Bright, orange moving bins paraded across Cal State Fullerton housing on Move-In Day as about 2,100 new and returning students settled into their home away from home for the 2024-25 academic year.
Families, friends, faculty and staff came together from Aug. 22-23 to welcome students to campus, introduce them to resources and help them prepare for their academic journeys. CSUF President Ronald Rochon, who began his tenure as the university’s president on July 22, also joined the festivities for his first Move-In Day, greeting Titans and welcoming them to the start of a new year.
First Steps Into Campus Life
Move-In Day marked a milestone for first-year students like Erik Paiva, an artist who believes inspiration is waiting for him at CSUF.
“I chose Cal State Fullerton because the university has such a wonderful art program here, and the campus has such a vibrant social community. What better way to start as an artist than to go to a new place like this, where I can find new inspiration every day?” said Paiva.
In the College of the Arts, Paiva will begin working toward one of his biggest goals — making a Disney film. With the Visual Arts Modernization Project, Paiva will have access to new buildings, renovated classrooms for digital art concentrations and more.
“Seeing the environment, community and excitement, I feel like he’s in a really great place,” said Paiva’s mom, Chris, who helped him move into his new home on campus. “This is the beginning of the rest of his life.”
Titans moving to campus also had the opportunity to learn about activities, clubs and organizations that fit their interests. Lesly Juarez, a first-year student moving into the residence halls, was especially excited to learn about CSUF’s intramural sports.
“Today means a lot,” said Juarez, a kinesiology major who plans to pursue a career as an athletic director for a professional volleyball team. “Moving to campus is a good opportunity for me because growing up, I didn’t have a lot of resources or places where I could go to get help. Now that I’m here, I’m excited to have that support, meet new people and get out of my comfort zone.”
Introducing New Themed Communities
Students had the opportunity to move into themed housing communities, which are based on such areas as majors, common interests, academic goals and personal identities. This year, Housing and Residential Engagement added three new communities to support students: Titan Transfer Gateway for transfer students; APISAA Community for Asian, Pacific Islander and South Asian American students; and Titans Unidos for Latinx students. Other communities include: Athena House, Ujima Community and Rainbow House.
Among the excited arrivals was Lorna Cariaga, a transfer student from Glendale Community College, who moved into the Titan Transfer Gateway. An aspiring museum curator and art history major, Cariaga said she chose CSUF because of its welcoming environment and resources for new transfer students.
“Having other transfer students on the same floor gives me the opportunity to make friends with people who understand the community college to university experience,” she said. “This community will give me a safe space, which will make my academic and social life much easier to adjust to.”