CSU Trustees’ Outstanding Achievement Award – Erish Araneta
The CSU Foundation's Trustees' Award for Outstanding Achievement is given each year to students who demonstrate superior academic performance, personal accomplishments, community service, and financial need. One of this year’s 23 CSU Trustees’ Award winners is Erish Araneta, a CSULB School of Nursing student who was named the Ron and Mitzi Barhorst scholar.
From an early age, Araneta found her true calling in helping other people. Originally from the bustling city of Makati, Philippines, she began volunteering and saw the need for wider access to health care.
“It was always a desire for me to want to make healthcare more accessible and available to as many people as possible, and play a part in making sure that health care is reliable and holistic,” Araneta said.
That’s when she decided to move to the United States at the age of 16. She took an exam to finish her high school education early and began her pre-nursing studies at Golden West College. It was there she learned the importance of building community and networking with like-minded people whose mission it was to provide services to underserved populations.
“A part of me knew that I didn’t exactly know the community [in Southern California] that well since I did just move here, so a big challenge was just figuring out how to get started in volunteering again, so I joined a couple of clubs and became part of my campus and local community.”
In addition, Araneta became the secretary for the honor society Alpha Gamma Sigma. She said having an officer position really broadened her opportunities and she began to learn about different volunteer opportunities. She ended that semester with nearly 900 volunteer hours, which helped her to apply to scholarships and gain entry into the highly competitive School of Nursing at California State University, Long Beach. She is in her final year of pursuing her Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree.
“Right now, I’m very interested in pediatrics – I really want to be able to work with kids and see how I can help them with the skills I’ve been learning in my nursing studies.”
In addition to her didactic courses, Araneta is undergoing her clinical rotations at Long Beach Memorial Hospital as part of the accelerated trimester tract. She recalls an encounter with a young patient which inspired her to want to work with kids.
“This patient really wasn’t speaking much, so I was led to start talking with him and got to know him. I sat [at his bedside] and he showed me his drawings and he began telling me about the character in his drawing. The struggle of the character in the picture was not dissimilar to his own struggles and it really was an incredible experience getting to relate to this person and see their perspective.”
Simply being able to connect with people, Araneta says, is what initially sparked her interest in wanting to become a nurse. That personable and can-do attitude of Erish is no doubt a big reason why at just 19 years old, she is nearly set to graduate from the nursing program at CSULB.
“I really want to thank my professors -- especially Dr. Sharon Konrad -- and my parents for their constant support and encouragement,” said Araneta, who is the youngest of three sisters. Her middle sister, Elaine, graduated from the BSN Program in Spring 2023 and was the recipient of the CSU Trustees’ Award in 2021. Erish’s eldest sister Erin is in the chemistry field.
“All the sacrifice and hard work my parents have given my sisters and me to pursue a quality education is nothing short of inspiring,” Araneta says. “They gave up a lot to move here to the United States. “I really want to make sure I’m working hard in college right now and then as a practicing nurse to be able to give back to them. Being a student nurse, I’ve been able to hear a lot of people’s stories dealing with adversity, and it makes me want to help and give back to them as well.”
