CSULB alumna donates time, money to help students and new alumni succeed
Lucia Kos ‘75 was the third of 11 children. She was the first in her family to go to college. She worked full time in order to afford tuition and rent.
And because of her full schedule, she had no time to participate in on-campus programs.
Later in life, she knew giving back would help others who are in the position she once experienced.
By regularly contributing to Beach scholarships, including the Department of Romance, German, Russian Languages and Literatures, she said she hopes to help other students not worry about finances and focus on getting more involved at The Beach.
“I support scholarships to give a chance to those who are going to school — that are either first generation or are lacking in funds and have to work — to give them enough time to do things on campus that will help their resumes,” Kos said.
“That was the one thing I never did.”
Giving comes natural to Kos. Her family always gave back.
“We did a lot of stuff as kids with the church and in the community,” she said. “We helped people.”
She transferred to Cal State Long Beach from El Camino College and took as many units as she could in order to finish in two years and afford her bachelor’s degree.
It wasn’t until she started working for Southern California Edison’s corporate giving and foundation department when she stated giving back to the university — and not just monetarily.
“I really, really became more engaged when we started reaching out to young alumni,” she said. “Especially the young alumni who need to make connections within the community.”
In addition to regularly attending Alumni Association events, she volunteered at the Career Development Center, assisting young alumni with networking, hosting mixers, prepping resumes and more.
“It makes me feel great when I can help,” she said. “I love when the light finally comes on. It really energizes me when they get it.”
In addition to donating her time and networking skills, Kos also gives back to on-campus programs including the ASI Beach Pantry and CSULB Basic Needs, which both help to offer resources to students in need.
Kos, who earned her degree in Spanish, regularly gives back to the Romance Language scholarship, because that was her department. “I encourage students to learn different languages, it opens your eyes up to history and cultures,” she added.
