Emmy winner Cassandra Schaeg and Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe inspire SDSU students at Black History Month event

Entrepreneur and Emmy-winning TV producer Cassandra Schaeg and San Diego County Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe stood at the front of the KPBS Community Room, with 30 pairs of eyes staring back intently at them, 30 SDSU students clinging to their every word. 

The message from the two women was clear. 

“I know this seems more challenging than ever right now, and there are a lot of barriers in our way, yet still we are keeping our eyes on the prize,” said Montgomery Steppe, the first Black woman elected to the Board of Supervisors. 

Montgomery Steppe and Schaeg, producer and host of the Emmy Award-winning KPBS series “Fresh Glass,” spoke to San Diego State University students from the Harold K. Brown Knowledge, Education and Empowerment Program in the Division of Student Affairs and Campus Diversity. The event was one of several hosted by the Gus & Emma Thompson Black Resource Center and its affiliates during Black History Month.

Schaeg, who co-founded the SIP Wine & Beer tasting room in Escondido, co-created the “Fresh Glass” docuseries, which, according to the show’s website, highlights "women and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) trailblazers" in the food and beverage industry, whom Schaeg interviews while having one of their favorite drinks or cocktails. 

The show won the 2023 Emmy Award for best magazine show from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Pacific Southwest Chapter. It will be syndicated nationally on PBS stations this year.

Schaeg told the students one of the reasons she created the show was to highlight representation in her industry, which could inspire other people of color and women to pursue their dreams of entrepreneurship. 

“How many of you have watched stories of Black women entrepreneurs?” Schaeg asked the students, with only a handful raising their hands in affirmation. “That’s the reason why ‘Fresh Glass’ was created.”

The students watched a screening of the show’s Season 2 finale, which featured Blackbird House founder and CEO Bridgid Coulter Cheadle, hip-hop legend D-Nice, Hawaii Mike Salman of Fly Private Social, and Jomaree Pinkard, co-founder of Hella Cocktail Co.

Montgomery Steppe spoke to students about her journey to the Board of Supervisors and the adversity she overcame along the way, sharing experiences and advice which she said she hoped would make it easier for the next generation of aspiring politicians. 

“It’s an honor to be the first, but it’s also sad to be the first,” Montgomery Steppe said. “I do what I do so that, for you all, it won’t be a struggle.”

Moderator Rachael Stewart, the HB KEEP director and Faculty Scholar in the Gus and Emma Thompson Black Resource Center, encouraged the students to soak in the knowledge and wisdom Schaeg and Montgomery Steppe imparted and to interact with them following the presentation and a tour of the KPBS studio.

“This is what the program is all about,” Stewart said. “Having that representation pouring into all of you so that you can get an understanding and see yourself in others who have made it.”

Lauryn Banks, a third-year kinesiology major, said one of her biggest takeaways was a line uttered by one of the guests in a “Fresh Glass” episode about “finding your North Star.”

“I think it’s so important to find your purpose, your mission and what drives you,” Banks said. “One of my longtime goals and my purpose that ties into my major was that I wanted to help people in my community, where there’s historically been a disconnect between us and the medical field; and I want to help bridge that gap.”

Seeing women of color in such impactful positions was inspirational, said Eryn Carmon, a third-year public relations major. 

“I don’t think you realize how big it is that they’re here until you hear ‘Emmy winner’ or ‘first Black woman supervisor.’ And then it’s like ‘wow, they are really here pouring into us their unique experiences,’” Carmon said. “If you weren’t here or a part of HB KEEP, you wouldn’t have had this experience, which is preparing us for our future after college. I think it’s such a gratifying experience.”

HB KEEP guides and inspires students to understand and overcome biases in transitioning from student to professional; it shares the importance of cultural diversity and is an inclusive opportunity for all students. Additional information can be found online.