For more than 20 years, the mission of FSP has been to provide incoming freshmen with tools to facilitate a successful transition into college life.

Maureen Kelley, Director

Maureen kelleyMaureen Kelley is practically a San Diego native, having moved to California from Seattle when she was four years old.  It’s a good thing–when not hard at work one of Maureen’s favorite places to be is in the water. An avid sportswoman, Maureen spends some of her free time learning to surf and on her boat wakeboarding, and waterskiing. In the winter months, she treks to the mountains where she loves to snowboard. An enthusiastic traveler, Maureen most recently journeyed to Spain, Italy, Portugal, Morocco, and the Canary Islands. She also spends time reading from her extensive home library and sharing thoughts and ideas with her long-time reading group. To keep herself centered she practices Yoga and is looking forward to a summer Yoga retreat in Brazil.

After earning her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in English from SDSU, for over ten years Maureen taught writing courses for the Department of Rhetoric and Writing Studies, English, and Information and Decision Systems. Prior to joining the SDSU community, Maureen was a Marketing Director and Recruiting Coordinator for large San Diego law firms.

Since joining the Freshman Success team in 2002 and taking on the directorship in 2005, Maureen is committed to developing programs to accommodate more students in better ways and to encourage them to find their success in college and beyond.  

 

Lynnette Van Horn, Assistant Director

Lynnette Van HornLynnette Van Horn is a fourth generation Californian and a long-time resident of San Diego. She comes from a family of classical musicians and in fact her parents played classical music for her before she was born. Her first and only aspiration was to become a flutist and began studying at 9 years old.  She has been teaching and performing for more than 30 years and counts the San Diego Pops, The San Diego Chamber Orchestra and the San Diego Lyric Opera among  her many, many gigs. She is a member of the American Federation of Musicians, Local 325.

The recipient of several awards and scholarships from SDSU, Lynnette received her Masters of Music in Flute performance and graduated Summa Cum Laude.

An elected SDSU Senator, and a member of the Campus Development Committee, Lynnette was awarded the IFC Faculty/Staff Advisor of the Year award for her work with Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity.  She also adjudicates the SDSU Concerto Competition each December.   Her off-campus  volunteer work includes  Stand Up for Kids - preparing and serving meals to homeless teens and Operation Interdependence – preparing and packaging ‘C-RATS’ (civilian rations) to deployed military personnel.

cocoAlways looking for creative endeavors, Lynnette is a neophyte woodworker, is writing the great American novel, and designs and sells jewelry.  She has an extensive collection of one-of-a-kind handmade cookie cutters and collects unusual cookbooks. Lynnette is presently bonding with her newest addition: a 7-pound Chihuahua mix found on a dog-rescue site. Coco Chanel is elegant, fast, enjoys French fries, long walks on the beach, and is fascinated by Ballet programs on TV.

Since 2000, Lynnette has been  a dedicated member of the Freshman Success Team and looks forward to each fall semester as an affirmation of her acute sensibilities toward new SDSU students.

 

Megan Burks, Student Assistant

megan burksMegan Burks is a native San Diegan who practically grew up in the waters of La Jolla Shores, where her father taught her to surf. With family and friends nearby and the mountains and beach a short commute away, Megan has remained close during her undergraduate education at San Diego State University to those things she loves most. In her free time, Megan values the panoramic views at the top of East County hiking trails, running in the early-morning ocean air of Pacific Beach, and indulging in gelato and éclairs at her favorite café in Little Italy. She also enjoys returning to her high school to tutor students in English. Her favorite locations act as inspiration for this aspiring writer, who has been published in the San Diego Reader, the Daily Aztec, and SDSUniverse.

On campus, Megan has been actively involved with the University Honors Program since 2004, presenting research at regional honors conferences, publishing its newsletter, and organizing the Henry L. Janssen “Last” Lecture Series. She is currently serving as the program’s Student Council President.  Megan is a Provost Scholar, has received awards from the School of Communications and the School of Journalism and Media Studies, and is a member of several honors societies.

As a senior majoring in Journalism with a minor in Sociology, Megan plans to continue on to a Master’s/PhD program related to media studies. She hopes her future career will take her abroad so she can return to Europe, where she just spent five months studying at the Universiteit van Amsterdam and traveling to London, Belgium, Switzerland, Barcelona, and Morocco.

In the meantime, Megan enjoys helping new SDSU students craft their academic future with the Freshman Success Programs. When she’s not stuffing and labeling envelopes, Megan loves to answer the many questions of anxious first-year students and their parents.