Camalah Saleh and Laura Ramos were awarded Fresno State’s top academic honors for the class of 2026.
Chosen from a group of nine Undergraduate Deans’ Medalists and nine Graduate Deans’ Medalists, they were surprised with the honor during the President’s Recognition Reception at the Fresno State Concert Hall on Thursday, May 14.
“The level of commitment and academic excellence shown by Camalah and Laura is exemplary,” said Fresno State President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval. “They truly embody the Bulldog spirit with unwavering dedication to complete their degrees and contribute meaningfully to the community and beyond. We are excited to celebrate them, and I am confident that their visionary leadership will take them to new levels of excellence in the future.”
Saleh, of Sanger, was selected as the President’s Undergraduate Medalist, the university’s top honor for an undergraduate student. She earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and communication with a 4.0 GPA.
Ramos, of Fresno, was selected as the President’s Graduate Medalist, the university’s top honor for an undergraduate student. She earned her MBA with a 4.0 GPA.
Camalah Saleh, President’s Undergraduate Medalist
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 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.
Laura Ramos, President’s Graduate Medalist
Ramos is a two-time alumna of Fresno State, having earned her B.S. in business administration in 2011. Since then, she has worked continuously at Fresno State, starting her career at the Center for Irrigation Technology. She has served as director of research and education for the California Water Institute since 2018. Throughout her time in the MBA program, Ramos used what she learned in the classroom to improve policies and procedures at the California Water Institute. She aligned the institute’s planning with the university’s strategic goals, expanded partnerships with tribal and environmental groups to bring all stakeholders to water negotiations and launched a Weekly Water Insights segment on KMJ radio. Ramos’ culminating MBA project focused on defining a niche strategy for the California Water Institute, supported by a financial sustainability framework targeting at least $1 million in annual grant funding. Ramos plans to lead the institute to be the preeminent public policy institute for the Central Valley.
