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Charlie built his career from the ground up. While attending Diablo Valley College, he started working at a big box retailer in Pleasant Hill, CA, taking on roles in merchandising. At that time, the company was developing plans for stores in Europe, Indonesia and Singapore. Seeing the opportunity for overseas advancement Charlie chose to study International Business at SFSU.

After graduating from SFSU, he entered the company’s management program and steadily advanced, eventually managing stores and hiring staff, including for new stores in Hawaii and Guam. When the company later refocused on only the domestic U.S. market, Charlie was promoted to a role in store operations finance, which included training new district and store managers. When the company later merged with a traditional retailer, Charlie continued in the same role supporting both retail formats.  

Early in his management experience, Charlie noticed a troubling pattern: many hourly associates lacked even basic financial knowledge. “They really didn’t have any personal finance literacy, let alone training,” he says. “It was kind of like trying to get them to understand basic things. It was all new to them.” Charlie also saw a similar personal financial literacy opportunity later on when working with new store managers on how to interpret their store profit and loss statements.

“They really didn’t have any personal finance literacy, let alone training. It was all new to them.” 

—Charlie Overmire (B.S. ’87) on colleagues he encountered 
early in his management experience

Today, financial literacy has become a national priority. Thirty states, including California, now require public high schools to offer financial literacy courses. California plans to launch its program in the 2027–28 academic year, with the course becoming a graduation requirement by 2030–31.

When the COVID-19 pandemic created an opportunity for early retirement after 37 years, Charlie began thinking about how to give back. He and Diane saw the endowed internship as a meaningful way to equip SFSU students with essential financial knowledge.

“This partnership strengthens how we prepare our nursing students by giving them access to realistic pediatric training environments earlier in their education. It expands what is possible within nursing education and ensures our graduates are ready to serve the needs of patients and families as they transition from learning into practice.”

—SFSU President Lynn Mahoney

Pediatric workforce needs in the Bay Area

Hospitals and health systems across California continue to need more well-trained nurses across all nursing specialties, with pediatric care among the most specialized and difficult areas to staff. At the same time, limited clinical placement opportunities, also called clinical rotations, have constrained nursing program growth, even as demand for care continues to rise. 

“As a profession, nursing continues to face significant workforce shortages,” said Elaine Musselman, PhD, RN, director and professor of pediatrics at SFSU. “Pediatric care is a one of the most specialized and high-acuity areas where that gap is especially visible, due in part to fewer opportunities to train on complex cases and competition among nursing programs for clinical placements. Simulation-based learning helps bridge that gap by allowing students to practice critical skills in a safe environment before they reach the bedside. By providing a space for deliberate practice and error, we’re ensuring more consistent competency for our students, something employers look for in future nurse candidates.”

Preparing practice-ready pediatric nurses

The pediatric simulation room began pilot use in March 2026 and will be fully integrated into SFSU’s nursing curriculum in fall 2026. Once fully implemented, the space will support approximately 120 pre-licensure students each year — 80 students in the fall and 40 students in the spring.

The simulation environment, complete with a wireless infant manikin and hospital-ready equipment, is designed to replicate pediatric hospital workflows, including those used across Sutter facilities like Sutter’s CPMC. Inside the room, students get practice recognizing early signs of patient deterioration, administering IV therapy with syringe pumps, responding to pediatric emergencies and managing care across multiple patients. Their training also emphasizes communication with families and interdisciplinary care teams, including physicians and respiratory therapists, reflecting the realities of pediatric hospital settings.

Each simulation begins with a structured pre-briefing that establishes expectations and psychological safety. Students then participate in realistic clinical scenarios using a wireless manikin, followed by a guided debrief focused on clinical reasoning, communication and decision making.

This hands-on approach to learning is designed to strengthen clinical judgment in pediatric care, where patients require distinct physiological assessment and communication strategies compared to adult populations. It also provides consistent exposure to high-risk, low-frequency pediatric emergencies that students may not regularly encounter during their clinical rotations.

“My passion for science began at San Francisco State University in 1970, when I took a molecular biology course taught by Dr. Sarane Bowen,” Fong recalls. “That class sparked my fascination with DNA and RNA and their essential roles in the life of cells.”

