Rising in the East: The Campaign for Cal State East Bay

At Cal State East Bay, we are tireless champions of social justice and advocates for cultural diversity — in society, in the workplace and in academia. We question the status quo. We inspire innovation. We embrace change.

And that means having the courage and the wisdom to transform ourselves and our communities — to resist the complacency that often follows great accomplishment. 

The values that motivate me today were shaped by my upbringing in a Japanese-American farm family in the Central Valley. Although my parents believed they had a good life, they wanted something better for their children. That’s what drove me to attain something they never had — a college education.

I look at all we have accomplished at Cal State East Bay, and I feel much the same way. It’s amazing to see how far we have come, but it’s inspiring to imagine just how much farther we can go. This is our challenge: To provide succeeding generations of students with even better experiences and opportunities than those who came before them.

That is why we are asking our community of alumni, families, friends and partners to make a substantial investment in our future – $60 million in honor of our 60th anniversary. I use the term “investment” because we are committed to delivering a sizeable return, in the form of a meaningful difference in the lives of our students and their communities.

As our campaign theme suggests, we are a university on the rise — and elevating the communities we serve in the process. I invite you to join us on the ascent.