Associated Students Inc. President John Haberstroh and Vice President Jonathon Bolin received “Go Long Beach” awards from Long Beach Vice Mayor Robert Garcia on Wednesday night, a recognition that Garcia said shines light on the often-overlooked work that Cal State Long Beach’s student government does for its campus.
Go Long Beach awards were given to 25 community leaders who have made noteworthy impacts on the Long Beach community, Garcia said. Haberstroh and Bolin were the only members of a student government to receive the award.
“Every year that I’ve been vice mayor, we’ve given out Go Long Beach awards, which are awarded for individuals in the Long Beach community that represent the spirit of Long Beach,” Garcia said. “We wanted to recognize the work [Haberstroh and Bolin] have done for [CSULB], as well as the work student government has done for [CSULB].”
Garcia, who served as CSULB’s ASI president in 2000, said that ASI often goes unnoticed even though its work for CSULB is important.
“It’s a large student population, and there are a lot of students that live there,” he said. “It’s a big job, and we wanted to show them our appreciation.”
Garcia listed Haberstroh and Bolin’s campaign efforts for Proposition 30 and new scholarships funded by their salaries as notable achievements of their administration.
Bolin said he was honored to receive the award and that he appreciated the acknowledgement.
“It’s a great honor, and it’s great when people recognize student leaders like any other leaders in the community,” he said. “Some people overlook student government, and I’m glad Vice Mayor Garcia didn’t.”
Other Go Long Beach award recipients included the director of Long Beach’s Ronald McDonald House, the executive director of the Belmont Shore Business Administration and St. Mary’s CARE program, which provides services to people infected with HIV/AIDS.
Bolin said that he believes new policies and activities implemented by ASI this year helped lead to his and Haberstroh’s receiving the Go Long Beach award.
“I think we’ve done a little something different, and I think it’s been noticed,” he said. “It feels good when you’re working hard and you finally get recognized.”
