PAGE 2 MAY 15, 2017
GRAD GUIDE CLASS OF 2017
TABLE OF CONTENTS What to do with a humanities degree.........4 Know how to network..............................5 Resume tips from the career center............6 Senior athletes look to the future..............7 Alumni profiles................................12-15
CONGRATULATIONS to the class of 2017
“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.”
from the Deans of Cal State Fullerton Susan Barua C OLLEGE OF E NGINEERING AND C OMPUTER S CIENCE Ed Fink C OLLEGE OF C OMMUNICATIONS Sheryl Fontaine C OLLEGE OF H UMANITIES AND S OCIAL S CIENCES Clem Guthro L IBRARY Marie Johnson C OLLEGE OF N ATURAL S CIENCES AND M ATHEMATICS Lisa Kirtman C OLLEGE OF E DUCATION Kari Knutson Miller U NIVERSITY E XTENDED E DUCATION Dale Merrill C OLLEGE OF THE A RTS Morteza Rahmatian M IHAYLO C OLLEGE OF B USINESS AND E CONOMICS Laurie Roades C OLLEGE OF H EALTH AND H UMAN D EVELOPMENT 3
GRAD GUIDE
PAGE 4 MAY 15, 2017
CLASS OF 2017
What can you do with a humanities degree? Areas of study prove valuable despite stigma, decline. JORY GODBACH Daily Titan Cal State Fullerton’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences offers 20 different academic departments. Each of these areas of study teach a unique set of skills that help ready students to conquer the workplace. The College of Humanities and Social Sciences is the largest one on campus, producing the most graduates in 2015, according to the most recent data CSUF
Institutional Research and Analytical studies. While humanities majors (including history, modern languages and literatures and philosophy) have been declining at CSUF since 2005, social sciences majors (including psychology, sociology and anthropology) have increased. Though has been a significant increase in degrees awarded in social science fields from 2005 to 2015, humanities degrees are in decline. History professor Volker Janssen, Ph.D., discovered many students have the same question: “I can teach, but what else can I possibly do?” He found that when studying
history, students learn skills that can be applied to many aspects of the job market. With that question in mind, Janssen moderated 10 “Careers in History Webinars” throughout the year featuring CSUF alumni with unique history jobs in media and film, tourism, hospitality, leisure and the federal government. “I think (employers) expect superior writing and research skills (from a history student). They expect particular sensibility and sensitivity towards the diverse challenges and opportunities of a diverse society,” Janssen said. A career in history can be lucrative. A history major can
expect a salary ranging from $32,200 to $71,000, according to data from PayScale Inc. A philosophy degree has many career options as well. Philosophy faculty member Heather Battaly said there are diverse careers available for philosophy majors. “Some of our recent philosophy majors at CSUF have gone on to law school, graduate school, careers in teaching and careers in counseling. Some CSUF philosophy majors have even become CEOs of their own businesses, while still others have worked in the gaming industry,” Battaly said in an email. The mid-salary of a philosophy major is between
$80,000 and $85,000, according to data from PayScale Inc. The Modern Languages and Literature program has also looked into what students can do with their degree. The program has created info cards for students that are studying Japanese, French, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Chinese and Spanish. Each of these cards have a QR code, which is a “type of 2D barcode,” on the back. When scanning the codes on a mobile device, it takes you to a website with a description of each program and a look into what you can do with the degree and examples of alumni who have a
career in the subject. Some of the alumni featured on the websites hold careers in news reporting and technology integration. James Hussar, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Modern Languages and Literature and an associate professor of Spanish and Portuguese, believes that the skills that students learn from this department are “universally appealing.” “We give the students the type of preparation that they need to succeed in the workplace. Not only in communicating and engaging in English and also in the language that they’re studying,” Hussar said.
GRAD GUIDE
PAGE 5 MAY 15, 2017
CLASS OF 2017
Column: Networking is imperative Coming off an internship, student offers advice.
you may think all you have to do is join a club or meet a few people, but having a good network takes work.
