Danielle Vu spent the first days of her life in the pediatric cardiology unit of Modesto Memorial Hospital, where doctors diagnosed her with a congenital cardiovascular defect — a hole in her heart.
“Refusing to allow my medical challenges to define me, I chose instead to let it inspire my life,” Vu said. “Growing up and learning about the complexities of health insurance coverage, I see the emotional and economic struggles that families experience when their child is ill. For these reasons, I dedicated my life to the pursuit of positive change in health care policy.”
Vu began her journey at Fresno State as a member of the Smittcamp Family Honors College, majoring in sociology. She has maintained a 4.0 GPA while also participating in the College of Social Sciences Honors Program and McNair Scholars Program, and writing her honors thesis on perceptions of discrimination in health care settings. She presented this research at the Central California Research Symposium and at the 39th Annual CSU Student Research Competition.
In addition to her studies, Vu has committed to making a positive impact in the community. She serves as a peer mentor to incoming freshmen and transfer students at Fresno State. She has also served in various capacities at Camp Kesem, supporting children whose parents have been diagnosed with cancer.
“Working as a summer counselor for Camp Kesem taught me that positive relationships can be the most important and impactful resource of all,” Vu said.
“At camp, I worked alongside both campers and counselors from all walks of life. But what everyone had in common were aspirations to change the world around us, and such change is impossible without the support of our community.”
While Vu has dedicated her time as an undergraduate to uplift the Fresno community, she has also had opportunities to reach beyond the Central Valley, gaining hands-on research experience at the UC Davis Center for Poverty and Inequality Research as well as Columbia University, where she was one of 16 endowed undergraduate research fellows this summer. Vu was also selected as one of 50 students nationwide to participate in the 2024 University of California Summer Institute of Emerging Managers and Leaders.
On Sept. 9, it was announced that Vu was one of 23 students (one from each of the 23 CSU campuses) selected by the California State University system to receive the 2025 CSU Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement. Established in 1984, this is the CSU’s highest recognition for student achievement, recognizing superior academic performance, personal accomplishments and community service. Vu is the 2025 CSU Trustee Wenda Fong and Daniel Fetterly Scholar.
“Everyone has their own story waiting to be told. Everyone has their own challenges to face. Everyone has the potential to be a leader. If my story can inspire even just one person to help their community and give back to a person in need, then I am so grateful to the CSU for this recognition,” Vu said.
Entering her final year at Fresno State, Vu was recently named one of 85 Sally Casanova Scholars by the CSU and was elected to serve on Fresno State’s student body government as Associated Students Inc. (ASI) vice president of external affairs.
Vu plans to pursue a Ph.D. in sociology and work as a professor and researcher, advocating for the visibility of underserved communities in health care.
“My mom would remind me when I was having a hard day that my defective heart at birth had become my superpower, always driving me to be kind hearted and open hearted. I hope that one day, I can enact legislative changes for the benefit of minority communities and work toward the development of a health care system that advocates for the best interest of every patient, regardless of their insurance or lack of insurance,” Vu said.
“I want people with challenges like me to know that I see their strength, that I understand their resilience, and that I want to be their voice for equitable and empathetic medical experiences. Because I know firsthand that the healing of a patient’s body is made better when their spirit is also supported.”
Vu and the other CSU Trustees’ Award recipients will be honored at the CSU Board of Trustees meeting in Long Beach on Sept. 9.
For more information on all CSU Trustee Award recipients, visit the CSU Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement website.
