< Karen and Kevin Spinks (Child & Family Development, ’85; Electrical Engineering, ’85) who met at Cal Poly and married in 1986, are proud of the second generation of their family’s Cal Poly legacy: their son Eric Spinks (Electrical Engineering, ’13) and daughter Brittany Spinks (English, ’15).

LeeAndra Chergey (English, ’93) released her first book, a memoir titled, “Make A Wish For Me: A Family’s Recovery From Autism,” in November. It is a powerful story of her family’s journey with a devastating diagnosis. Chronicled with honesty and humor, “Make A Wish For Me” shows the human side to a disorder misunderstood and often stigmatized by society. >

Griselda Garcilazo (Political Science, ’01) is graduating with a counseling degree from Loma Linda University. She was the first student to be placed in a multidisciplinary clinic team and the first to establish an amyotrophic lateral sclerosis mental health clinic at Loma Linda. Cal Poly taught her to think outside the box and to be hands-on in her approach to her career and life. She is currently trying to get funding for school counseling in the San Bernardino, Calif., school district for at-risk youth and low income families. She is also a candidate for the 2016 School of Behavioral Health Dean’s Award.

< Alexandre Dohrmann (Modern Languages & Literature, ’07) has worked in the advertising and marketing industry for the past nine years, with an additional year pre-graduation working for the Mustang Daily, the medium that helped launch him into his current career. He recently started working for Gawker Media Group as a senior account executive and loves working in the content space. His work spans the entire Pacific Northwest region of the United States, working with some of the world’s biggest agencies and brands to create custom content, events and immersive relationships between marketers and consumers.

Cristina Albers (Journalism, ’08) recently published a book of poetry called “Return: The Rhythm of Recovery.” The publication fulfills a lifelong dream of being a poet.

Sara Chavez (Psychology, ’10) and Justin Rupley (Structural Engineering, ’11) were married in June of 2015 at the San Luis Obispo Country Club, and say that Cal Poly will always hold a special place in their hearts. Currently they are both working in Santa Rosa, Calif.

Stephanie Stroud (Communication Studies, ’11) says she has had a huge year. In September of 2014 she took a leap and moved to Dallas, Texas, where she was able to buy her first home with her boyfriend. They were married in January of 2016 at Lake Tahoe surrounded by their closest friends, family and snow. Though their journey has brought them far away from Cal Poly and the coast, they still get to enjoy visiting Stroud’s parents in Shell Beach, Calif.

Christine Connolly (Child Development, ’13) and Brett Henninger (Biology, ’11) are engaged to be married in September. They met at a Mustangs baseball game in 2011 when they were both working for Cal Poly Athletics. Connolly works as a college counselor at Cathedral Catholic High School in San Diego, Calif., and believes it is where she was meant to be.