Alumni Stories

We’re proud that our graduates are passionate about their beliefs and about moving the world forward. Collaborative and flexible, PSU alumni know what it takes to make an impact, consider problems from unexpected angles and hit the ground running to create change.

We have more than 205,000 alumni living all over the world, making waves in their fields and putting their passion, skills, and dedication to work in their communities.

Here, we share our incredible alumni’s stories.

Rip City Remix mural

Let Art Serve the City

Claire Hinkley | December 4th 2023

If you’ve seen the mural or new streetlights around the Moda Center celebrating Portland’s new G League basketball team, Rip City Remix, then you’ve seen the work of Ayla Leisure, local artist, Portlander and PSU alum.ARTISTIC ROOTSAyla Leisure plays with light and reflection to create her mixed-media art. Her work is luminescent, complex and eye-catching, often drawing inspiration from her surroundings in Portland.A lifelong Portlander, Leisure grew up going...

Goalball illustration

Going for Goal

KJ Fields | October 20th 2023

GAINING CONFIDENCE THROUGH GOALBALLIf you met Eliana Mason today, you'd be hard pressed to believe she once struggled with confidence. The Portland State University alumna is a successful counselor, premier athlete and two-time Paralympian champion of the U.S. Women's goalball team. But before Mason developed her athletic talents, she faced plenty of self-doubt."I struggled with identity and self-esteem growing up," says Mason, who was born legally blind. "When...

Illustration of a person meditating on the grass in a forest with trees and a mountain behind them

PSU Social Work Alum Opens Forest Bathing Therapy Practice

Katie Borak | August 15th 2023

Forest bathing has long been touted as a method of promoting healing and wellness, managing stress, practicing mindfulness and reconnecting with the land. Heather Dorfman ’07, MSW ’09, a Certified Forest Therapy Guide, describes the practice as an opportunity to “connect with ourselves and deepen our relationships with the other-than-human world.” Luckily, residents of Stumptown have access to acres...

Amy Black and Olives Erickson smile together.

How a Mother and Daughter Conquered College Together

Amanda Gabriel-Landis | June 27th 2023

On a rainy day in Portland, the Moda Center buzzed with excitement as Portland State University celebrated the 2023 Commencement. Among the graduates, a mother and daughter duo stood out as a testament to determination and familial support. Amy Black received her master’s degree in social work. Earlier in the day, her daughter Olives Erickson earned her bachelor of science in history with a minor in medieval...

Ice Queen Illustration

Meet Portland’s Ice Queen

Katy Swordfisk | May 25th 2023

Exploring Chicana Culture Through Cool, Portable TreatsOn the surface, Ice Queen looks like one of Portland’s many niche businesses bringing something special to the community. But for California native and PSU alum Rebecca Smith, Ice Queen is even more than a business — it’s a taste of home.Ice Queen sells paletas — traditional Mexican ice cream bars — that happen to be vegan. Smith says she frequently has to explain what a paleta is, but it’s all...

Kris Carico standing in the Park Blocks on PSU campus

PSU alumna improves neighborhoods and natural areas with litter clean-up projects

KJ Fields | April 12th 2023

When Kris Carico talks trash, entire communities benefit. A ’97 PSU alumna and the CEO of SOLVE, Carico heads the nonprofit that organizes litter and environmental clean-up projects in neighborhoods and natural areas across Oregon. It’s a big job, and Carico says SOLVE’s volunteers fulfill their mission.“We are an organization of 17 people...

Illustration of Gabe Castro

New graphic design scholarship honors the memory of Gabe Castro

KJ Fields | January 6th 2023

PSU alumnus Drake Ramberg '85.Drake Ramberg (‘85) is changing the face of his profession. Years of conducting job interviews set Ramberg across the table from hundreds of designers. It didn’t take long to notice something was missing.“It’s always been difficult to get people of color or women...

