Building the Aztec Network
Guy and Francie Louie are among SDSU's most loyal supporters in Northern California.
This story appears in the summer 2016 issue of 360: The Magazine of San Diego State University.
In Francie and Guy Louie’s East Bay San Francisco neighborhood, they are known as “the SDSU family.”
The couple met as students at San Diego State University and graduated, he in ’84, a public administration major; and she in ’83, with a degree in communication. Their son, Max, is a 2015 alumnus and their daughter, Lauren, will begin her freshman year this fall.
But it’s not strength in numbers that marks the Louies as “the SDSU family” in the neighborhood. Instead, it’s their commitment to extending the Aztec network in and around San Francisco.
The Louies became members of the Aztec Parents Association and have encouraged other parents to join. This association runs the Aztec Parents Fund, which ensures that students have access to programs such as a public safety escort service—for times when students need safe passage back to vehicles or residence halls—and the Aztec Mentor Program—which provides valuable career guidance including networking, interviewing and job shadowing.
“It’s all about creating relationships with parents who are just getting to know SDSU,” explained Guy, a criminal defense attorney. “We talk about our experiences and our investment in the success of SDSU’s students and graduates.”
Francie, a professional recruiter, also got the couple involved in the Bay Area Regional Council, a group of about 60 Aztec alumni who organize freshman “send-offs” for incoming Aztecs and mentor young SDSU graduates looking for jobs in northern California.
“We’ve helped build a powerful network of Aztecs who realize that SDSU was a huge factor in their success,” she said. “It’s a rewarding experience to give back in this way.”
The Louies also give back financially, supporting their children’s majors (international business for Max, hospitality and tourism management for Lauren) as well as the new Engineering and Interdisciplinary Sciences Complex because they believe it’s important for SDSU to continue building its resources as a top public research university.
“When alumni come back to campus, they see a new and thriving SDSU,” Guy said. Added Francie, “We’re proud not only of its physical beauty, but also of its legacy.”