JOIN AN ORGANIZATION
MEGAN MAXEY Daily Titan Networking is a key way to get your foot in the door in almost any field. In 2017, it’s not enough to have a high GPA and recommendations from your teachers. People get jobs because they know people. It may sound easy and
First, it’s important to join professional organizations within your field. For example, the Finance Association for business majors, PRSSA for public relations majors and Society of Professional Journalists for journalism majors. Being involved looks good on your resume and gives the opportunity to meet professionals. Organizations like these may have a mentor program, conferences you can attend or events where they
bring those already in the field to speak on an issue. Joining an organization gets you to the event, but what really matters is how you act when you get there.
PUT YOUR BEST SELF FORWARD
I can’t say this enough, but a good handshake goes a long way. It’s almost always the first thing you do when you meet someone and first impressions matter. What you wear also matters. I know it’s cheesy, but it could not be more true: Dress for the job you want, not the job you have. Wearing the right attire when meeting people lets them know
HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!
you are serious about your career and they won’t remember you as that guy who wore flip flops to a brunch mixer. It’s also important to be yourself. Yes, act in a professional way and present yourself well, but remember to be honest. People can tell when someone is being genuine or not. Let them know what your goals are, where you are in your educational career and why you are passionate about what you want to do. Networking events can be intimidating and even the most extraverted student can feel like a wallflower. Don’t let this get to you. The professionals at these events are there to help you. Networking
shouldn’t be looked at as using someone to get ahead. Networking is creating real relationships with people who have similar career goals. Most successful professionals were helped by a mentor or someone they networked with in the past and want to return the favor.
FOLLOW UP
Once connecting through your club or at a conference, your work still isn’t done. Following up with people is the most important step in maintaining those relationships. All it takes is sending the person an email thanking them for the conversation and mentioning something specific about
what you talked about. In the beginning of your career, you’re going to meet a lot of people from a lot of different companies. The best way to keep track of all your contacts is to make a network spreadsheet which includes the person’s name, where you met them, something interesting from your conversation, where they work, their contact information and when you followed up with them. Even if you aren’t looking for a job connection, catching up with people while you’re in their area can give you the opportunity to seek advice. Networking can seem intimidating and ingenuine, but it’s an opportunity everyone should seize.
PAGE 6 MAY 15, 2017
GRAD GUIDE
CLASS OF 2017
Career Center helps CSUF students Titans seeking aid with job search can find it on campus. ANDREW SALMI DARYLESE SHOOK Daily Titan A well-crafted resume is imperative for recent graduates making the transition from college to their respective professional fields. The CSUF Career Center offers resources for students seeking resume help. “That transition period is always kind of stressful for students, so I think being in (the Career Center) office to help them prepare will definitely ease a lot of that stress,” said Angeline Wijaya, a graduate intern at the Career Center. Wijaya has critiqued resumes and cover letters for students since August. She also aids job searches and internships by conducting preparatory mock interviews at the center, located on the second floor of Langsdorf Hall. Students come in with questions ranging from formatting resumes to seeking advice about their career path, she said. Resumes should list related work experience in the field of the job they are applying for, internships, academic experience, leadership positions, volunteer work, skills and awards received. They should also
be accompanied by a cover letter. “An effective cover letter is just as important as an effective resume,” according to the Career Center website. A good cover letter includes an opening paragraph that either mentions who referred the applicant and why or gives a general purpose statement if they were not referred. The rest of the cover letter should explain why an applicant should be hired by expanding on skills and experience listed in their resume. It should end with a suggestion to employers to review their resume and schedule an interview and a statement about the applicant’s next plan of action. “Most students come in to have their resumes and cover letters looked at,” said Career Center employee Marie Boyd. The Career Center offers help to students looking to improve their resumes and cover letters, including webinars, online tips, sample resumes, in-person and Skype appointments and “drive-thru” hours. “Drive thru” advisement offers 10-minute sessions of resume and cover letter help. The hours are from 10 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Monday through Thursday, with extended hours Wednesday from 7:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. Common resume mistakes include typos, repetitive words, leaving out dates,
having a single version instead of tailoring it to each job, having an unprofessional email address, including information that is irrelevant to the position or too personal like age, gender and headshots and using abbreviations or contractions. Another mistake is not telling the truth about their experience or accomplishments, said CSUF alumnus and Boeing software engineer James Conniff in Mihaylo Hall at an April panel. Conniff said many companies now use algorithms that search for certain keywords on resumes that increase an applicant’s chances of landing an interview. “You have to make sure you put as many keywords as possible that are truthful on what you have to do,” Conniff said. Resume-building options are also available within the colleges. Hema Paliwal, assistant director of employer relations at Mihaylo Career Services, insisted that students visit resume and cover letter workshops that CSUF provides during the week. “We exist to provide you with opportunities, information, resources, and tools to help you with your career range,” Paliwal said. “I will meet with you one-on-one to review resumes, mock interview practice and help you with a job or internship search strategy.”
