The eight schools and colleges at Fresno State, along with the Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, each selected an outstanding student to honor as part of the class of 2026 Undergraduate Deans’ Medalists.
Each dean selected an undergraduate and graduate medalist based on academic excellence, community involvement and other achievements. Fresno State’s Graduate Deans’ Medalists will be announced on May 4.
In mid-May, one medalist from the group below will be announced as the President’s Undergraduate Medalist, the university’s top academic honor for an undergraduate student.
This year’s Undergraduate Deans’ Medalists are:
Yulissa Camarillo-Vargas, College of Health and Human Services
Yulissa Camarillo-Vargas, of Soledad, earned her B.A. in social work with a minor in Spanish and a certificate of special study in cross-cultural competency with a 3.91 GPA. A first-generation college student of Indigenous and Mexican heritage, she saw firsthand the financial struggles of her parents, who relied on income from seasonal farm work. This inspired her to pursue social work, and she aspires to work with underserved communities — particularly those from migrant farmworker families like hers. Her internships and involvement with Fresno State’s College Assistance Migrant Program gave her the tools to do just that. As an academic peer adviser intern, she provided academic assistance and guidance to 13 students, all of whom came from migrant or seasonal farm working backgrounds and were transitioning to college. This was especially meaningful for Camarillo-Vargas, who participated in the program and said it deeply shaped her academic journey. She was involved with Phi Alpha Honor Society (Social Work Honor Club), the Fresno State Farmworkers Advocacy Club and the National Association of Social Workers, among others. In the fall, Camarillo-Vargas will pursue her Master of Social Work at CSU, Monterey Bay. Her goal is to become a licensed clinical social worker.
Emily Gonzalez, Kremen School of Education and Human Development
Emily Gonzalez, of Dinuba, earned her B.A. in liberal studies with a multiple-subject/TK teaching credential through the Fresno Teacher Residency Program with a 4.0 GPA. A graduate of Dinuba High School, Gonzalez came to Fresno State as a Smittcamp Family Honors College Scholar. After losing her father to cancer during her first year at Fresno State, Gonzalez volunteered as an outreach coordinator and summer camp counselor with Camp Kesem, connecting with and mentoring over 40 children impacted by a parent’s cancer. At Camp Kesem, she established partnerships with over 25 local organizations and school districts, widening local children’s access to the camp. During her time at Fresno State, she also volunteered with Jumpstart, the Boys and Girls Club, the Fresno State Health and Counseling Center, Active Minds Club and several other campus and community organizations. Gonzalez gained professional experience as a teacher resident at Lincoln Elementary School, a student assistant in the Counselor Education Department and a STEAM summer instructor for GrowthPoint Technologies. Gonzalez plans to become an elementary school teacher with the Fresno Unified School District while furthering her education with a master’s degree.
Isaac Ramos, College of Science and Mathematics
Isaac Ramos, of Madera, earned his B.S. in mathematics and an integrated teaching credential with a 3.97 GPA. He is a Mathematics Teaching Scholar, California Teaching Fellows Foundation Scholar, National Science Foundation Noyce Scholar, Cal-Bridge Scholar, Math Alliance Scholar, STEM Teacher and Researcher Fellow and California Teaching Fellows Foundation Scholar. Ramos served as president of the Mathematics Club for two consecutive years and vice president of the Fresno State chapter of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics. He worked as an instructional student assistant, Math Circle leader and instructional student assistant department liaison. Ramos also conducted research in math instruction assessment and placement and presented at numerous conferences. He initially planned to become a high school mathematics teacher, but during his studies he developed an interest in math education methods. He now aspires to become a math instruction educator to train the next generation of teachers. Ramos intends to pursue a master’s degree in mathematics at Fresno State while substitute teaching for Fresno Unified and would like to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics education.
