Natalie Berndes and her great grandchildren

Meet SDSU’s Oldest Living Alumna

A Q&A with Natalie Berndes (’37), 106, on how campus has changed over 85 years. Plus: The Aztec family tradition that she inspired.

Aztec Families for Life

Aztec Families for Life

SDSU is a tradition for these families.

 

March 11, 2022

Hello SDSU alumni and friends!

Welcome to the Spring 2022 issue of SDSU Magazine, celebrating a special milestone in university history: our 125th anniversary.

I hope you will find University History Curator Seth Mallios’ feature, What Makes This Place So Special, as inspiring as I did — and that you’ll write in with your own thoughts. You can even take Mallios’ Test Your SDSU Knowledge quiz.

Be sure to check out the Q&A with Natalie Berndes (’37), 106, SDSU’s current longest living alumna. I loved hearing her remembrances of what the university was like more than 85 years ago. Now three generations of her family have attended SDSU and there’s hope for a fourth generation of Aztecs.

There are also exciting updates about Snapdragon Stadium and the Aztec Recreation Center Expansion. And the comprehensive Road to R1 feature explores SDSU’s goal of achieving the highest research classification for doctoral universities — a path that began in the mid-60s.

You can learn more about our university’s celebrations and other details about our past, present and forward momentum on SDSU’s 125th anniversary site. Also, I invite you to click on the stories above or download a PDF of the full issue. I hope you enjoy your reading!

Cheers,

Lisa Haney

Lisa Haney's signature

Lisa Haney
Editorial Director