GRAD GUIDE
PAGE 7 MAY 15, 2017
CLASS OF 2017
Seniors will always remember the Titans
Road trips and roommates highlight memories of CSUF. MARIANA VERA Daily Titan
Becoming a Titan athlete means becoming part of a new family, one that requires working endlessly and leaving it all out on the field. Though being part of this family has its rough days, Cal State Fullerton’s senior student-athletes say it’s well worth the good ones. “I will definitely remember the laughs, and not only the laughs, but the tears as well,” said softball senior
Lexi Gonzalez. “It hasn’t been an easy road the way I’ve paved it. It’s been a rocky one, and every time I’ve come out on top and strong, and every time my teammates have been there for me, good or bad.” A family may be everlasting, but these Titans have to graduate and continue to grow outside of campus. For left-handed pitcher Maxwell Gibbs, being a Titan has changed him. “As a person, I’d say I’m more laid back now. I was an eager freshman. I’m more down to earth,” Gibbs said. “I just didn’t know what I was doing freshman year and sophomore year and now I feel like I have
more experience.” During their time with the Titans, these senior athletes have seen the world and made memories that will last a lifetime. Traveling plays a monumental role in athletic careers and allows players to build team chemistry. “As far as most memorable, I’d probably say going to Omaha my sophomore year was probably the pinnacle,” Gibbs said. “That was amazing.” Softball senior Delynn Rippy describes her teammates as the most memorable part of her career because they have become family to her. Rippy said she’ll miss traveling with
them most because of the way she has created new bonds with each teammate. “You go home and you live with your roommate, but on the road, you’re rooming with someone different that you may not have ever talked to,” Rippy said. For Gonzalez, going to Mexico for the Puerta Vallarta Challenge was the most unforgettable moment of her time with the Titans. Gonzalez and the team spent time speaking about their love for softball with children at a local elementary school and forging a lasting connection with the residents of Puerto Vallarta. Despite the Titans being a road team, the stands
were filled with supporters during their games and as soon as CSUF left the stadium, the stands would empty. “We became the town favorite, and the town kind of followed our story and fell in love with us as much as we fell in love with them. It was just an unbelievable experience that I’ll never forget,” Gonzalez said. “If I could relive it, I would in a heartbeat.” Though these seniors are done at Cal State Fullerton, distance cannot break the bonds they have built or erase the memories they made. Gibbs knows he’ll always have a home at
CSUF because of the strong connections he’s made during his time as a student-athlete. “If I want to coach or if I need to talk to (Head Coach Rick Vanderhook) about something, I can come back and talk to my coaches. I’m excited to start my life and see what baseball training has done for me.” Gibbs said. “I’m excited to see what’s going to happen.” After graduation, Rippy plans on returning to CSUF to support her remaining teammates. She knows that they can rely on her just as much as she can rely on them. “I am one call away if they ever need me,” Rippy said.