Jordan Rodriguez, Craig School of Business
Jordan Rodriguez, of Fresno, earned his B.S. in business administration with an emphasis in finance with a 4.0 GPA. Rodriguez served as president of the Association of Finance Scholars, an investment analyst with the Student-Managed Investment Fund and as Meet the Firms committee head for Beta Alpha Psi. He interned with the Better Business Bureau, Axos Bank and FFB Bank and volunteered for Beautify Fresno, Povarello House and the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. Rodriguez represented Fresno State in the Chartered Financial Analyst Institute Research Challenge and the Quinnipiac Global Asset Management Education Forum competition. He earned a Chartered Financial Analyst Level I certification and is preparing for the Level II examination.
Camalah Saleh, College of Arts and Humanities, College of Social Sciences and Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management
Camalah Saleh, of Sanger, is the first Fresno State student ever to be named a deans’ medalist for two colleges and the Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management. She earned her B.A. in political science and communication with a 4.0 GPA. Saleh was 3 years old when her family immigrated from Yemen to join her father in Sanger, where he opened a convenience store. Her family’s experience navigating the immigration system and her father’s hard work and sacrifice showed Saleh the importance of getting an education. A Smittcamp Family Honors Scholar, Saleh applied her classroom learning to her internships through the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, the Fresno City Council, The Maddy Institute and the Panetta Institute Congressional Internship Program, where she worked on issues such as food insecurity, infrastructure and global policy. Saleh, a Harry S. Truman Scholarship finalist, co-founded Students for Palestinian Liberation at Fresno State, growing the organization from three members to more than 1,000 in one year, and helped form the university’s Muslim Leadership Advisory Council. She also served as the Fresno State Associated Students, Inc. president in 2025-26. After graduation, Saleh will pursue a master’s degree in global affairs at Tsinghua University, in China, as a Schwarzman Scholar with a goal of becoming an immigration attorney.
Mallory Sutherland, Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology
Mallory Sutherland, of Bakersfield, earned her B.S. in agricultural business with a 4.0 GPA. A Smittcamp Family Honors College Scholar, Sutherland was actively involved in the agricultural industry through leadership in student organizations and national competitions. She earned the title of National Agri-Marketing Association individual sales champion and helped lead a team to a second-place finish in the Food Distribution Research Society case study competition as competition teams chair for the Agricultural Business Club. On campus, she served in the Supplemental Instruction program, starting as a leader and later being promoted to a mentor. She also served as a Learning Center Advisory Board student representative, supporting academic engagement and student success. Her professional experience includes internships with AgWest Farm Credit, Grimmway Farms and Sunview Vineyards of California. Through the Jordan College Honors Program, she conducted research that examined the relationship between food insecurity and fresh produce consumption among college students, as well as research with CSU-WATER on the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. An FFA American Degree recipient, Sutherland is passionate about her community and advocating for agriculture. She received a full-tuition scholarship to continue her education at UC Davis to pursue her Master of Business Administration.
Alessandro Toledo, Lyles College of Engineering
Alessandro Toledo, an international student from Ecuador, earned his B.S. in civil engineering with a 3.95 GPA. A Hans and Anna Beck Honors Scholar, Toledo has exemplified scholarly achievement in areas of structural design, geotechnical engineering, hydrology, transportation, environmental engineering and urban stormwater systems. He dedicated three years as a student research assistant and contributed to key projects in water distribution systems and infrastructure modeling. He presented and published his work nationally, and was selected as the Region 9 Outstanding Civil Engineering Student by the American Society of Civil Engineers, which represents over 180,000 members. On campus, he led the Fresno State chapter as president and was involved with the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, Society of Women in Engineering and the Digital Innovation and Research Club, as well as the Phi Kappa Phi Collegiate Honors Society and Chi Epsilon Civil Engineering Society. With an Engineer in Training certification, Toledo completed internships with top engineering firms, including AKEL Engineering Group and Arcadis. Toledo intends to pursue a Ph.D. in civil and environmental engineering, where he hopes to advance sustainable water infrastructure systems through research and innovation.
