“This is where she’s supposed to be,” said Giacomo Solari, father of first-year student Paloma Solari. He was excited to visit Cal State Fullerton for its third annual Alumni and Family Weekend and found himself impressed with the campus environment.
“It’s a beautiful campus. I love that there are a lot of open spaces and places to congregate,” he said. “We miss her a lot, but we know that this is a good learning experience.”
Paloma, a psychology major from San Mateo, California, and her family attended TitanFest, the women’s volleyball game against Cal State Northridge and the Celebration Dinner at the Golleher Alumni House.
Aspiring to a career as a child psychologist, Paloma has already begun exploring ways to get involved on campus, attending activities hosted by the Latinx Student Psychological Association.
Giacomo shared that he and his family also attended orientation over the summer and Move-In Day before the start of the fall semester.
“We were here for orientation, and they did a really nice job taking us around and giving us all the information we needed,” he said. “Move-In Day was also very smooth. We were a little worried about Paloma moving away from home, but we’re definitely feeling more at ease. She’s been doing well and liking her classes, roommates and the school overall.”
A Weekend of Festivities
An opportunity to celebrate Titan pride and create memories, Cal State Fullerton’s Oct. 4-6 Alumni and Family Weekend kicked off on Friday with Titan Nation Night, a tailgate-style gathering with games, music, food trucks and performances by the Titan Spirit Squad.
With hundreds of attendees, Saturday’s TitanFest featured a barbecue lunch, shopping, campus tours and a student organization showcase. Afterward, Titans had the opportunity to don inflatable elephant costumes at Titan Track and race to raise funds for campus causes.
Throughout the weekend, alumni and families cheered on student-athletes at volleyball and soccer games, watched performances from the university’s acclaimed School of Music, took strolls through the Arboretum and Botanical Garden, toured the new Visual Arts Complex, and attended a panel discussion with experts from CSUF’s Social Science Research Center and Division of Politics, Administration and Justice.
“Cal State Fullerton is committed to helping parents and families stay involved in their student’s college experience by providing regular communication and hosting events like Alumni and Family Weekend,” said Oscar Garcia Ortiz, senior coordinator of parent and family relations. “We understand that an informed and engaged family can be the difference in a student’s educational success, and we want to promote that involvement in fun and exciting ways.”
Welcoming Back Alumni
The university also welcomed back alumni at the Celebration Dinner, during which participants enjoyed live music, a car show and a meal under the stars. Nine alumni in attendance were inducted into the Golden Tusk Club, an exclusive group of alumni who graduated 50 or more years ago. Honorees included Jo Ann Brannock, Mark Carpenter, James Clegern, John Echeveste, Joel Fick, Jack Hale, Daljit Singh, Margaret Smith and William Van Horn.
“Alumni and Family Weekend is a wonderful opportunity for Titans to reconnect with their alma mater and experience all the incredible things happening at Cal State Fullerton today,” said Bill Cole, assistant vice president for alumni engagement. “It’s a time to celebrate our shared history and strengthen the bonds within our Titan family. We’re always excited to welcome alumni back and invite them to stay connected through the Alumni Association.”