Brooke Larson '23
The biggest highlight during my CSULB experience was becoming the College of Liberal Arts (CLA) Development Intern. It allowed me to meet my mentors, Howie Fitzgerald, Becky Chung, Sabella Moreno, Dean Thien, and so many other CSULB staff. I originally applied to be a CLA social media manager, which was work I was very interested in, but I already knew it wasn’t my perfect fit. Luckily, they were also looking to start the new position of a Development Intern and that ended up being my calling in life, combining all my interests in technical writing, engaging people, and event planning. Throughout the internship, the most exciting moments were working with the CLA social media team, learning from Development directors, and interviewing CSULB alumni/donors. I learned so much from everybody and CSULB truly has an amazing alumni community that believes in supporting one another and paying good actions forward.
I originally went to Seattle University in Washington for college. I was both excited and nervous to move from California, but it was something I felt called to do. I do not regret the decision, but because of covid and other financial stressors, I was unable to stay in Seattle. I then found myself in a very scary position where I had to drop out halfway through my college experience and take a gap semester. I worried I would lose my momentum and in addition to that, my choice of college became limited to ones that had my programs and would take me in-between semesters so I could avoid a gap year. Once you narrow it down, CSULB was the only university that matched everything I needed. The PWC program was also a major draw for me. A part of me wishes I learned about CSULB before going to Seattle as it is such a good fit, but in my high school, we never toured CSULB, and I never learned much about the school. However, it worked out as it should, and I feel lucky that not only did I find CSULB, but I found advisors and mentors that really helped me catch up and discover what it is I want to do professionally.
After school, I will be moving to Alaska and joining the University of Alaska, Fairbanks team as their Development/Fundraising Coordinator. My CLA Development internship and the mentorship I received showed me that fundraising work at higher education is my passion and I am excited to pursue the field full-time in the last frontier.
I got involved with the myBeach program and CSULB Alumni because I appreciate networking opportunities and want to continue engaging with CSULB after I graduate.