That spark led Fong to pursue a Ph.D. at Indiana University and postdoctoral research at UCLA and the National Institutes of Health. In 1984, he founded Clontech Laboratories. “What began in the classroom at SFSU became the foundation for a company that grew to nearly 400 employees over 15 years,” he says. Clontech rose to become one of the largest biomedical tool companies founded by an Asian American in the U.S. before its acquisition by Becton Dickinson in 1999. Fong later launched Kenson Ventures, LLC, a Silicon Valley–based venture capital firm that has invested in and mentored numerous biotech companies through IPOs and acquisitions.

Reflecting on his career, Fong says, “I have come to value sustainability and continuity — principles that guide both my professional endeavors and my contributions to the scientific community.” These principles, together with his gratitude for the opportunities afforded by his education in the U.S. as an immigrant from Hong Kong, continue to inspire his deep connection to SFSU. Over the years, he has given generously of his time, expertise, and philanthropy.

“My passion for science began at San Francisco State University in 1970, when I took a molecular biology course taught by Dr. Sarane Bowen. That class sparked my fascination with DNA and RNA and their essential roles in the life of cells.”  
—Kenneth S. Fong (B.A., ’71; M.A., ’74), Ph.D.

In 2014, he endowed the Kenneth S. Fong Translational Research Award at SFSU, designed to support faculty and student collaborations and innovation in perpetuity. “By generating discoveries that can attract funding from NIH, NSF, and other sources,” Fong says, “the program creates a self-sustaining cycle of research, innovation, and impact.”

Since its launch, the award has funded 11 interdisciplinary projects, engaging 27 faculty and 75 students. These projects have spanned fields as diverse as biomedical engineering, chemistry, biology, physics, and computer science — from robotic exoskeletons for stroke rehabilitation, to breast cancer treatments using diverse ancestry cell lines, to advances in prosthetic arm technology. Collectively, the research has secured more than $21 million in additional funding from national agencies including the NIH, NSF, NASA, and the Department of Defense.

For SFSU student research assistant Charlie Vidal Sanchez (B.S., Civil Engineering, ’20; M.S., Structural & Earthquake Engineering, ’21), the support was life-changing. “It was at SFSU that I saw all the doors open for me where they were once closed, potential seen in me when there was once none, and where I took advantage of every opportunity I could,” he says. With the confidence and experience gained from his participation in Fong-supported research, Charlie went on to win first place in the CSU Research Competition, earn a master’s degree through SFSU’s accelerated program, and launch his own construction company. 

“It was at SFSU that I saw all the doors open for me where they were once closed, potential seen in me when there was once none, and where I took advantage of every opportunity I could.”  
—Charlie Vidal Sanchez (B.S., Civil Engineering, ’20; M.S., Structural & Earthquake Engineering, ’21), who assisted with Fong-awarded research as an SFSU student

Mind you, Denny’s is no ordinary story. Rather, it’s one filled with calculated choices. His decision to attend SFSU ultimately led to a successful career as a computer programmer who, along with his business partner, built, grew, and sold their company. Denny will be the first to tell you that he wasn’t sure how it was going to turn out. In fact, he had doubts that he would even be successful in college and beyond. That success, though, is well proven, and Denny is happy to share the fruits of that success by lending a helping hand to students in need.

Despite his claim that he was not a great student, Denny applied to and was accepted at San Jose State, Fresno State, and SF State. “I picked San Francisco. That’s where the Giants and Niners were and that’s where you could see a good Broadway play,” he says with a laugh.

Turned out to be a great decision. Focusing his studies on business and inspired by his success in classes in Statistics and Programming, Denny graduated with a degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Quantitative Management. From SFSU, Denny was off to his Army stint where he served as editor of the base newspaper in Alaska. He returned to California and was hired as a salesman for Univac as business computing gained wider acceptance.

Sales, however, were not Denny’s strength. Discouraged, he was about to quit Univac, but his manager saw something in him that stood out and Denny was moved over to support businesses that bought or leased Univac computers. This gave Denny the chance to develop his programming skills to the point where he was teaching companies with computers how to program them to maximize their efficiency. Soon, however, the appeal of travelling across Europe captured his attention, so Denny gave up his Univac job.

