Cal State East Bay x Oaklandish - Drawing Inspiration

At Oaklandish, we believe in the importance of local support and especially in uplifting young scholars who are dedicated to their academic pursuits and successes. Education can present many barriers, but programs like Cal State East Bay’s guaranteed admission offer hope by helping to eliminate some of these obstacles. This initiative allows students to envision themselves on a college campus, provided they stay on track and meet the program’s minimum requirements.

This collaborative project is rooted in welcoming future Pioneers and demonstrating that students across the Bay Area are part of a community built on creativity and belonging. Josh Russell from the CSUEB Marketing team has shared his insights below on how this vision came to life—from the classroom to Oaklandish headquarters—and into the hands of the newly admitted Pioneers.

The Inspiration

"At Cal State East Bay, we strive to find meaningful ways to welcome future students and help them connect with our university even before they set foot on campus," says Josh Russell. This commitment led the CSUEB team to pose a simple question: "How can we create something valuable for students that also celebrates our community and showcases the creativity of our own students?"

CSUEB decided to focus on high school seniors from 14 school districts participating in their Guaranteed Admission Program, which includes Oakland Unified, San Leandro Unified, Vallejo City Unified, and Napa Valley Unified. Through these partnerships, seniors who meet the minimum CSU admissions requirements are guaranteed admission to Cal State East Bay.

"We wanted these students to receive a memorable gift when they accepted their guaranteed admission offer—a tangible reminder that they are now part of the East Bay community."

Bringing the Idea to Life

Josh Russell recalls how bringing this project to life came to be. "Rather than creating something ourselves or hiring an outside designer, we saw an opportunity to make this a true community collaboration.

We partnered with Professor Kristen Zimmerman and her Advanced Illustration class at Cal State East Bay, turning this into the class's signature project for the semester. We also knew we wanted to work with a local brand that authentically represents the Bay Area and would resonate with our future students. Oaklandish was the perfect partner.

One of the highlights of the project was when you invited the entire illustration class to the Oaklandish headquarters in West Oakland. Giving students the opportunity to see the creative process behind the brand, hear directly from professionals, and better understand what makes great apparel design was an invaluable learning experience. It transformed the assignment from simply designing a t-shirt into thinking like professional designers creating something for a real audience."

The Creative Process

Over the course of the semester, students developed original concepts inspired by Cal State East Bay, the Bay Area, and what it means to belong to this community.

At the end of the project, 24 original designs were submitted.

To select the final design, we assembled a panel of six judges made up of university leaders and community members, who reviewed each submission before selecting the winning artwork.

The selected design was created by Kelly Taskaev, an Illustration major whose work beautifully captures the spirit of Cal State East Bay while feeling timeless and collectible.

Kelly shared that she wanted to create something students would continue wearing long after graduation—drawing inspiration from vintage illustrated maps and postcards while incorporating Cal State East Bay's colors, mascot, and local landscape. She was especially proud of illustrating the peregrine falcon in a more realistic style while still giving it an artistic, contemporary feel.

What makes Kelly's story especially meaningful is that she's also a mother of three who returned to pursue her dream of becoming a children's book illustrator. She described this project as a reminder to trust her creative instincts and put her work into the world, even when self-doubt creeps in. Being selected reinforced that every artist brings a unique perspective worth sharing.

The Result

Together, we created 500 limited-edition t-shirts featuring Kelly's winning design. Starting in the 2026-2027 admissions cycle, every student who accepted their Guaranteed Admission offer from one of our partner school districts received one of these shirts. “More than just a giveaway, we hope the shirt becomes a symbol of belonging—a way for future Pioneers to feel connected to Cal State East Bay before they even step onto campus,” states Russell.

Russell emphasized the importance of the collaboration, stating, “This partnership goes beyond just a t-shirt. It highlights what can be achieved when higher education, local businesses, and student artists come together. It has provided invaluable real-world experience for our illustration students and created something meaningful for future generations at Cal State East Bay. We are grateful to Oaklandish for their belief in this project and for welcoming our students into their creative space.”

Qualifying School Districts:

• • Castro Valley Unified School District
  • Fremont Unified School District
  • Hayward Unified School District(opens in a new tab)
  • Leadership Public Schools
  • New Haven Unified School District
  • Oakland Unified School District
  • San Leandro Unified School District
  • San Lorenzo Unified School District
  • Pivot Charter School
  • Napa Valley Unified School District
  • Making Waves Academy
  • Pittsburg Unified School District
  • Vallejo City Unified School District
  • Martinez Unified Schools District

Learn more: CSUEB Guaranteed Admissions Program