BIG IDEA
What Does Student Success Mean to You?
There is no one definition of student success, nor is there a single way to quantify it. Does student success mean earning a perfect GPA? Collecting trophies or awards for athletic and academic achievement? Does it mean finding a parking spot on the first floor of the Seventh Street Garage with five minutes to spare? For this issue’s Big Idea, we asked members of our Spartan community to answer the same question:
What does student success mean to you?
Students speak
Anushree Bhattacharya
'26 Molecular Biology
“My answer has changed since I became a learning assistant. Before that I always thought a successful student was the one that gets good grades because I was always the one chasing good grades. I felt that even if I didn't understand the topic, I was fine. I could just memorize it by repeating the same thing several times in my head. That's what I thought a successful student was.
“But now I would say a successful student is someone who understands what they're doing. You don't have to hide behind grades. Obviously they’re a part of life, you [may] have to get into grad school. They’re important. But at the end of the day, to apply Bloom's Taxonomy, I feel a good, successful student is someone who doesn’t just understand and remember, but also analyzes and applies those concepts to real world things. Also, I would say a person who knows their own learning style. A step to becoming a successful student is to know what works best for you.”
Photo courtesy of Anushree Bhattacharya.
Photo courtesy of Dominic Carillo.
Dominic Carillo
'27 Aviation
"To me, student success is mostly about persevering through the struggle. What's most important is staying consistent and not giving up. If a student struggles with the class but continues to give it their all, they are succeeding. I will be the first to admit that there have been times where there is something I wanted to do but gave up at the slightest inconvenience, so I’ve always looked up to the people who are able to keep moving forward, even if that is something as small as taking your first physics class.”
Joel Mendoza
’26 Pictorial Arts
“Before I enlisted in the Navy, school felt like an obligation, so I wasn’t that successful. But now I feel like I’m being successful because I’m doing what I want to do, and I’m enjoying it. To me, student success is when a student actually looks forward to school because they are doing what they want to do, studying what they want to study.”
Photo courtesy of Joel Mendoza.
Photo: Robert C. Bain.
Josh Millstead
'26 Management Information Systems
“I define student success as someone who strives not to be better than anyone else but rather strives to be better versions of themselves from a year ago, a week ago or a day ago. I firmly believe that anyone can be successful no matter what background or challenges they are facing because at the end of the day, being authentic to yourself is what matters. Also having a good support system is very important as well to help you become successful. I would have never been able to get where I am today without the support of my family, friends and teachers, and I am truly grateful for everything they have done for me.”
Sahithya Swaminathan
’25 Computer Engineering
“If a student leaves this campus and they feel ready for the future, then I think that’s student success. If they feel prepared, if they feel that SJSU has given them a good experience and helped them grow in any way — that’s student success. But success is subjective to every single student. For me, student success is: Do I feel prepared to go to grad school? I do feel that I am prepared, because SJSU helped me figure out that I want to pursue engineering and academia; it’s helped me outline what I want to do. I hope that every single student has the opportunity to experience what they want. It’s okay for our goals to change; maybe in five years I’ll have a different mindset. But as long as you’re leaving this campus feeling like you have an identity and a purpose, something that makes you happy, I think that’s success.”
Photo: Sowmya Janakiraman.
Photo courtesy of Arya Parekh.
Arya Parekh
’26 Environmental Studies, Geographic Information Systems
“I would say that graduating is a big part of success, but more so I think student success is feeling fulfilled in what you’re learning. Personally, I really like what I’m learning, getting to combine tech and environmental work. That feels really fulfilling to me. And I know my friends also feel fulfilled in their work. Being excited for what comes after graduation is part of success.”
Jeff Wootton
’25 MS Geographic Information Science (GISc)
“Student success for me is having something you’re really proud of — something that you’ve produced — by the end of your time here, as a grad student at least. The most valuable thing for me is I got to be a part of research projects, I got my name on academic publications — achievements that can showcase my skills going forward beyond grades or even my thesis.”
Photo courtesy of Jeff Wootton.
Photo courtesy of Dax Yuhasz.
