EOP Trailblazer, Dr. Becky Hopkins

Becky Hopkins graduated in spring of 1969 from Montebello High School. In her senior year, she applied to California State College Los Angeles and to the Educational Opportunity Program. Becky was accepted in Fall 1969 as a special admit student and was among the first class of 100 EOP students accepted to the program created by Senate Bill-1072 introduced by state Senator John Harmer. Her first job on campus was as a student assistant in EOP in 1970.

In 1983, Dr. Hopkins accepted a position as an EOP counselor, which she held for 18 years. During that time, she collaborated with EOP staff and faculty to pioneer several successful programs: The Academic Success Workshop, First Generation Workshops, Personal Development Workshop for Summer Bridge, Parents Workshop for Summer Bridge, and Parents Workshops that were held weekly. In addition, she aided Dr. Barbara Martinez in the creation and implementation of the First Student Affairs driven Learning Communities in CSU.

By 2001 she had become the Associate Director of the EOP, and by 2009, she became the director. During this time, in collaboration with Margaret Hart, she helped create the EOP history book, Educating the Excluded. This book has become part of the curriculum in both Bridge programs and in some of the second-year programs.

In 2007 she received the Distinguished Women Award at Cal State LA. She is a licensed MFCT, and was in Private Practice working with survivors of Abuse.

Dr. Hopkins retired in 2017 as Director of the Educational Opportunity Program with 42 years of service credit to the University. She also received her Ph.D. in Higher Education from Claremont Graduate University in 2017, her MA in 1981 and her BA in 1979 in Child Development from California State University, Los Angeles.

Before retiring, Dr. Hopkins developed a second-year program that included several courses students could take for free and help them add more units to their first year, helping the GAP students. She was also in the process of developing a campus-wide “Transfer Programs” for targeted community college students at the time of her retirement. Her personal experience, values, and mission have led her to work relentlessly as a student advocate and protector of EOP programs and services.

What stands out most to Dr. Hopkins, are the updates and feedback she receives from EOP alums, who say without EOP, they would not have had an opportunity to attend college or become working professionals and role models in the community.