Alana Justine Spector College of Humanities and Social Sciences
CONGRATULATIONS ALANA!!! We are SO incredibly proud of you! Your future is limitless, go for it. WLYSM
Amanda Wallin
College of Health and Human Development
Congratulations! You did it! Your hard work and dedication has paid off and you have achieved your goal. Now it’s your time to fly! We are so proud of you!! Love Mom & Christa
Andrew Quintana College of Business and Economics Live the life you have imagined! Be confident & proud as you start your next adventure! Love Mom
Christian “Ian” Hejn Brooks College of Communications
Congratulations Ian, We are so very proud of you! May your future bring you much happiness and be full of many exciting adventures! We love you! Love, Mom, Dad and Fi
Ian, Congratulations! We are so proud of you! Love, Christiana, Grandma, Colleen, Morfar, Lars, Carina, Benjamin & Julius
Cynthia A. Ray College of Health and Human Development
To my loving husband Dwayne and our three beautiful daughters Meshia, Brittney, and Sabrina....I love you with all my heart. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for your support and encouragement as I matriculated through graduate school. And, in loving memory of Mama... You Made the Difference
Pamela Benner
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
We share in your joy as you graduate college today! Congratulations, we’re all so proud of you! Love Always, Mom, Cliff, Sydney, Caroline and Jackson
Eileen C. Ponce
College of Business and Economics Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more. You’ve decided to become more! You believed you could, so you did! We did too!! Now go live your dreams and remember to always live life with passion. We love you so much, happy graduation!!
Kyle Ryan Lee
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Magna Cum Laude CONGRATULATIONS! Wishing you all the best in life. Love, Mom, Dad, Aaron & Gramps
Lindsay Zdilor-Stanley
Phyllis & Courtney Snyder College of Health and Human Development
It has been quite a journey, but we made it! Thanks to our family and friends for all your patience & support! We Love You! Jeremiah 29:11
Rachel Lynne Silvestri College of Health and Human Development
We expected nothing less & know there’s so much more. Luv u to the moon & back, Mom, Nolan, Joel, Robert, Grandpa & Grandma
Ruby A. Flores
College of the Arts
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Dear Mom and Dad, Thank you for all of your guidance, love, and support throughout my Master’s degree and my academic career. I am truly blessed to have such wonderful parents like you. Thank you for always believing in me and encouraging me to chase my dreams. I love you! xo Love, Linz
Ruby, You have made us all so proud Congratulations on reaching this Goal! You worked so hard to achieve it, now you can Believe it! You deserve to CELEBRATE!
GRAD GUIDE
PAGE 12 MAY 15, 2017
CLASS OF 2017
Alumni profiles
Hagihara returns to his former major Alumnus goes from CSUF student to PR professor. SARAH EL-MAHMOUD Daily Titan
SARAH EL-MAHMOUD / DAILY TITAN
Ken Hagihara credits his preparedness to enter the workforce to the capstone PR class, which he now teaches at Cal State Fullerton.
FULLERTON: 215 N. Harbor Blv COSTA MESA (The LAB): 2930 Brid. LONG BEACH: 4608 E. 2nd St. stol St. BUFFALOEXCHANGE.COM •
Since his graduation from Cal State Fullerton in 1999, Ken Hagihara hasn’t had much down time and has few regrets about his career in public relations. Part-time CSUF lecturer Hagihara got a swift start working at PR firms in Newport Beach while he was in college. However, ethical issues led him to quit his job and start his own business shortly after graduating. Hagihara has been president of Integrity Public Relations for almost 18 years, which focuses on the tech sector along with nonprofits such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation. He is also a deputy public affairs officer for the U.S. Navy Reserve at the third fleet headquarters in San Diego. He works mainly in Navy outreach campaigns, sending officers out to places like Medieval Times and Dodgers games during Los Angeles’ “Fleet Week” to promote a positive public image and build awareness for the Navy. He went only a week without a client after leaving his first PR agency job to start Integrity PR on his own. Buffalo Technology, a client from his first job, fired the agency Hagihara had quit and followed him out,
becoming Integrity PR’s first client. “When I quit the agency, I was not entrepreneurial at all. I was scared,” Hagihara said. “For about a month, I just figured I’d just handle (Buffalo Technologies) for now, and I’ll keep looking for a job and then as word of mouth spread, more clients kept coming at me.” He credits the public relations management capstone class at CSUF for giving him all the tools he needed to get his start. Hagihara now teaches the class himself, tasking students with creating their own PR plan and working directly with local nonprofits in teams. “I also have a really high level of respect for this program because being an employer on the other side of hiring people from this school and seeing the applications and interviewing people from other schools, I realize how powerful this program is,” Hagihara said. He prides himself in hiring almost exclusively CSUF students. He has influenced and stayed in touch with many of them who have found their own success in public relations. “I picked up so many of my skills that I still use today in PR (from Hagihara),” said Kristin Daher, who worked with him at Integrity PR for three years. “He was always very, very motivating.” Daher is the president and chief storyteller of Powerhouse Communications, an agency she started in 2015.
