Kathy (Kasarda) Cunningham `66

I actually arrived at CSULB the beginning of my Senior year.  My credits from Sophia University (Jesuit University) in Tokyo (in English, not in Japanese thank God) were transferred to CSULB so I was able to graduate in 1967. The fondest memory of attending CSULB, I was president of Delta Zeta Sorority and I met my future husband at a fraternity-sorority party in Seal Beach (he was the pledge trainer for Theta Chi at CSULB – Steven Spielberg was one of his pledges).  We can actually see the frat house from our front window today, just across the street from where we bought our house.

Being the president of the sorority I attended everything. 

Since I was in a sorority and my future hubby was in a fraternity, we hung out in the Greek section of the cafeteria.  I also lived at the Delta Zeta house on Molina Drive in LB, so that is where I hung out.  I didn’t have a car so I depended on my sisters for drives anywhere I went.

Since I had gone to 5 high schools and many colleges, I had pretty well decided to be an English major.  I read just about every book that is printed now, and am the chair of the Seal Beach Woman’s Club Book Club.  Actually, my Masters in Developmental Psychology was more important.

I met my future husband there.  Terry Cunningham was drafted into the military right after we graduated, and became a career officer (retired as a Colonel).  Since he had his degree in Microbiology and Chemistry from CSULB, his career was running hospitals.  After 27 years in the Air Force, he retired, then proceeded to be Vice President and then president of hospitals in Baltimore (Johns Hopkins), Houston (Baylor College of Medicine), then finally at Shriners Children’s Hospital in downtown LA. We ended up buying a house in  Seal Beach because his brother Roger had a built the house and wanted to move to Newport Beach.  We’ re right across from the beach and we asked Roger when the last time he was at the beach and he said 8 years ago, so we said to sell us your house.  He did.

My husband’s being in the Air Force and moving around every 3 years or so built-in us a love for travel.  We have now traveled to 85 different countries and haven’t stopped yet.  We have 2 children – Wendy who has a Ph.D. in Economics and works at the World Bank, being responsible for funding women and children in poor countries with World Bank money.  Tom, who was just promoted to Colonel in the Air Force, is stationed at the Pentagon.  Believe it or not, he also is responsible for military hospitals.  Must be something in the genes.  We have 4 grandkids that live in DC.

Today I am very involved with many projects in Seal Bach – the 100th-anniversary year-long committee to celebrate the city’s birthday, Historical Committee, Memorial Committee, helped reelect the mayor, and am on the Historical Preservation Committee for the city.

No matter where I lived or traveled in the world, CSULB was always in the front of my mind.  My husband is now a Full-Time Lecturer at CSULB, teaching graduate and undergraduate students how to run hospitals, so we are at the campus all the time.  I actually teach a small session on Dress for Success for the students who are graduating.  Fashion-wise, things have changed a lot since my college days.