newsletter_2025 - Flipbook - Page 8
Dean’s Award Winners
Undergraduate
Sacramento State/Andrea Price
Danae Bolton (they/them), Women’s and
Gender Studies, was the 2025 Dean’s
Award* recipient. Bolton grew up as
the oldest child in a Black, low-income,
single-parent household. Bolton was
the first in their family to go to college
but their kid brother was encouraged
by Bolton to pursue higher education
and will do so after having graduated
high school in June. Bolton’s mom, a
preschool teacher, earned her associate’s
degree in early childhood education
from Sacramento City College the same
month Bolton graduated from Sac State.
Bolton’s higher education journey began
at Sacramento City College where they
enrolled after having enrolled at San
Francisco State University but realizing
they couldn’t afford tuition and the Bay
Area’s high cost of living. After receiving
an associate’s degree, Bolton transferred
to Sac State. At that time, Bolton said they
felt like classes were a lot more intense
and they were working two jobs. Bolton
was living alone, working 40 hours a
week between the Disabillity Access
Center, University Enterprises, Inc., and
the Department of Women’s and Gender
Studies. They were also a College Corps
Fellow, tutoring K-12 students from
underrepresented communities in math
and English. All the stress from working
so many hours and the course load forced
them to take a semester off. Through it
all, Bolton made the Dean’s Honors List
and won first place at the Georgia State
University CIBER International Business
Case competition in February.
After Bolton graduated, their plans were
to work with autistic children as an
Sacramento State/Andrea Price
instructional aide at a K-12 school. They
also plan to pursue a master’s degree and
doctorate in education, hoping to be a
college professor.
Graduate
Devon Hunter (he/him) was the 2025
graduate Dean’s Award Recipient. Devon
graduated with a Master of Science in
Quantitative Economics from Sac State
in Fall 2024. His thesis, “Exchange Traded
Funds and the Index Effect: Implications
for Market Efficiency,” examined the
evolving relationship between passive
investment vehicles and market
dynamics. He also holds a Bachelor of
Arts in Economics from the University of
California, Merced. During his graduate
studies, he held a full-time position as a
Financial Planner at Focus Partners Wealth.
In this role, he applies economic theory
and quantitative analysis to support
informed investment decision-making. His
primary academic interest lies in financial
economics, and he aims to integrate this
expertise into the delivery of disciplined,
2025
research-based investment advice.
He is a duel American-British citizen and
lived and worked in Europe prior to Brexit.
He met his wife, Kristýna, while teaching
English in the Czech Republic, and
continutes to teach English as a volutneer.
Devon and Kristýna live in Marysville with
their three children.
*
The Dean’s Award undergraduate and graduate
recipients are also honored with the Mayada
Al-Qazzaz and Sharifa Al-Qazzaz Distinguished
Achievement Awards, respectively, a $1000
award for each, contributed annually by Dr.
Ayad Al-Qazzaz
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