Her company is located in Santa Ana and specializes in food service, working with various companies including Del Taco and Pieology. Daher connected with Hagihara shortly before graduating at CSUF in 2005, when he made a visit to one of her classes. Hagihara continued his involvement with CSUF in 2004, when he was honored by the college as a distinguished alumni. He found enjoyment in sharing his experiences and mentoring when invited to speak to classes. He went on to earn his master’s degree at USC before returning to CSUF as a lecturer. “You marry the fact that I like teaching with the fact that I think this is the best communications program in the West. This is the only place I wanted to teach,” Hagihara said. Hagihara lives by the philosophy of trying everything he wants to do and living without regrets. He said he never thought he would own his own successful company, get his master’s or be a lecturer at Cal State Fullerton, but he’s here, making an impact on public relations students and the department. “Once you decide what you want to do, you just put in your time and the money will be there,” Hagihara said. “But you gotta love what you’re doing, because if you don’t, you have 40 years to work and that’s a long time to not enjoy what you’re doing.”
GRAD GUIDE
PAGE 13 MAY 15, 2017
CLASS OF 2017
Alumni profiles
Fullerton city council member serves community Jesus Silva advises stressed students to persevere. DANIEL INGA Daily Titan Fullerton City Council Member Jesus Silva lives a busy life as a local politician and a math teacher at Nicolas Junior High School in Fullerton, but his work ethic keeps him constantly moving forward despite the stresses that come with his positions. For Silva, who was born in Mexico as the eldest of four children and immigrated to Southern California with his
family at the age of 6, education was his only goal. However, he always had an interest in politics and stayed informed on the political world. “I’ve always enjoyed politics and the way our country and city were run. I’ve always had an interest in campaign seasons and policy and politics,” Silva said. His lifelong interest in politics eventually led him to run for a Fullerton City Council seat last year. “Last year when I decided to run, I thought it was a decent opportunity for me to run at that time when all the stuff that was going on, nationally and
locally,” he said. Silva is married to California State assemblywoman, former Fullerton mayor and CSUF alumna Sharon Quirk-Silva. For the Fullerton resident who graduated from Cal State Fullerton in 2003 with a master’s in secondary education, this was a life that Silva said his CSUF experience prepared him for. “In my case, I was fortunate enough to go to school there. Having to meet the requirements, the demands and the structure they provided for my schooling, that had helped in structuring my own life,” Silva said. “When I was working on getting my master’s, it was like
having two jobs.” Silva earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration and minored in economics at Cal State Los Angeles before arriving at CSUF. Silva received his teaching credential from CSUF in 2000 and his master’s three years later in order to continue teaching at Nicolas Junior High School, where he worked while pursuing the degree to supplement his emergency credential. For Silva, running for office wasn’t a lifelong ambition, but in the last 10 years, he found the possibility of running more appealing before becoming more serious about the prospect
a year and a half ago. Despite being elected in November 2016 for a four-year term, Silva will be back on the campaign trail for next year’s election after the Fullerton City Council voted to put his district up for re-election in 2018. Even though he didn’t attend CSUF to become a politician, Silva said some aspects of his experience as a Titan were instrumental for his political career. “(During) the process of working with people, especially when you do the master’s, you do a lot of research and a lot of group work,” Silva said. “I think that was a good foundation for learning how to
prepare myself to do research, for learning, how to communicate properly adequately, get your ideas across.” Silva, who was the first in his family to graduate from college, is a proud CSUF alumnus and he has a message to all CSUF students who are close to graduating and are starting to feel exhausted. “Embrace the fatigue and the stress because that way, you are not resisting it and that would help you move on forward with it. There is a light at the end of the tunnel and there’s not a better feeling in your education career when you stand up on that stage and receive your diploma,” Silva said.
