Biology Student Goes From Dropout to Trustees' Award Winner

Biology Student Goes From Dropout to Trustees' Award Winner

By Brian Hiro

An error occurred while preparing your download

Through a tumultuous childhood and early adulthood, Kaitlyn Stowinsky had grown accustomed to labels being attached to her - foster youth, runaway, young mother.

In 2021, she feared that she would be pinned with another moniker: college dropout.

Only two days after her daughter, Aaleyah, was born, Stowinsky began the fall semester as a student at Grossmont College. Amid the pandemic, she was taking online classes while trying to raise a baby who was literally days and weeks old - all without childcare or family support. Feeling overwhelmed by her situation, she stopped attending class and failed multiple courses, ultimately withdrawing from the school.

"Walking away initially felt easier than facing another disappointment," Stowinsky said. "But over time, that decision weighed heavily on me. I realized I did not want my daughter growing up believing that setbacks meant giving up. I wanted her to see resilience, accountability and perseverance, even during difficult moments."

The following spring, Stowinsky suppressed her fear of failing again and re-enrolled at Grossmont. Three years later, she earned an associate degree and transferred to Cal State San Marcos. Now, as she's in what she expects to be her final year at CSUSM, her persistence has paid off in a previously unimaginable way.

Stowinsky will be honored this week as CSUSM's recipient of the 2026 CSU Trustees' Award for Outstanding Achievement, the highest student distinction within the California State University. Students are selected based on superior academic performance, personal accomplishments, community service and financial need.

The CSU recognizes 22 students every year - one from each campus - with the Trustees' Award. Stowinsky, who was named a CSU Trustee Emeritus Kenneth Fong Scholar, will receive her award in person during a ceremony as part of the CSU Board of Trustees meeting in Long Beach on Sept. 22.

"Kaitlyn has overcome tremendous personal hardship while pursuing higher education and raising her young daughter," CSUSM President Ellen Neufeldt said. "Her story is one of transformation, social mobility and an unwavering commitment to creating a better future for herself and others.

"She represents the very best of the CSU system, and she couldn't be more deserving of this award."

Stowinsky is pursuing a degree in molecular and cellular biology and is on track to graduate in May. She's particularly interested in genetics, gender and development, and how human physiology influences neurological and psychological development.

"These fields fascinate me because they merge scientific exploration with deep human questions about identity, resilience and how biology and environment shape who we become," she said.

From failing out of Grossmont, Stowinsky is now a dean's list student who's a member of Tau Sigma, a national academic honor society for transfer students who achieve 3.5 or higher GPA at the end of their first term. Beyond the classroom, she works for Project Rebound, a campus program that empowers formerly incarcerated and system-impacted students at CSUSM.

During her time at Grossmont, Stowinsky served as a biology peer mentor, chemistry tutor and workshop organizer for the school's Math, Science and Engineering Achievement (MESA) program, which provides students with the support and resources needed to succeed academically en route to careers in STEM disciplines.

"Many students entering STEM fields feel isolated or intimidated, especially those from underrepresented or nontraditional backgrounds," Stowinsky said. "Because I understand those feelings personally, I strive to create the kind of support system I once needed myself."

Stowinsky entered the foster care system at age 4, after her mother went on deployment. When she was a few years older, she would wait by the door every night, wondering when her mom would come home. Instability became her normal - she attended eight different high schools and struggled with her mental health.

"I believed my future would always be limited by my circumstances," she said.

That feeling of fatalism changed immediately when Aaleyah was born in August 2021. Stowinsky realized that overcoming obstacles and persevering as a student were no longer just about success for her; they were about a different, better future for her daughter.

"Education became more than an opportunity," Stowinsky said. "It became my way out, my proof that I could rewrite my story."

The odds might have suggested that Stowinsky would fall far short of a bachelor's degree. Now, however, she wants even more. She aims to pursue a master's in science, with an ambition to contribute to research that advances equitable healthcare outcomes and supports people with complex personal histories.

The Trustees' Award is confirmation that she's firmly on the right track - as a student and a mother. Aaleyah turned 5 and started kindergarten in August.

"This award is so much more than a recognition of an accomplishment," she said. "To me, it is a reminder that people have seen my journey, my dedication, my growth and my dreams, and they too believe in me. Their belief is what continues to push me forward on the days when things feel difficult. It motivates me to keep growing into the person, and mother, I know I am meant to become and to continue working every day to honor the faith and support that has been placed in me."

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

[email protected] | Office: 760-750-7306