First-generation Cal Poly aerospace engineering student Denis Gonzalez-Reyes and Cal Poly Maritime Academy international strategy and security student Tabitha Lee Chon have each received a 2025 California State University Trustees’ scholar award for outstanding achievement and a scholarship for $7,000.

The trustee awards are presented annually to one student from each of the CSU system’s campuses. Like other honorees, both Gonzalez-Reyes and Chon were selected for superior academic performance, personal accomplishments, community service and financial need.

“I feel very honored and have a lot of pride because, although this award only has my name on it, to me it recognizes everyone who has helped me throughout my journey thus far,” Gonzalez-Reyes said. “I have put in an enormous amount of work academically and into my community that makes me deserve of this award, but I really wouldn’t have been able to accomplish as much as I have without my supporters — my family, friends that I call my Cal Poly family, counselors and mentors that see more of my own potential. They are the ones who continuously fuel my ambition and energy to instill positive change in everything I do.”

Lee Chon, who is this year's CSU Trustee Leslie and Cliff Gilbert-Lurie Scholar, expressed surprise and gratitude.

“I was very surprised and deeply honored to receive this award,” the sophomore said. “To be recognized at this level motivates me even more to push forward in my studies and military training. It reminds me that my hard work is paying off and inspires me to continue striving for excellence.”

Gonzalez-Reyes and Lee Chon were honored with the other CSU Trustee awardees on Sept. 9 by CSU Chancellor Mildred García and the Board of Trustees during the board’s meeting in Long Beach.

Gonzalez-Reyes is this year’s TELACU scholar, the donor of her award. Formed as The East Los Angeles Community Union in 1968, the philanthropic organization’s mission, driven by the Chicano movement, focuses on community and economic development to create self-sustaining assets and foster self-sufficiency. Scholarships and academic support to first-generation college students are provided through the TELACU Education Foundation.

Born in Salinas, Gonzalez-Reyes and her family soon moved to Pittsburg, an industrial suburb on the southern shore of the Suisun Bay, where she spent her childhood and young adolescence. After 16 years in the Bay Area, she moved to Modesto amid COVID-19 due to her family’s financial hardships. Then, at age 17, she and her mother moved to Dinuba, about 30 miles southeast of Fresno.

Gonzalez-Reyes chose Cal Poly for its highly rated engineering program as well as the financial aid package the university offered.

“It was the best ‘bang for my buck,’ ” said the third-year aerospace major, “and it was really important for me to not cause financial strain on my family. I am most proud of making my family proud through my academic success — and doing it debt-free.

“Initially, I thought I wanted to pursue a career as a pilot; however, after I flew my first plane, I quickly realized that I was more enthused by the fact that the giant aircraft was 8,000 feet in the sky when only minutes before it was on the ground. That’s when I knew I wanted to dedicate myself to a career that focused on designing aircrafts.”

Amid Cal Poly’s efforts to attract more lower-income and first-generation students — and diversify the student body to more closely reflect the demographics of the state the university serves, Gonzalez-Reyes was eager to build a community of her own. She was inspired in 2023 to create the Puente @ Cal Poly club, influenced by similar “bridge” (puente is Spanish for bridge) or college prep programs in scores of California high schools and community colleges.

“At Cal Poly, we are a club that advances the lineage of the Puente Project,” she said. “Puente on Cal Poly’s campus is especially important because it primarily serves low-income, first-generation students to help them cross over the bridge, even if there seems like there hasn’t been a bridge built. Puente is a family, and it is open to anyone who wants to succeed — but even more so, those who want to see others succeed.”

The club has thrived, impacting nearly 500 students through social events and personalized tours for prospective students from the Puente Program.

“We weren’t just hosting events; we were building a fundamental community that diversified the campus, helping underrepresented students see themselves at a four-year university,” Gonzalez-Reyes said.

She has found similar support through institutional programs such as the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), the Multicultural Engineering Program (MEP) and Cal Poly Scholars. And she contributes to the Assembly, Integration and Testing team in the College of Engineering’s CubeSat Laboratory, which develops small satellites that are designed and built by students and readied for launch into space as secondary payloads on major launches.

She also is the SHPEtina representative for the Cal Poly chapter of Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) and mentors several students in programs such as EOP’s Summer Institute, the Mustang Mentors Program and PolyCultural Weekend.

The challenges of being a first-generation, low-income and underrepresented minority student have propelled her. Primarily raised by a single parent working in the agricultural sector with little financial support, the 20-year-old scholar is reminded by her family and community that her pursuit of higher education is also about paving a path to academic excellence for younger students.

After earning her degree, Gonzalez-Reyes anticipates entering the aviation industry, where she’ll continue to inspire and motivate others.

“I also eagerly look forward to pursuing my private pilot’s license and exploring the hobby of flying small planes,” she said. “My long-term goals include being a strong example of dreaming big despite coming from small beginnings. As a first-gen, low-income and minority student, I want to increase representation in the aviation industry and quite literally demonstrate that the sky is the limit.”

Lee Chon said she chose to attend Cal Poly Maritime Academy because of its “unique focus on global trade, maritime security and leadership. Its specialized programs allow me to study international relations in a more applied way, especially through the lens of maritime strategy.”

“It has given me a strong sense of direction and purpose. Being here allows me to explore the intersection of international strategy, technology and security. It has also helped me build discipline, resilience and leadership skills that will serve me both in my academic path and in my future military career.”

While she is at the Cal Poly Solano Campus, she remains active in the Navy Reserve Officers’ Training Program as Marine Option Midshipman in pursuit of a commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Lee Chon faced major challenges at home as a result of changing family dynamics, which affected her mental health and academic performance. A turning point helped her develop discipline, leadership and a strong sense of responsibility through structured training and service.

“My interest in the Navy ROTC program began when I joined the United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps,” the Navy’s youth program helping young people ages 10 through high school graduation to develop leadership skills and prepare for adulthood through naval-related education and activities.

As her mindset shifted, her confidence buoyed. Most importantly, the Sea Cadet program instilled in her the value of serving others as she grew personally. Her work in that program and volunteer organizations, including the Pacific America Volunteer Association, continues to influence her commitment to service and leadership.

“The Sea Cadets gave me an introduction to military service, leadership and discipline. It confirmed my desire to serve and motivated me to pursue the NROTC, where I can further challenge the myself and prepare for commissioning,” she said.

The Cal Poly Maritime Academy has expanded her sense of direction and purpose. Through her studies, she’s been able to explore the nexus of international strategy technology and security as she also works on a minor in data science studies.

“It has also helped me build discipline, resilience and leadership skills that will serve me both in my academic path and in my future military career,” Lee Chon said. “Even though I am not part of the Corps of Cadets, I’ve found my own path here as a traditional student, balancing my studies with my commitment to NROTC. I look forward to continuing to build on these experiences and using them as a foundation for my future career in the Marine Corps.”

As a Marine officer, Lee Chon plans to work in the cyber or intelligence fields and later transition into federal law enforcement, ideally with the FBI, where she can specialize in cyber intelligence and contribute to national cybersecurity.

“I am drawn to these areas,” she said, “because they combine technical expertise with strategic thinking — and they play a critical role in national defense and global security.”

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