Tesha Hagler wins major campus-wide award

When Tesha Hagler, the college’s student outreach coordinator, received an e-mail from the university asking her to attend the campus Recognition of Excellence event at the Northridge Center on June 3, she wasn’t sure what to expect. She knew that Dean Ramesh had nominated her for an award, but she thought that perhaps a couple of recipients per college would be recognized.

When her name was called at the event, however, Hagler discovered that she was one of just five people campuswide to be honored with a CSUN Merit Award, which recognizes staff members’ exceptional performance in their jobs.

“I was stunned,” she says. “I didn’t know that he was nominating me for this award.”

An alumna as well as an employee of CSUN, Hagler earned a bachelor’s degree in health science from CSUN in 2006 and a master’s degree in education administration the following year. She began her career at CSUN in admissions and from there started working in student outreach and recruitment. She has worked for CECS since 2008.

As a Merit Award recipient, she received a plaque, certificate and monetary prize.

The Merit Award capped a season of accomplishments for Hagler, who completed her doctorate in higher education leadership from California Lutheran University in spring 2014.

“Tesha is talented, hardworking, conscientious and one of the easiest persons to work with,” Ramesh said in his nomination letter. “Her radiant personality and genuine interest in helping those around her and her commitment to helping underrepresented students succeed in STEM disciplines are an asset to the college and CSUN. She truly makes ‘CSUN Shine.’”