courses. My scholarly interests are in media studies and specifically, I am focused on children's media literacy. During the summer of 2014, I got two internships in New York; one working with Little Airplane Productions and the other working with Sesame Street. I also attended the Prix Jeunesse International May 30-June 4, 2014, in Munich, Germany for which I judged children's programming and was invited to attend the festival.

Salutations! My name is Michael Embry and I am an entertainment cast member and special events team member at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim. In addition to this, I also sing and record professionally with the Walt Disney Studios and Cast Choir! I am honored and elated to be joining such an esteemed masters program at CSUSB and look forward to future enrichment. I joined the program because of my deep love for communications and how big of an effect it has on the world. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with family as well as traveling. My favorite color is lavender/lilac and favorite movie is Life of Pi.

I applied for the Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) Graduate Program right before graduating from CSUSB with my bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies. I felt like I had some unfinished business to tend to and wanted to further develop the Public Relations and Marketing side of my degree. Once starting the IMC program, I never looked back. The program’s design helped me to not only make new friends but challenged me to think differently and outside the box. It’s not just the curriculum that makes a difference, it’s the faculty and staff that bring it to life.  

I graduated from CSUSB in 2018 with my bachelors in Communication Studies with an emphasis in human and organizational communication. I was inspired to apply to the graduate program here at CSUSB, because of all the amazing professors who helped me while I was an undergraduate student. CSUSB is such an amazing school, the faculty is very helpful and welcoming. My goal is to graduate in two years, I also want to build connections and be able to attend at least one communication conference. 

I am attending California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) to complete my Communications Studies, MA and I have also received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in Public Relations from (CSUSB).  Before attending CSUSB as a Communication Studies graduate studies and entering into the Graduate Teaching Associate program, I worked full-time as an events and membership communication coordinator at the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles...and completed an internship at LAGRANT COMMUNICATIONS assisting the Account Executive with various communications materials such as social media posts, pitched to media, researched, drafted general correspondence, participated in brainstorming and interview sessions...Throughout my studies, I spent quality time with friends and family while enjoying the things I'm passionate about, such as reading, being adventurous, hiking, self-care and smiling.   

My name is Leslie Renee Leach- Kalinich and am a proud mother of four. I recently graduated from CSUSB this past June with a Bachelor's Degree in Communication with  a concentration in Human and Organizational. I just started my first year in the Graduate Program along with being accepted into the Graduate Teaching Associate Program. I do advocacy work on campus for domestic violence, human sex trafficking and stalking. I work for the Santos Manuel Student Union Osher Adult Re-Entry Center. Our center helps students that have a gap in their education find the proper resources to help them thrive and obtain their ultimate educational goals. I love helping others and enjoy watching other students succeed. I am honored and privileged to be a part of the Graduate Program here at Cal State University, San Bernardino. 

I started out as a community college student at Riverside City College. After earning my A.A. in Communication Studies in Spring 2014, I went on to receive my B.A. in Human and Organizational Communication here at CSUSB in Spring 2016. In Fall 2017, I stated pursuing my M.A. in the Communication Track while teaching sections of COMM 120 through the Graduate Teaching Associate (GTA) program. My main interests in communication are: Interpersonal, Intercultural, and Gender Studies. I am currently completing my thesis on how Disney uses 'feminist' ideologies in their animated films. My future goal is to become a professor at a community college to inspire more students to choose communication studies as a career path. 

After graduating from Riverside Community College, I began my B.A. degrees in English Linguistics and Human and Organizational Communication Studies, with the goal of teaching my way through higher levels of education. I’m thankful to be in this program, because it has opened to me wonderful experiences, including working for our student paper and working as a graduate instructor, teaching oral communication. Through research, I get to study how gender and the reactions to various gender performances are communicated in-person and through media. My interest for studying gender and for joining the fight for gender equality grew as my education helped me understand not only my own identity, but also the oddly gendered world around us. For the next 1/20th of a score, my thesis research seeks to explore the acceptance of the trans community from the perceptions of trans students, themselves, at CSUSB. 

Dia S. Poole is a double alumna of California State University San Bernardino (B.A. ’90, Business Administration, M.A. ’23, Communication Studies) and is a past president of the 23-campus California State University Alumni Council.  Dia was selected as the 2023 Outstanding Graduate Student in the College of Arts and Letters and as 2023 Outstanding Graduate Student in the Department of Communication Studies.  During her graduate program, Dia developed a passion for community-based participatory research.  In addition to completing numerous classroom assignments with community organizations, she completed two formal research projects: 1) a qualitative study on COVID-19 vaccine messaging in the Inland Empire’s African American communities, and 2) her culminating project which proposes the creation of a portal to connect CSUSB faculty and students with community partners for informal experiential learning opportunities.  Dia presented her culminating project at the April 2023 CSU Student Research Competition at San Diego State University, at the April 2023 CSUSB Pedagogy Forum, and at the May 2023 73rd Annual International Communication Association Conference in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  As a former legislative advocate, she will pair her communication-related professional experience with her academic achievements to help local community-based and nonprofit organizations develop effective outreach and advocacy programs.  Raised as a United States Air Force military dependent, Dia proudly counts among her “civilian” accomplishments the submission of SB 667 (Roth, Chapter 430, Statutes of 2021), a bill to help the legal representatives of disabled veterans to file a claim for county property tax exemptions.  SB667 was signed into law by California Governor Gavin Newson and took effect on January 1, 2022.