GRAD GUIDE
PAGE 14 MAY 15, 2017
CLASS OF 2017
Alumni profiles
Titans turned voice actors share advice Despite the lack of applications for his Japanese degree in the field of voice acting, Mark Allen Jr. still managed to make a living in the industry.
Austin Lee Matthews found his love for voice acting through Anime Expo and has since flourished in the industry, working on multiple English dubs.
AMBER HAMILTON Daily Titan
team claimed was originally in Japanese. The problem was the song was in Chinese, and he was the only person listening that could tell the song was definitely not in the language they claimed. Regardless of the underwhelming amount of use Allen has gotten out of his degree, he has stayed upbeat about his career. “Don’t compare your-
“
When I graduated, I knew (voice acting) was what I wanted to do. It was just a matter or figuring out how to make it work.
“
MARK ALLEN JR. Voice actor self to other people’s journey, especially in acting and in voice over. I have a lot of people who I work with, a lot of colleagues, who either started at the same time I did or started after me, and have achieved more notice and more success than I have,” Allen said. “The tendency is to want to compare yourself to those people and say ‘I’m just as good
as this person, I’ve been working longer than this person, why am I not getting the work that they’re getting?’” One piece of advice Allen has for upcoming graduates pursuing the same degree is that auditioning for parts is at least 90 percent of the job. “There’s an old adage that says for every 100 auditions you do, you’ll book one job. So you have to keep auditioning, you have to keep looking for things to try out for,” Allen said. While the idea of auditioning for the job may seem more daunting than actually performing, Allen remained enthusiastic about his career and its recent uptick in acknowledgement. The most important aspect is knowing voice acting is your dream. “Never give up on your dreams because there are going to be a lot of setbacks in life that are going to make it seem like maybe your dreams are silly or your dreams are unachievable,” Allen said. “You can’t give in to that line of thinking. If you know what you want to do and really set your mind to it … don’t give up on it.”
Professional voice actor and Cal State Fullerton alumnus Austin Lee Matthews knew exactly what he wanted to do when he started down his career path, despite the lack of real-world applications his degree may have had. He pushed through any doubts and applied himself to make sure he got what he wanted “Just do it. I hate to quote Shia LaBeouf on that but honestly, you just have to do it. You have to apply yourself. You have to start recording immediately, start looking for auditions, start making connections and start figuring out ways to get your name out there,” Matthews said. Since graduating from Cal State Fullerton in December 2014, Matthews has made his living as a voice actor. After earning his degree in writing and sound design from the Radio-TV-Film (RTVF) department of the College of Communications, Matthews was initially dubious about how his degree would help him as a voice actor. However, the benefits became apparent when the skills he gained helped his microphone technique and mixing of his voice demos. “I think (my degree) actually has helped me quite a bit, especially the sound design
part, because I don’t think that I would probably be nearly as successful as I am right now if I didn’t have a solid voice demo,” Matthews said. Matthews’ success started before he had even graduated from CSUF. At the 2011 Anime Expo, Matthews became a finalist in the voice acting competition which encouraged him to chase his dream of becoming a voice actor. Matthews attended a series of open auditions for Bang
“
I hate to quote Shia LaBeouf on that but honestly, you just have to do it. You have to apply yourself. You have to start recording immediately...
