Alumni Updates

Terry M. Culton

Psychology, 1989

Terry has been working as a winemaker in California for over 30 years. He recently moved to Oregon to take the position of Director of Winemaking and Vineyards at Willamette Valley Vineyards in Turner, Oregon. 

Alexander Gant

PsychologyMA in Counseling Psychology , 2021

Alexander is working for Hazel Health as an Associate MFT. Hazel Health partners with school districts across the country to provide medical and mental health services to students via telehealth.

Cynthia Chaney

Social Work, 1980

Cynthia loved her two years at Humboldt, where she made a lifetime friend and teases her about being a "Humboldt Honey." Cynthia graduated with a bachelor's in Social Work and went on to get a master's in Social Work from the University of Hawaii in 1993. She lived in Hawaii for 25 years and never wanted to leave. In 2013, Cynthia moved to Arizona to care for her elderly mother. She would love to catch up with her former classmates.

Leah Rankin

Psychology, 2018

Leah started at Humboldt as a single mom juggling homelife, work, and school. They obtained a job in the behavioral health field and learned quickly that supporting individuals living with co-occurring disorders was their calling. They've been providing services in the field for ten years and have worked up to becoming the Program Administrator at a Social Rehabilitation Program that prepares our persons served for community reintegration. Leah encourages people to continue to follow their passions and dreams, to stay focused on what they wish to accomplish, and to remember it's never too late to get started. 

G Shellye Horowitz

Psychology, 1995 (Social Science) and 1998 (Psychology)

Promoted to Hemophilia Federation of America's Director of Education, Shellye leads the Mild Matters initiative fostering dialogue between patients and health care providers at federally funded hemophilia treatment centers. Mild Matters advocates for patients with mild bleeding disorders regarding equitable access to diagnosis and treatment and standardization of care throughout the USA.

Additionally, Shellye increases patient and provider understanding of inherent systemic biases women face seeking diagnosis and treatment for bleeding disorders. She works to eliminate barriers perpetuated through continued use of outdated x-linked inheritance nomenclature.

If your biology book tells you hemophilia is rare in women, IT IS WRONG!!!

Jean Ross Zedekar

Nursing, 1974

Jean retired from hospital nursing after 47 years in 2021. She started her nursing career at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, CA, and retired from St. John Medical Center in Longview, WA. She and her husband Steve raised two daughters, and are now happy grandparents to four grandchildren with another on the way. They love to boat, travel, scuba dive, and play pickleball. Jean looks forward to a reunion with her fellow nursing classmates for their 50-year graduation celebration.

Albert Bernales

Business Administration, 2018

Albert Bernales ('18, Business) is among the first Peace Corps volunteers to return to overseas service since the agency’s unprecedented global evacuation in March 2020. The Peace Corps suspended global operations and evacuated nearly 7,000 volunteers from more than 60 countries at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"My professors shared their experiences as Peace Corps volunteers during their lectures and it seemed very impactful on their own personal and professional development,” said Bernales. "As a business volunteer, I hope to share an entrepreneur's mindset with community members in Fiji and hopefully get them excited about business.”

Jay Earl Peterson

Psychology, 1972

Jay Peterson has been retired for twenty years now and is loving it. He spends most of his time reading and hopes to get more active again once his hips heal and his spinal injuries get better. For the most part, he's been touring the USA on his Gold Wing motorcycle and enjoying his time with his grandchildren.  

Thana Brunges

NursingMinor in Biology, 1972

Thana Brunges ('72, Nursing) graduated from Mendocino College in 1976 with a degree in Liberal Studies, Santa Rosa Junior College in 1978 with a degree in Registered Nursing, and Sonoma State University in 1987 with a BS in Nursing and PHN in Public Health Nursing.

Rick M. Gardner

Psychology, 1965

After graduation, Rick Gardner ('65, Psychology) attended the University of Nevada Reno where he received his Ph.D. in psychology in 1969. He was a professor and department chair at two universities, most recently at the University of Colorado Denver. His research emphasis was on body image and retired in 2010. In recognition of Humboldt's many contributions to his journey into academia, Rick recently funded three annual scholarships for psychology undergraduate majors who are assisting psychology faculty in their research. He is most grateful for his experiences and the mentorship he received at Humboldt State.