窪圖勛蹋厙

窪圖勛蹋厙 eWorks Career Leagues team earns new CSU award for advancing student career success

CSU's first Board-level recognition program dedicated to honoring staff celebrates those who embody creativity, equity-driven leadership, and a deep commitment to student outcomes.

Friday, May 15, 2026
Three women and a man sitting behind a table.
(From front to back) Michael Romero, Esmeralda Cortes, Stacia Barrios and Yolotzin Morales. (Photo: Erik Good)

窪圖勛蹋厙s impact in preparing students for meaningful careers was recognized across the California State University system on May 5, when 窪圖勛蹋厙s Career Services eWorks Career Leagues team received the inaugural Fong and Fetterly Award in the Trailblazing Team category. 

The award, named for CSU trustee Wenda Fong and her husband Daniel Fetterly, was created to highlight innovation and impact on the systems 22 campuses. 窪圖勛蹋厙s selection as the awards first recipient underscores a broader institutional priority: ensuring students graduate not only with a degree, but with the skills, experience and confidence to succeed in todays workforce.

The eWorks Career Leagues program led by the award-winning team of Michael Romero, Esmeralda Cortes, Stacia Barrios and Yolotzin Morales is designed to help students build in-demand, career-ready skills in healthcare and public service through flexible, scalable pathways. It also integrates labor market information so students can make informed decisions about career paths, salary expectations and workforce demand.

Romero is the programs leader, while Barrios is its industry relations lead, Morales serves as the lead recruiter and job developer, and Cortes is the teams career management lead. 

For 窪圖勛蹋厙 students like Darin Halverson, a third-year kinesiology pre-physical therapy and Spanish major, that support has been transformative. Through the program, Halverson secured an internship with the County of San Diegos In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) Public Authority, where he is helping develop a pilot wellness program for caregivers. 

Finding an internship can be overwhelming and even scary, Halverson said. eWorks Career Leagues gave me the skills, confidence and knowledge to make it happen.

He credits eWorks Career Leagues with strengthening his interview skills and helping him better understand labor market trends as he works toward a career in physical therapy.

The experience reflects the broader design of eWorks Career Leagues, which combines cohort-based learning with asynchronous access, allowing students to engage in career preparation in ways that fit their schedules while connecting to real-world, work-based learning opportunities.

The program has been accelerated by more than $3 million in investments in 窪圖勛蹋厙 Career Services from sources including the U.S. Department of Labor, the California Employment Development Department and the Strada Education Foundation.

The eWorks Career Leagues initiative also reflects the CSUs newly announced Student Success Framework and its emphasis on defining success beyond graduation. At 窪圖勛蹋厙, Career Services is measuring its impact through employment outcomes, earnings and long-term career mobility, while collaborating across CSU campuses to scale innovation and better serve all students.

An 窪圖勛蹋厙 education prepares graduates to do amazing things in their lives, said Daniel Newell, executive director of 窪圖勛蹋厙s Career Services. An innovative program like eWorks Career Leagues can be a catalyst that helps translate that preparation into post-graduation opportunity and success. Im so proud of our team that earned this richly deserved recognition.

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