Nohemi Gonzalez, the 23-year-old Cal State Long Beach student who was killed during a terrorist attack in Paris last year, was recognized with a special honor Wednesday night.
Gonzalez was named the Outstanding Graduate for the College of the Arts at the Cal State Long Beach Alumni Banquet.
Her mother, Beatriz Gonzalez, and stepfather, Jose Hernandez, accepted the award in her name.
"It's very special to get this award and diploma because it is really for both of us," her mother said.
"She told me, 'Mom, this is our effort...so when I get my diploma it's going to be yours too because you're putting all your effort,'" Beatriz Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez, of El Monte, was one of 17 CSULB students studying abroad at the Strate College of Design in Paris at the time of the attacks. She was killed Nov. 13 while out with friends at a bistro.
Gonzalez was a senior and industrial design major, and will receive her degree posthumously.
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"It's an honor for me to continue the legacy of effort, goals and hard work she achieved," said Beatriz Gonzalez. "She will always live in my heart."
The attacks killed 130 people at Paris restaurants, a noted music hall and a sports stadium outside the city. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the carnage.
