Associated Students Inc. at Cal State Fullerton for 50 years has empowered students and trained them to become leaders in their respective fields. CSUF alumni and former ASI presidents Lydia Kelley and Josh Mitchell are among thousands of alumni that exemplify ASI’s legacy of student leadership and positive change-making.
ASI serves the CSUF campus community through shared governance, specialized programming and funding of campus organizations. ASI executive director Dave Edwards said student leaders leave ASI with skills in advocacy and governance, thoughtful communication, organizational operations, budgeting, and a solid understanding of effectively leading others.
“Our students do so much more than participate in student government and advocacy,” explained Edwards. “They oversee and help provide direction for major campus programs and facilities.”
For Mitchell, a two-time CSUF alum, ASI is where he developed critical communication and interpersonal skills that helped him at every stage in his career.
“ASI gave me the confidence to interact with individuals from all backgrounds and positions of power. I was able to leverage the skills that I learned at Cal State Fullerton to quickly gain a leadership role in my first job at Poshmark. I used that role to transition to where I am now — a software, data engineer at Apple,” said Mitchell ’21, ’23 (B.S., M.S. computer engineering).
Kelley, a two-time CSUF alum, said the student organization sparked a passion for public service.
“ASI inspired me to pursue a career in public policy with an interest in higher education. After my ASI presidential term, I attended UCLA on a full-ride scholarship for my master’s degree in public policy,” said Kelley ’23, ’25 (B.A. communications-public relations, M.S. educational leadership).
Since the 1970s, ASI student leaders have led the charge to create and champion award-winning campus spaces, programs, and resources that prioritize student wellness, belonging and academic achievement.
Major accomplishments for ASI include the opening and management of the Titan Student Union and Student Recreation Center, as well as the Children’s Center, which is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. The SRC was also awarded a Gold Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification by the U.S. Green Building Council in 2009.
To further support Titans, ASI opened the ASI Food Pantry in 2021, providing students with access to free produce and essential food items. Since its opening, the Food Pantry has received multiple Kaiser Permanente grants to purchase refrigerated lockers, expand culturally and dietary-specific food options, and increase pop-up services.
ASI launched its Beyond the Conversation speaker series in 2022. Since then, such notable guests as Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones, and actors Cynthia Erivo and Ke Huy Quan have inspired the campus community.
Other accomplishments include the opening of the Titan Esports Lounge; the development of popular student programs like Spring Concert; and the passing of the ASI Student Wellness Initiative, which proposes additional funding for scholarships, student groups and a wellness hub.