After living in a van as he traversed through London, Amsterdam, France, Germany, Spain, and Morocco, Denny returned to San Francisco and connected with an SFSU fraternity brother, Tom Luther (no relation), and tended bar in his restaurant a few nights a week. In the upper floors of the building that housed the restaurant, Denny’s future business partner and former IBM salesman Jack Baird was making a living as a computer programming consultant, focusing on getting doctors, dentists, medical groups, and hospitals to sign up for medical and dental billing services. The benefit for the businesses was that with the computerized billing systems, they would get paid in just a week instead of the traditional 30 to 45 days.

Originally from Florida, Keith moved to California in 1989 and began his academic journey at Skyline College before transferring to SF State. It was a decision shaped by both opportunity and family: his brother was wrestling at Skyline, and transferring to SF State allowed Keith to continue his education while staying locally connected to his family. “It was the right choice, the right time, and a good opportunity for me,” Keith reflects. 

Keith credits his time at SF State with teaching him invaluable lessons about perseverance and purpose, particularly through the wrestling program led by the legendary Coach Lars Jensen. The program’s emphasis on supporting first-generation students and reflecting the Bay Area’s diversity resonated deeply with Keith, who saw the wrestling team as a microcosm of SF State’s mission and its commitment to equity and opportunity.

When the wrestling program faced potential cuts, it was Coach Jensen’s leadership and the team’s impact that preserved it. “Coach Jensen connected the dots very effectively. He tied the mission of the University — supporting first-generation college students and students from all walks of life — in a very meaningful way to our roster. We resembled that mission,” Keith recalls. 

The wrestling program proved indispensable because its athletes represented what SF State stood for — access to education and opportunity for all students. “That really stuck with me,” Keith says, “and it honestly has been profound in my career.” An outcry from SF State alumni ultimately helped save the program.

This experience instilled in Keith a commitment to representing value and contributing to the greater good — principles that have guided his multifaceted career across athletics, enrollment management, marketing, and operations. “Everything I do is about proving return on investment,” Keith says, “and demonstrating the value that anything we're doing brings to the institution.”

“Everything I do is about proving return on investment.” 
—Keith Spataro (B.A., Kinesiology/Physical Education, ’95)

Philanthropy is a natural extension of Keith’s gratitude for the opportunities he received. Through the Spataro Alumni Wrestling Scholarship, he and his wife aim to support future generations of Gators. “We’ve been fortunate that we've been able to help change some students’ lives,” Keith shares. Connecting with scholarship awardees has been deeply rewarding for them both: “It’s always meaningful when you can put a face and name to your giving.”

The tight-knit wrestling community also inspires Keith’s giving. He remains thankful for the sport that shaped his life, crediting its “do it yourself” nature with honing his self-reliance and endurance. But wrestling also taught him the value of a supportive community that lifts one another toward success. Keith fondly recalls the potluck dinners Coach Jensen organized after student-alumni matches, where connections flourished and donations flowed. He was astonished when alumni handed Coach Jensen checks for the wrestling program in testament to their shared dedication to the team. “We couldn’t survive or be successful without that [money],” Keith realized at the time. Witnessing that generosity left a lasting impression and cemented his commitment: “I knew that when I had the capacity, I needed to do the same thing.”

“We couldn’t survive or be successful without that [money]. I knew that when I had the capacity, I needed to do the same thing.” 
—Keith Spataro (B.A., Kinesiology/Physical Education, ’95)

Keith vividly describes wrestling as a sport that demands extraordinary physical and mental toughness. Wrestlers are pushed to extremes — through weight cuts, relentless training, and physical exhaustion — while required to face their opponent, alone, in the center of the mat. It is a grueling test of both body and mind, where success depends entirely on individual effort. Yet what stands out most to Keith is the respect and camaraderie amongst teammates. Looking across the mat and seeing a teammate enduring the same challenges creates a distinctive bond, one forged through shared struggle and perseverance. “In wrestling, we’re just trying to survive,” Keith reflects, “but we need each other to do that.”