California State University Channel Islands selects Selena Palaroan as a CSU Trustee Scholar

CAMARILLO, Calif. – California State University Channel Islands selected nursing student Serena Palaroan as CSU Trustee Scholar.

The third year nursing student is one of 23 students selected as a 2023-2024 CSU Trustees’ Scholar.

Palaroan maintained a solid 4.0 grade point average throughout the pandemic, even after dropping out at one point and later returning with determination.

One student per CSU campus is chosen to receive a scholarship award. Each scholarship award varies. Palaroan’s will be $7,000 as a Trustee Emerita Debra S. Farar Scholar.

Palaroan graduated from South Lake Tahoe High School in 2020, then enrolled in UC Santa Barbara.

Due to all of her classes being online during the pandemic, she was struggled in some of her classes.

After graduating from Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) while working to support herself, Palaroan was thrilled to learn that CSUCI had a Nursing program at its satellite campus in Goleta.

There, she thrived, keeping up her traditional 4.0 GPA while working to support herself as a medical assistant and scribe.

“This takes so much of the financial burden off of me," Palaroan said. "This gives me some relief so I can focus more on my studies and not having to study, go to work, study, go to work.”

Palaroan will graduate in May of 2025 with plans to work with babies and pregnant mothers.