Marisa Thigpen Heads International Services

Marisa Thigpen recently joined the Student Affairs and Enrollment Management Division as the new Coordinator of International Services.

Thigpen served as the associate director for the Center for International Affairs at CSU Channel Islands. This past year CSU Channel Islands provided the largest percentage increase in international program study abroad applications for any CSU campus in the history of the system-wide study abroad program.

Prior to CSU Channel Islands, she was employed for three years at San Francisco State as an International Exchange Program Advisor working with both study abroad and international exchange students. Thigpen attended California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and while there studied abroad for one academic year at the University of Tuebingen in Germany.

Upon her return to the campus, she worked at the study abroad office as a student assistant for two years where her dream to become a study abroad advisor was born. She says she always pictured herself at Sonoma State as the study abroad and international student advisor.