Hayward Romance in the 1960s Leads to a New Student Scholarship 

[Caption, Left: Sandy Love with President Leroy Morishita at a Golden Grad Celebration; Right: Michael and Sandy Love] 

Since the university’s first days, deep friendships and even love have flourished on campus. Sandy and Michael Love are among the alumni who met on campus, fell in love and tied the knot. This year, in honor of the 50th anniversary of Mike’s graduation from Cal State Hayward in 1970, Sandy has created the Michael D. Love Memorial Scholarship in Accounting. It is an endowed scholarship that will last in perpetuity and aid students for generations to come, growing slowly over time while supporting an annual scholarship.

“I am establishing this scholarship in Michael’s memory to help accounting students reach their goals of graduating to pursue successful business careers. I believe Michael would be proud to know that he is helping accounting students to reach their academic goals,” said Sandy Love.

Michael would have been a “Golden Grad” this year, our term for alumni who graduated 50 years ago or more. He met his wife Sandy in a Biology class and they were married in 1971. Sandy graduated with a BA in English and became a librarian at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Mike pursued work as an accountant, secured his CPA license and opened his own accounting practice serving small, local businesses and income tax clients. He also served his country in the United States Air Force Reserves. He was active in the Livermore Valley Rotary Club and loved all sports. Mike enjoyed the Olympic Games and was honored to be an Olympic Torchbearer – twice. Sadly, after a three-year battle against cancer, Mike passed away in 2015.  

Sandy was pleased to learn about her first scholarship recipient, Huang, a first-generation college student and mother of two children who is pursuing a degree in Accounting. In her thank you to Sandy, Huang wrote, “With your financial support, I am one step closer to my goal of becoming a professional accountant. Not only your award, but also your spirit will inspire me in my future. You have lightened my financial burden, which allows me to focus more on my academic study. The economic support is very important, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. I hope one day I will be able to help students achieve their goals just as you have helped me.”

Cal State Hayward and the university's Accounting Department played a major role in Sandy’s and Mike’s lives, and now Sandy’s generous scholarship will transform the lives of many tomorrow-makers in the accounting field.

To learn more about creating a scholarship in the College of Business & Economics, contact Penny Peak, Development Director, at penny.peak@csueastbay.edu.