On any given day, 30 or more veterans make their way through Stan State's Student Veteran Center for a cup of coffee, to study or just shoot the breeze with fellow veterans. 

It may seem that a visiting artist, a closet full of career clothing and a cloud-based appointment scheduling system have nothing in common, but each are at the core of innovative programs happening at Stanislaus State because they received IDEAS grants. 

As Stan State students, faculty and staff gathered around the newly planted young Valley oak tree near Naraghi Hall of Science on Monday, Oct. 14, the voice of Nototomne Elder Katherine resonated from the podium.

“This tree may be where, one day, many students will sit and enjoy the shade and enjoy the significance of this oak tree,” Perez said.

The first time Stanislaus State student Adrian Vega contemplated studying abroad, he spent his freshman year planning and saving for it.

He went to Spain, studied Spanish and took a surfing class in San Sebastian.

This time, when offered another chance to study abroad, it only took him a matter of days to decide to join guitar teacher David Chapman at South Korea’s Chonnam National University in Gwangju during the summer.

“One of the big things was David proposed we play a concert there at the university,” Vega said.