“
Voice actor Mark Allen Jr. may market himself as “a different kind of familiar” on his business card, but the man behind the voice is anything but familiar. The passion he has for his craft says a lot more than any simple phrase could express. Allen spent two years in the theater program before changing his major to Japanese with an emphasis in culture, aspiring to eventually become an English teacher in Japan. Allen graduated from CSUF in 2013. Halfway through his degree program, Allen discovered his passion for voice acting. “When I graduated, I knew (voice acting) was what I wanted to do. It was just a matter of figuring out how to make it work,” Allen said. As a professional voice actor, a degree in Japanese wasn’t exceedingly useful except in minor applications due to his heightened grasp of the language. However, Allen did find some amusing uses for his knowledge. In one instance, he was asked to sing a translated version of a song that the production
AMBER HAMILTON Daily Titan
AUSTIN LEE MATTHEWS Voice actor Zoom! Entertainment which earned him his first job in 2014, voicing characters in the series “Magi: The Kingdom of Magic” and another show Matthews personally loved, the anime “Kill la Kill.” Matthews wanted to pursue his new dream of becoming a voice actor after his experience at Anime Expo’s competition, but he continued his degree program so he would have a chance at steadier work
than voice acting. “I wanted something with sound design or even writing to either supplement my voice over work or to be a bit more steady. Sound designers work for the studios, they aren’t always contracted, (so) I thought that maybe that could also be a way for me to get my foot in the door,” Matthews said. For aspiring voice actors on campus, Matthews offers advice on how to hit the ground running in the industry. “Whatever you want to do with your life, you have to go out there and you have to do it. Just wanting it isn’t going to make it happen,” Matthews said. “You have to make it happen for yourselves. You have to go out there and you have to chase it.” Matthews wasn’t content with just cheering for future competition for his roles. No matter what degree they might be graduating with, Matthews wanted to give some encouraging words to all of CSUF’s new graduates. “It’s a tough journey sometimes, but it’s absolutely worth it in the end. I encourage everybody to not just follow their dreams but to chase it, pursue it, make it happen. Dreams come true if you make it happen,” Matthews said.
GRAD GUIDE
PAGE 15 MAY 15, 2017
CLASS OF 2017
Alumni profiles
Titan goes from cyclist to public servant Despite life-changing accident, Karen Haluza thrives. ANDREW SALMI Daily Titan Karen Haluza, CSUF alumna and director of Community Development for the City of Fullerton, was an UltraMarathon bicycle racer competing in Race Across America. “I was riding my bike to work one day, and I got hit by a car,” Haluza said. “Had I made it to work that day, I would have also learned that (Cyclist Magazine) was closing. So I couldn’t race bikes, I couldn’t ride bikes,
I didn’t have a job and I kind of had to start over and decide, ‘OK, what am I going to do now instead?’” Despite the life-changing accident, Haluza’s determination and advice from a friend helped her start her transition into a career she grew to love. “I had studied land use as an undergrad, but then the cycling thing kind of took off so I went in that direction instead. So my friend said, ‘Karen, why don’t you get back to what you had studied before? It’s what you really love,’” Haluza said. Haluza moved back home and got an internship in La Mirada while
she pursued her master’s in public administration. “That’s what started me back to this path. I literally got knocked back into this path,” she said. Haluza is responsible for planning and organizing the implementation of projects and programs throughout Fullerton. “Every piece of property in the state of California has rules about what you can do on it. We are a municipal corporation. The city administers these rules at the local level about how you can use property, what you can do with, what you can build on it and all that,” Haluza said. Earlier this month,
Haluza announced that she’s planning on leaving Fullerton for a similar position with the city of Redmond, Wash. “It’s just your career trajectory. It’s not about me leaving Fullerton. It’s common in our jobs in government that you progress by moving to different cities,” Haluza said. Kathy Schaefer, the Fire Division Chief of Administration and Fire Marshall for both the cities of Fullerton and Brea, said that she’ll miss Haluza and the friendship they’ve developed over the years. “We’ve just had our careers going for the last 25 years side by side. Now
she’s moving on, and I hate to see her leave because we’re just starting to work together again,” Schaefer said. “I think it’s just that we did everything at the same time with the kids and the careers, and so we understood each other. When I came back to Fullerton and I saw her, it was like old times.” Fullerton Planning Manager Matt Foulkes has known Haluza for around 10 years and said she exudes confidence as a good leader. “I’ve had a lot of bosses throughout my career, and I would say without question, Karen is the most intelligent, best writer and
best public speaker of any boss or any person I’ve ever worked with,” Foulkes said. “If she had decided to do any job, she would be pretty darn successful.” The decision was not easy, and Haluza said the city of Fullerton will always have a place in her heart regardless of the career path she follows. As she leaves Fullerton, Haluza also leaves some advice for students and graduating seniors regarding the perseverance required in the workforce. “Expect to start from the bottom and work really, really hard,” Haluza said. “Longevity, sticking with something really helps.”