From the minute she stepped on campus, Danielle Vu wanted to make the most of her college experience, and with her sociology major, she had a strong desire to connect with other people.
She worked with Camp Kesem as a development coordinator, leading initiatives to fund free year-round support programs and a summer camp to support children impacted by a parent’s cancer. She served as a peer mentor for the College of Social Sciences at Fresno State, advising a caseload of up to 10 freshmen and transfer students on academic and career development. Currently, she is the ASI vice president of external affairs, the elected student body vice president tasked with representing Fresno State at the California State Student Association (CSSA) and lobbying at the local, state and national level.
As she approaches graduation, her next step is clear: she intends to pursue her Ph.D. in sociology and become a professor that specializes in education about health care resources and its distribution. But pursuing post-grad isn’t easy. Vu was fortunate to join the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program, which prepares traditionally underrepresented students in graduate education for doctoral study.
In summer 2024, she attended the UC Davis Broadening Participation in Social Inequality Research (BPSIR) Program, a fully funded seven week research program that included housing, meals, travel and a stipend of $4,500.
“This was my first time doing any type of summer program and it really pushed me to become more independent,” Vu said.
From there, she was driven to conduct more research in her field and apply to more programs. In June 2025, she was one of 85 students selected out of all 23 CSU campuses to be a Sally Casanova Scholar. Scholars receive funding for research, personalized guidance and valuable experience for competitive Ph.D. applications. Scholars also receive a $5,000 stipend and fee waivers for grad school applications.
At the same time, Vu was selected as one of 16 Summer Research Fellows at Columbia University. Hosted in partnership with The Leadership Alliance, the Summer Research Early Identification Program (SR-EIP) is a fully paid summer internship that provides undergraduates with training and mentoring in the principles underlying the conduct of research and prepares them to pursue competitive applications to Ph.D. or M.D.-Ph.D. programs.
“Not only did I have access to an amazing faculty mentor at Columbia, but I also gained access to the wealth of resources at an Ivy League university,” Vu said. “I was able to get free access to qualitative coding software and journals that would normally present a high paywall. I’ve always loved California. My dedication to the Central Valley is a huge reason why I chose Smittcamp. But spending a summer in New York City really showed me that there really is so much more to explore. I find so much fulfillment in pursuing new life experiences, especially through travel, and bringing these new perspectives back home to the West Coast.”
Vu’s hard work has not gone unnoticed. In September 2025, she received the CSU Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement. Only one student from each CSU campus receives this honor — the CSU’s highest recognition for student achievement — which recognizes superior academic performance, personal accomplishments and community service.
“I feel like all of my experiences in Smittcamp and at Fresno State have really prepared me to succeed in so many different arenas,” Vu said. “All of my professors at Fresno State have really fostered my lifelong love of learning. Their encouragement of a research career has been integral to my success, and I have them to thank for all of my academic experiences.
“My mentors in all of these programs have really helped me to realize and remember that I am capable of creativity in the interest of positive social change. I’m so lucky to have been a part of so many programs that not only expose me to the graduate curriculum, but also provide me with the financial resources to learn by doing. Whether it’s learning new software, traveling to a new place, or presenting at a conference, these programs (McNair, Sally Casanova, BPSIR, the Leadership Alliance) have really pushed me to broaden my horizons and grow as a scholar.”