Alumnus German Ochoa in front of a giant mixer

Recent grad launches successful cookie brand while a business student

KJ Fields | November 10th 2022

German Ochoa (’22) wasn’t looking for a sign to tell him PSU was his perfect fit. But when he saw the pedestrian bridge with the words "Let Knowledge Serve the City" on the Portland State campus, he knew he was in the right place. “I worked for two years without getting ahead, and I was determined to go back to school,” Ochoa says. “I learned...

Ethan Thrower on campus in the Park Blocks

Alumni Spotlight: Ethan Thrower ‘09, MSW ‘20

KJ Fields | April 5th 2022

Ethan Thrower (‘09, MSW ‘20) enjoys a fulfilling life. Happily married with two daughters, Thrower works as a social worker at Open School, an alternative high school in Southeast Portland. He advocates for positive change and helps youth build resilience. Recently, Thrower authored a children’s book on the sensitive topic of serving time in prison called, “A Kids Book About Incarceration.” Having...

Spencer Garland surrounded by his art

Alumni Spotlight: Spencer Garland '19

KJ Fields | November 2nd 2021

Thanks to BRENDA ARTS, young people of color (POC) get to see the world through a different lens – one of their own making. The unique program offers elementary and high-school students a multifaceted perspective, shining light on Black artists throughout history and inspiring students to shape their present and future through art.Founder Spencer Garland (‘19) stages the after-school workshops to spur...

Hanan Al-Zubaidy standing outside

PSU Alumna and Daughter of Iraqi Refugees Helps Incarcerated Students Chart Reentry Paths

Rachel Friederich | September 14th 2021

Hanan Al-Zubaidy '15, MS '18 never met her maternal grandfather, but says his actions influenced her to make education a central part of her career.Al-Zubaidy’s grandfather, Kadhom, ran a shoe shop in Samawah Iraq, about 168 miles south of Baghdad. His shop doubled as an underground library. Kadhom supplied citizens with books Saddam Hussein’s...

Afghan brothers

The Afghan Family Legacy: Education Is the Gift of a Lifetime

KJ Fields | June 8th 2021

Houran Afghan always told her four sons that education is a gift no one can take away from you. Believing that education is a prerequisite for success – along with a strong desire to improve the lives of others – is the foundation of the Afghan family legacy. Throughout the 1970s, members of the Afghan family migrated from Iran to Portland. PSU...

Sara Jean Accuardi

Alumni Spotlight: Sara Jean Accuardi '06

KJ Fields | May 25th 2021

Recipient of the 2021 Oregon Literary Arts Leslie Bradshaw Fellowship in Drama, playwright Sara Jean Accuardi ’06 has exciting options for how she’ll spend the fellowship’s $3,500 award.“I’m finishing a play called “BREAK” that’s slated for a workshop at The Valdez Theater Conference in Alaska, and I want to start a new play,” Accuardi notes. “I have commissions from theaters in the works,...

Chris and Ali Joseph

Alumni Spotlight: Ali Joseph '12 & Chris Joseph '12

KJ Fields | April 20th 2021

The founders of Cascade Spirits got their first taste of infusing alcohol while still in school, making gifts for friends and family. With guidance from PSU faculty and advisors, Chris Joseph ’12 and Ali Joseph ’12 turned their hobby into a nationally recognized distillery. “I needed a senior class project,” recalls Chris Joseph, founder and CEO of Cascade Spirits. “I’d worked at corporate jobs...

Abeer Etefa header image

Alumni Spotlight: Abeer Etefa PhD ’05

KJ Fields | February 19th 2021

When the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize went to the United Nations (UN) World Food Programme (WFP), Abeer Etefa PhD '05 and her colleagues felt honored and humbled by the acknowledgment of their work.“I’m one of the 20,000 WFP staff laureates who share this glorious moment,” says Etefa, who serves as Chief Spokesperson and Communications Officer in WFP’s Middle East and North Africa region.WFP is the world’s...

