Fallbrook native earns scholarship for philanthropy

STILLWATER, OKLA. – Fallbrook native Christina Anaya was among 10 scholarship recipients at last month’s ninth annual Women for Oklahoma State University Symposium. Anaya is an integrative biology doctoral student at the land-grant institution based in Stillwater, Okla.

Anaya received the award for her extensive volunteerism. She has spent more than 1,600 hours mentoring undergraduate students at OSU and her previous university, Cal Poly. She believes it is especially important to encourage minority students to consider careers in science.

“There’s so much you can learn from interacting with other people and seeing how other people live their life,” Anaya said. “I think many of us get into our own little bubble, and volunteering allowed me to put myself outside of that bubble and meet other people.”

She serves as a student representative on the Department of Integrative Biology’s Seminar Committee as well as conservation chair for the Student Sierra Club. She volunteers for Into the Streets, the Salvation Army, Special Olympics and the Wesley Foundation. She has previously volunteered for Hurricane Katrina Outreach along with Flying Samaritans in Mexico.

Her research focuses on parasite community ecology, especially the little-studied hairworm. She was recently awarded a prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Research Award to study Iceland’s parasites and their hosts.

What really inspired her volunteerism, though, was the birth of her son, Dakota Williams, who now attends California State University Channel Islands.

“It really helped me to reflect about what kind of world I wanted to be in,” Anaya said. “That’s a world that shows kindness to others and helps other people. So if I could demonstrate that to my son, it helps to make the world a better place and he can see that his mom is participating. Hopefully those traits will be carried over as he becomes an adult.”

Women for OSU is a diverse group of visionary women who share a passion for inspiring leadership and financial support to OSU. Women for OSU envisions a culture of giving and service that acknowledges the significant impact women have at OSU and inspires others to positively shape the future of the university through philanthropy and engagement. For more information, visit OSUgiving.com/women.