Jacob (Jake) Poore is a Communication Studies graduate student at CSUSB enrolled in the Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) track.  He also holds a job position at CSUSB as the Coyote Radio and Advertising Coordinator where he oversees two award-winning student programs; Coyote Radio and Coyote Advertising.  Jake is also an Adjunct Faculty within the Department of Communication Studies at CSUSB; teaching a practicum course in strategic communication and interpersonal/organizational communication.  Jake is also a long-time member of the American Advertising Federation.  He served as Vice President of the Inland Empire chapter in 2011-2012, President of the Board in 2012-2013, and Education Chair for many years after.  In 2016, Jake was elected to serve in a higher role with AAF, District 15, which supports all AAF professional and student organizations throughout Southern CA and Western NV.  He is currently the incoming Vice Governor for District 15 in addition to serving as the Club Advisor for AAF-CSUSB.

Fun Facts: 

• Jake is one of only a few people at CSUSB who have been a student, faculty, staff, and alumni – all at the same time!
• Jake started college as a music major and was a former lead singer of three rock/punk bands from 2002 – 2012!
• Jake has climbed to the top of the highest peak in the Continental United States (Mt. Whitney), twice!

Hi my name is Gilma Ramirez. I am currently a graduate student attending CSUSB earning my Masters degree in the discipline of Communication Studies. My hope and dream is to one day become an excellent professor by teaching and inspiring others through my own passion. My favorite quote is tell me I’ll forget… show me and I may remember… Involve me and I’ll understand 

I am a Detroit Native who lived in Florida before settling in Southern California. I earned my undergraduate degree in Communication (with an emphasis in Public Relations) from Cal Poly Pomona in 2010.

Currently, I am a second-year Integrated Marketing Communications master's degree candidate and I teach COMM 120 as a Graduate Teaching Associate. I love teaching college, and I am interested in public relations, social media management, marketing and higher education. My goals are to continue teaching communication part-time while working in a marketing/ public relations role.

Grad tip: In graduate school, you may get overwhelmed by different responsibilities and obligations. Just remember to take a breath and do the most important tasks first. Maybe sure to prioritize your time to avoid stress.

I come from a Hispanic-Portuguese family background, born in Washington state and raised in Southern California. I was excited to join the graduate program because I believed it would provide me with the tools necessary to go above and beyond with research and my personal goals. Grad school is like it's own little family of eager people who encourage each other to think outside the box and to remember why we're still in the education system. I want to become a professor someday like many of my peers and it is exciting to be part of CSUSB as I venture out in other workplace fields to diversify my resume. 

I would describe myself as a out-of-the-box artist thinker. The reasons I give myself that title is because I tend to have many ideas that sometimes flow within the lines and other times are way outside of the lines. I see communication as a form of art as I do the rest of the world. I am a huge advocate of competition, challenges and constructive criticism while at the same time I advocate for intersectionality, self-growth, self-love and expression. I do not believe in things being in our destiny. I think people are what they make themselves to be and they get what they strive for. Obtaining my masters degree brings me a step closer into the future I always envisioned myself. 

I love writing, I have 4 poetry books out. I love anything related to art (architecture, museums, physical art). Bridesmaids is my favorite movie and Christina Aguilera is my favorite singer. Details make all the difference in the world to me. At the end of the day, it's about growth and storytelling. Fighting for things that are our right. Existing to make a change and educating ourselves to make an impact in our communities and for ourselves.

I am an international student from Taiwan. I received my bachelor degree in Applied Linguistics and Language Studies major and then applied for the Integrated Marketing Communication Graduate Program. It is my third year in the program and I am currently writing my thesis. I am fortunate to be one of the students in IMC program. It is a growing subset in the communication discipline. The combination of communication and business shapes, nurtures and prepares me to be competitive in the industry. I got an opportunity for an internship in a giant insurance company in Taiwan- Cathay Life Insurance and have a taste of flavor in being a strategic marketer. The department and professors have been supportive and eager to help student’s growth and success.

I am a first-year graduate student at CSUSB. I earned my bachelor’s degree from California State University, Fullerton in Communications with an emphasis in public relations. I was inspired to major in PR because of my passion for pop culture and electronic entertainment. After earning my master’s degree, I hope to pursue a career in entertainment PR and start my first novel. My hobbies include reading books paired with a cup of chai tea, developing my photography skills, and watching musical theatre.

I received my Bachelor's of Art in Communication with a Public Relations concentration and a minor in Marketing, I am currently enrolled in the Master's program for the Integrated Marketing and Communication. It is my goal to work in a position with a corporation related to marketing or PR.

My background experience has predominately been within the entertainment industry and nonprofit organizations. I have worked with a radio personality, reality TV star, and Create Now.

I have tons of advice I would offer new graduates, but the most important advice that I have is to use your time wisely. My first quarter I thought that I would be able to maintain my social life, while working full time and going to school, I quickly learned that sacrifices were needed if I was going to be successful in this program.

'Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.'

― Winston Churchill

Originally from Missouri, I graduated with a journalism and broadcasting degree before relocating to Southern California to work as a print news reporter with Gannett. Now producing local television news, I hope to climb the corporate ladder far enough to become an executive producer of investigative reports. 

Grad tip: Once you survive COMM 600, the hardest part is over. Don't give up!

I am an International student hailing from China. I was a Mass Media Communication major in my undergraduate education. Now I am interested in Public Relations and Marketing, so I am pursuing my graduate degree in Communication with the Integrated Marketing Communication track. I want to find an internship after I graduate in anything related to marketing!