Why this CSU Trustees' Award recipient views education as the ultimate equalizer
Quay Dorsey witnessed a lot in his years as a first-generation college student in Pennsylvania. His experiences — sometimes tough, sometimes revelatory — inspired him to become an educator.
“I believe that education saved and changed my life,” said Dorsey, who served as a K-12 teacher and instructional leader for nine years after finishing college. He now serves as a senior program manager at WestEd’s Center for Economic Mobility, in addition to pursuing a doctorate in educational leadership at Cal State Long Beach.
Throughout his life, Dorsey has seen education as a means of self-improvement and the improvement of his communities.
“From the beginning, my mom — though we did not have a lot — she had the knowledge or the instinct, that the schools in our neighborhood were not the schools that I needed to be in,” he said. “My own economic mobility is why I study economic mobility.”
Dorsey is 's recipient of the 2026-27 . The annual award is the CSU’s highest recognition of student achievement, and he is one of 22 students across the system who has demonstrated excellent academic performance, personal accomplishments, community service and financial need.
Each Trustees’ Award recognizes a donor or leader, and Dorsey is the for the 2026-27 academic year.
The scholarship program was established in 1984 by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation. In 1999, the Hearst Foundation partnered with the CSU Board of Trustees to supplement the endowment with contributions from CSU Trustees, CSU Foundation board members and private donors.
In his recommendation letter to the award selection committee, President Loren J. Blanchard wrote, “He stands out for both his academic work and his commitment to expanding opportunity for students. As a first-generation college student, Mr. Dorsey brings a clear sense of purpose to his research, which focuses on college access, advising systems and economic mobility for students in historically underserved groups.”
At WestEd’s Center for Economic Mobility, Dorsey leads statewide technical assistance, evaluation and research efforts supporting the California College Access and Outreach Program, also known as Cal-SOAP.
“Cal-SOAP helps high school students complete the financial aid application,” he explained. “The landscape has changed extremely for students recently. Aid is available for students, but they have to pay careful attention these days. I’m helping the directors of these programs redesign their programs, so they’re serving students to meet best practice standards.”
Dorsey’s own experiences learning from his mother and through education inspired him to become a full-time teacher and instructional leader, which he did at Title I schools in Washington, D.C. for nearly a decade.
“This is my calling — this changes lives,” he said. “My mother has shown me that resilience, determination and good instincts will change things for you. I remember that.”
Angela Locks, a professor and department chair of educational leadership at , said, “Quay Dorsey is deeply committed to ensuring that educational leaders are responsible to students and the communities that entrust us with their loved ones. He has enacted this commitment in PK-12 classrooms, student affairs at colleges/universities, and now with his doctoral journey. His research is about whom the CSU enrolls and serves, exploring how campuses can ensure students’ economic and social mobility.”
After he obtains his doctorate (anticipated in May 2028), Dorsey plans to continue with his economic mobility research and put it into practice. One day, he hopes to join higher leadership at a college, or within a university system.
“I want to work with students toward the transformation of their lives,” he said. “Show them that education can be a lever, as well as a tool for learning.”
The CSU Trustees’ Award will help Dorsey pay for his doctorate. Beyond that, “The opportunity to speak directly with trustees is also important to me,” he said. “Getting in the room with people who are shaping how students are navigating the educational system — I think that’s extremely valuable.”