Alumni Spotlight: Risk and Reward

KJ Fields | January 4th 2021

Edward Dominion '05 is reshaping how plastic products are made, literally. His company, D6 Inc, has emerged as the largest privately held 3D printing/manufacturing house in North America through radicalized production processes, environmentally sustainable practices, and an ethical approach to business.Growing up on a Benton Harbor, Michigan farm, Dominion’s first “business” was selling the farm’s...

Michelle Lewis header image

Alumni Spotlight: True Representation

KJ Fields | December 8th 2020

It only takes one glance to recognize that Third Eye Books Accessories & Gifts possesses a unique niche."Our first priority is to make sure our store focuses on Black authors – people that the African-American community can relate to who offer us an accurate reflection,” asserts co-owner Michelle Lewis (’13). “It’s really important to have our voices heard.”Founded in 2019 by Lewis and her...

Sharona and Wanda header image

Ripple effect

Alumnae Wanda McNealy '20 and Sharona Shnayder '20 start the Tuesdays for Trash movement to raise awareness on climate crisis.

Read about Tuesdays for Trash

Purposeful Vision

Alumna Nichole Watson '13, MEd '15 perceives a reconstructed community as COVID-19’s silver lining.

Read about Nichole Watson

Cybersecurity Expert

Alumna Tarah Wheeler '04 becomes prestigious Fulbright Scholar.

Read about Tarah Wheeler

Gabriela and Franco holding up a COVID-19 testing swab kit

Critical Response

MIM grads Gabriela Franco '06 and Francisco Cuerva '06 work to facilitate sample collection kits for COVID-19 testing.

Read about Gabriela &Francisco

two MBA alums

Supporting small businesses

MBA alumni create a volunteer network to help businesses pivot, not panic during COVID-19.

Read about the MBA alumni

Trudy Toliver holding greens from the farmers market

Vital Alliance

Portland Farmers Market led by Trudy Toliver '84 serves the community and vendors through COVID-19 crisis.

Read about Trudy Toliver

Charles Wilson with a man dressed as a cricket to his right

Unconventional Fare

Alumnus Charles B. Wilson '11 creates a sustainable alternative food source.

Read about Charles B. Wilson

Good Humor

Emmy-award winning alumnus Ian Karmel '10 pitches comedy both day and night.

Read about Ian Karmel

Style and Substance

Alumna Rose Jubb '11 ignites confidence in women through image consulting.

Read about Rose Jubb

alumna Lee Hedgmon holding her barrel-aged honey bottle

Sweet Magic

Alumna Lee Hedgmon '03 turns her affinity for honey and talent for distilling into a specialty business.

Read about Lee Hedgmon

Peace, Security & Justice for All

Alumna and veteran Pam Campos-Palma's '14 work improves society on a global scale.

Read about Pam Campos-Palma

Identity design all-star

Graphic Design alumnus Mario Milosevic '06 leads art direction for the Portland Trail Blazers.

Read about Mario Milosevic

Art accessibility

Alumna Nellie Scott '08 promotes art as a means of inspiration, education and social justice.

Read about Nellie Scott

State of wonder

Alumnus John Waller's '03 sense of adventure elevates his video production company.

Read about John Waller

realizing potential

Alumna Zanele Mutepfa-Rhone '15 creates platforms that celebrate diversity and unite communities.

Read about Zanele

Growth Mindset

Alumnus Brian Salvador '10 pursues and shares knowledge to empower himself and others.

Read about Brian Salvador

Jaime Soltero Jr. Tamale Boy owner

Flavorful Discovery

Alumnus Jaime Soltero Jr. '99 finds his passion by offering cuisine true to its origins.

Read about Jaime Soltero Jr.

Jessica Farrell header image

Dedicated to exceptional customer experience

Alumna Jessica Ferrell '16 delivers highly personalized marketing strategies through honest storytelling.

Read about Jessica Ferrell

Jill Kuehler header image cropped

Crafted with Care

Alumna Jill Kuehler '06 launches a rare women-owned-and operated distillery.

Read about Jill Kuehler