Always a Warrior: Alumni Association Chapters Seek to Connect Stan State Graduates

Stanislaus State has launched two official chapters of its Alumni Association - and more are on the horizon - and the effort is being led by two women committed to community, mentorship and the power of connection.

Loren Mannard, a licensed clinical social worker and part of the University's first Master of Social Work (MSW) cohort in 1995, and Samantha Johnson, a 2021 sociology graduate and founder of Sistas in Support, are the driving forces behind Stan State's new MSW and Black Alumni chapters.

For both women, giving back is second nature. Loren Mannard was a ground breaker, a member of the first cohort when Stanislaus State's Master of Social Work program launched in 1995. She's come a long way, working her way up in that field after her 1997 graduation to now run the Employee and Physician Assistance Program for Kaiser in the Central Valley, providing counseling for employees and their families.

Samantha Johnson also broke ground, creating Sistas in Support in 2021, which connected Black women students with a Black woman faculty or staff member mentor.

The two continue to think about others, as evidenced by each creating the first alumni chapters Stan State has had in many years.