Dax Yuhasz
’26 BS, ’27 MS Biomedical Engineering
“You need to define your own success. I like to set goals and fulfill those goals, and it's a very individual thing. I’m on the PhD track, and getting my PhD is student success for me. But I also know that can change on a semester to semester basis. In my first semester at SJSU, student success was passing calculus, and I succeeded. Student success is setting goals and fulfilling them.”
Faculty and staff reflect
Alexander Rock Fredell
’26 MS Informatics, Assistant Director of Web Development, User Experience and Content at SJSU
“I think [student success] is about defying expectations, breaking barriers and rewriting the narrative others try to impose on those who feel left out. It’s about ensuring that no student feels inherently less valuable or capable because of who they are or where they come from. Ensuring they are acknowledged, supported and understood and can achieve anything they put their mind, heart and soul towards. In a place of firsts, SJSU will be a shining light in helping many explore, discover and develop their firsts along their student success journey.”
Photo: Robert C. Bain.
Photo courtesy of Shonda Goward.
Shonda Goward
Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate Advising and Success
“Students come from all walks of life. They come from different K-12 environments. They have different life circumstances. They may be well-funded; they may be underfunded. Yet if we admit that student, we are saying they are ready for San José State, so then it’s our duty to best support, retain and graduate them. That is success for us.”
Cassandra Paul
Physics and Astronomy Professor
“Student success means supporting the students in meeting the goals that they have. The most important thing we can do is ask the students what they're looking for, what it is they want out of their college degree, what it is they want after they leave here, what they want out of their college experience in general. I think we really need to broaden our collective higher education idea of what student success is — it might be different for every student we talk to. That's a challenge, because that means that we have to get to know each and every one of our students in order to help them achieve their goals, but I also think that's such an important pursuit and such a valuable experience and duty.”
Her perspective on what student success meant to her when she was a student herself:
“I can identify several turning points in my career, and they have all involved a thoughtful, empathetic educator. I have a lot of really meaningful relationships that I established with educators along the way. And simple, simple words like, ‘Cassandra, you're good at physics,’ which was said to me when I was in high school. That kind of offhand comment sticks with you. Recognizing students’ strengths and vocalizing them and sharing them as feedback with the students is really a powerful, important thing to do. Maybe even in that moment, professors recognizing my strengths felt like student success to me.”
Photo: Jim Gensheimer.
Photo courtesy of Deanna Peck.
Deanna Peck
’17 EdD, Senior Director for Educational Programs and Academic Support
“When I think of student success, I think first of the individual who is defining what it means for themself to be successful. Often it’s a feeling of somebody who is successful in achieving their own goals, in thriving at whatever they want to be doing. But I also think it’s possible to be successful and not quite thriving yet — someone who is still working at finding ways to get their goals is, to me, successful. It could be anything from a student saying, ‘Yes, I did it! I got the grades!’ Or ‘I got the internship!’ Or ‘I graduated!’ Or ‘I made my mom proud today.’ So student success really depends on the person and what is important to them at that moment in time.”
Jordan Walters
Finance Lecturer, Founder and Program Coordinator of the Career Launch Initiative in the Lucas College and Graduate School of Business
“Student success, I believe, is defined as embracing a sense of purpose, stepping into careers that make a significant impact, and flourishing with meaningful lives. The Career Launch Initiative plays an important role in that journey, providing business students many of the tools to bridge the gap between education and life work. Students come to SJSU eager to learn, explore and thrive. They leave with so much more — personal growth, confidence and a network of people who believe in them. Cheers to you, Spartans!”
Photo courtesy of Jordan Walters.
Photo courtesy of Tijan White.
Tijan White
‘23 EdD, Director of SJSU Educational Opportunity Program
"For students with limited incomes and those who are the first in their families to potentially graduate from college, ‘student success’ goes beyond achieving good grades or earning a degree. It requires a holistic approach that considers their overall experiences, balancing academic responsibilities with external commitments such as work and family, and managing their emotional health and well-being.
“For these individuals, student success means preparing for life after college by developing the necessary skills, building professional networks, and gaining experiences that will help them secure meaningful employment in their chosen field - and also making it through each day of the semester.
“For me, student success means guiding our students to identify and set achievable goals while supporting them not just to survive but to thrive during their college experience."
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