BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — From the fields of the Central Valley to the top of California’s higher education system, a local leader is now helping guide the nation’s largest four-year public university system.
Bakersfield businesswoman and CSUB alum Raji Brar was chosen as vice chair of the California State University Board of Trustees. A historic first for Kern County.
Raji Brar, a Cal State Bakersfield alum and local business leader, was elected unanimously as vice chair of the California State University Board of Trustees. She is the first person from Kern County ever to hold the position.
Brar says the role comes with a lot of responsibility, but also the opportunity to open doors for the next generation. “To be able to be on the CSU board of trustees and to serve as the vice chair, I know it means a lot because growing up, I didn't really see anybody who looked like me in a position of power. and particularly women of color to be in these spaces, I know how important it is for my children and other young girls or kids of immigrant communities to see that they too belong in these spaces where decisions are made.” She said.
Her parents immigrated to the United States from Punjab, India, working long days in the fields of the Central Valley to build a better life. She’s the oldest of three siblings. A passionate advocate for higher education, Brar went on to become a successful business owner in Arvin and later served two years on the Arvin City Council. “I am a first-generation Punjabi Sikh American. My parents came to the U.S. in the early 1970s, and they started off in the fields as farm workers in the Fresno County area — small towns like Mendota, Three Rocks, and San Joaquin. A lot of Punjabi Sikhs worked in the fields along with the Latino community, and that was my upbringing.” She said.
As a Cal State Bakersfield alum, Brar says she’s determined to open more doors to higher education and create more opportunities for students across the state. She also plans to visit campuses and hold listening sessions, including at CSUB, to hear directly from students and staff.
Brar says she hopes to bring more of the Central Valley’s voice into statewide education decisions — particularly around access and workforce readiness. “Our workforce in California — 1 in 10 employees are graduates of the CSU system. We are an economic driver. CSU is crucial to the state of California, so it’s on us — the trustees, our school system, our legislators — to lobby for us in Sacramento. Our assembly members, our senators — it’s so important that we have a unified message, and that is something that we are very, very focused on.”
Raji Brar remains unwavering in her mission to make higher education more accessible and affordable. While helping ensure the Central Valley has a stronger voice in decisions shaping the future of California’s university system.
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