Ellen Ochoa

Former astronaut Ellen Ochoa received her bachelor’s degree in physics at SDSU in 1980. After receiving her master’s at Stanford University, she was selected by NASA in 1990, making her the world’s first Hispanic female astronaut. Ochoa, a mission specialist and flight engineer, has spent more than 950 hours in space and has been on four different space flights.

Today, Ochoa is a director of NASA’s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. According to  SDSU NewsCenter, Ochoa said she was fortunate to have amazing experiences in space.

“My education there (SDSU) gave me a great start and confidence to pursue the next step,” Ochoa said.

She also told NewsCenter if she didn’t study physics at SDSU, she may have chosen majors in music, business, journalism or even computer sciences.

Jenny Amaraneni

CEO of SOLO Eyewear Jenny Amaraneni attended San Diego State for her master’s degree. Amaraneni developed the idea of making eyewear during an international entrepreneurship course at SDSU. In 2011, just months before graduating, her project was launched worldwide. Amaraneni’s eyewear can now be found in more than 19 countries and has restored the vision of approximately 12,000 people in financial need of prescription eyewear and cataract sunglasses.

“Coming to SDSU, changed my life to be honest,” Amaraneni said. “I am tremendously grateful for all of the opportunities that have come from being an Aztec, and being associated with the school. I’m grateful for the teachers who have supported me in pursuing my entrepreneur endeavors, and opened doors for me to make it possible.”

Amaraneni said she’s an Aztec for life because of the support she had while at the university. She says she will always give back to the SDSU community whenever it needs her.

Tony Gwynn

Head coach of the SDSU baseball team and “Mr. Padre” himself, Tony Gwynn began his career at SDSU as an outfielder back in 1979. He was initially recruited by the school as a basketball point guard, but after a year was given a chance to play with the baseball team.

His career at SDSU helped him win a list of different recognitions and each season he set record high averages. His success as an All-American Aztec baseball player catapulted his major league career as a San Diego Padres player to even greater heights. With a multitude of different awards and achievements including  being a Hall of Famer, member of the 3,000-hit  club, and 16-time National Leauge All-Star, Gwynn is a living legend on campus and possibly one of the most famous Aztecs to date.

Kathleen Kennedy

Film producer Kathleen Kennedy is another student who has reached extraordinary success after her SDSU career. Kennedy studied telecommunications and film at SDSU. She is now one of the most highly successful film producers of all time and has worked closely beside Steven Spielberg to create cinema classics such as “E.T.,” “The Sixth Sense” and “Schindler’s List.” Although Kennedy has reached a magnitude of success generating more than $5 billion in box office receipts, she still shows her support for the Aztec community by supplying financial support and scholarships to SDSU film students.