CSUSB College of Business Honors Outstanding Students at Graduation

SAN BERNARDINO >> Cal State San Bernardino students Jocelyn Cannon and Eric Doucette were honored as the 2016 outstanding students for the College of Business and Public Administration (CBPA) during its commencement ceremonies Saturday, June 18. The college’s commencement was held at noon at Citizens Business Bank arena. The CBPA commencement ceremony was one of four university graduations scheduled that day, bringing to a close CSUSB’s yearlong 50th anniversary celebration. More than 480 students participated. Doucette, who lives in Riverside and graduated with an MBA in management, was recognized as the college’s Outstanding Graduate Student. He was also named the MBA Outstanding Academic Student of the Year. Doucette became interested in business administration as he struggled with the management and business side of leading a small Calvary Chapel affiliate church in Grand Terrace for the last 12 years. The more he studied, the more he wanted to learn more about business administration, specifically in the concept of a business as a mission, the need for seminaries and Christian universities to incorporate business classes into their theology and practical ministry departments and in church government structure. After graduation, he plans to continue leading his church and at the same time pursue teaching at the community college level. Doucette said he would love to obtain a doctorate degree and eventually become a professor, teaching leadership, business and management courses at the university level. He said he was most inspired by his wife and family and encouraged by a number of professors. “All the faculty was awesome, but most notably, I was inspired by Dr. Paul Kirwan, Dr. Kathy Pelletier and Dr. Craig Seal,” Doucette said. “It was while sitting in their classes that I thought to myself repeatedly, I would like to do what they do. I could see myself in that role.” Cannon, who lives in San Bernardino and graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in business administration, was recognized as the college’s Outstanding Undergraduate Student. Originally a math major, Cannon became interested in finance when she realized she could have a career in math-related field with real life concepts behind it. She found finance to be rewarding and applicable to people’s everyday lives.