Carrying Kyria Hontalas Petuskey's Legacy Forward Through Kinesiology
A memorial scholarship honors a life devoted to helping others by supporting the next generation of Kinesiology students.
After the passing of her sister-in-law, Kyria Hontalas Petuskey, San Francisco State University lecturer Amy Casselman-Hontalas (M.A., ’11) knew she wanted to find a way to honor her memory.
Kyria passed away in 2025 at the age of 58. It didn’t take long for Casselman-Hontalas to settle on the idea of a memorial scholarship fund to benefit SFSU students who could follow in Kyria’s footsteps, using their education in kinesiology to the benefit of patients, children, who face mobility challenges. After conferring with Kyria’s husband and other family members, Casselman-Hontalas decided to start a scholarship fund to honor Kyria.
The response by family and friends has been overwhelming. What was intended as a modest scholarship started by Casselman-Hontalas for one student has grown exponentially due to an outpouring of support by family and friends who knew Kyria. The fund now provides scholarships for three kinesiology students pursuing careers similar to Kyria.
As the lab manager at the Motional Analysis Center at Shriners Children’s Northern California, Kyria used advanced diagnostic techniques in gait analysis to develop treatment plans for children with spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy and other physical limitations that affected their mobility.
“She was like an angel on earth, someone who spent her whole life helping kids walk.”
—Amy Casselman-Hontalas (M.A., ’11)
Already, the scholarship is making a difference. For SFSU senior Chris Hinkley, one of the first three scholarship recipients, the support has been instrumental in enabling him to pursue his academic and professional aspirations.
“Receiving this scholarship was the first step toward making it possible for me to attend my dream school, the University of Southern California, where I will pursue my Doctor of Physical Therapy degree and work toward becoming a neurological specialist dedicated to helping children and adults with movement disorders,” Hinkley wrote in a letter to Kyria’s family, thanking them for the scholarship.
“It is my promise to continue serving individuals with disabilities by providing the highest level of care possible so that I may carry forward the compassion, dedication and lasting legacy that Kyria dedicated her life to,” Hinkley wrote.
Kyria Hontalas Petuskey
“It is my promise to continue serving individuals with disabilities by providing the highest level of care possible so that I may carry forward the compassion, dedication and lasting legacy that Kyria dedicated her life to.”
—SFSU senior Chris Hinkley, awardee of the Kyria Hontalas Petuskey Memorial Scholarship
Reflecting on the impact of the scholarship — both to the students and in perpetuating Kyria’s memory and the example of her service to others — brings Casselman-Hontalas contentment.
“This was just something small I wanted to do,” she said. “It could just be like a very clear, direct method of supporting students. It's buying a book, knowing that a student can now go to this school, or a student can work five hours less, and that time goes to studying.”
Helping students has great appeal to Casselman-Hontalas, who places great value on education. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Sociology at Stanford, and she has taught courses in race and resistance studies, ethnic studies and American Indian studies at SFSU. She also served as a teaching assistant in women and gender studies and is teaching Sociology at Stanford.
“Kyria just had such an incredible professional career doing probably the most altruistic job you could even imagine,” Casselman-Hontalas said. “I really wanted to empower a future generation of scholars and leaders that could follow in her footsteps.”
“Kyria just had such an incredible professional career doing probably the most altruistic job you could even imagine. I really wanted to empower a future generation of scholars and leaders that could follow in her footsteps.”
—Amy Casselman-Hontalas (M.A., ’11)
For more information about donating to the College of Health & Social Sciences, contact:
Dafna Kapshud, CFRE
Senior Director of Development and Campaign Manager
College of Health & Social Sciences
(415) 338-7112