The Television, Film & Media Studies department has taken out
a special page to celebrate you, the TVFM Class of 2020.
To our TVF and TVFT grads:
You did it! We celebrate your accomplishments, your unique journey, and we recognize the hard work it took to earn your degree. Congratulations to you, and many thanks to your family and friends who helped make today possible. We are so proud of you and we wish you every success!
-Dr. Kristiina Hackel, Chair
My parents brought me to the U.S. at three years old with nothing more than the dream one day I could achieve what I couldn’t in our home country. By graduating CSULA, I am able to repay the people who sacrificed their lives for me to pursue my dreams, an act so noble on part of my parents that the true repayment is just beginning. I am proud of not only myself but other students & their personal achievements whom share the similar plight in this country with myself & my family as immigrants.
My proudest moment at CSULA would be when I heard that I would be coming back next fall. After working hard on my GPA, portfolio, and acquiring a strong foundation in my undergraduate classes, I am proud to say I have been accepted into CSULA’s MFA program. I’m grateful for everyone who has inspired and helped me move forward with my dreams. After so much hard work for the past four years, I am excited and ready to continue working on my craft. Thank you, and congratulations to all of my peers in the undergraduate class of 2020!
My proudest accomplishment at Cal State LA is growing into a more confident artist. With the support of caring mentors, I developed the technical skills to structure my storytelling and feel secure enough to enter a competitive industry.
Graduating means hard work and dedication. It took me a little over 10 years to finish college, but it doesn’t matter how long it took me, what matters is that I finally did it! No matter the hardships and obstacles that I had to go through along the way.
My proudest accomplishments here at CSULA are all the projects I was a part of and all the friends I’ve made here.
My proudest accomplishment would have to be successfully defending a thesis project and finishing my master’s program after the sudden death of my father. Uncertainty about life and my purpose continued to cloud the finish line, but I began to remember why I was pursuing this degree in the first place — to inspire. And although it’s been a tumultuous journey for me and my family while at Cal State LA, I’m glad I persevered and can finally show off my hard work to my Dad now in heaven. I hope I made him proud. Congrats Class of 2020!
Graduation means a lot to me. It represents an accomplishment built on the back of a lot of hard work. However, I think what I will take with me first and foremost when I graduate is all of the friendships and memories I have from my time at Cal State LA. I have cherished my time here and will always remember it as a high point of my life. I have been overjoyed to call Cal State LA home, but now must move on to what I hope is a time filled with just as much love and good fortune.
I am the first of my family to graduate in a 4-year University, not just any University but from Cal State, Los Angeles. It was scary when I first started college after many stories being told but I made it! I am proud, emotional, excited, and mixed with emotions. Proud of myself of what I have accomplished. I want to thank everyone in the TVF department, my friends, and family who were there for me and believe in my dreams. On to the next chapter.
Thank you all for contributing to one another’s creative journey as we prepare to join a world of immense uncertainty. Despite this, I’m proud to have worked with you, collaborated with you, and shared this learning experience with you. I hope to see us all continue to grow and open ourselves up to an abundance of love and compassion. We are artists, after all. And each of us has the power to impact this world individually by sharing our perspective. Now, let’s go do it! And remember to always extend a hand if you can.
My time at Cal State LA was an unforgettable experience. It helped me find my real passion and what I really wanted to do with my life. Yes, there were times when I was ready to give up, but I knew I couldn’t because it was all for something. Now with what’s going on and not having an actual graduation, just receiving my diploma will suffice. Being a graduate is a huge accomplishment and for me, it is a steppingstone, a new beginning to something greater for what I’ve been working for.
For the longest time, my goal was to be the first to graduate from my family. Even though graduation won’t go the way I thought, I’m glad to say that my goal has been fulfilled. I’m proud to say that I will be the first person to graduate with a bachelors in my family. This has been an amazing ride and I am glad to have made so many friends and worked with incredibly talented people. CSULA gave me an interesting college experience and I’m excited to be graduating and entering the work force. Congrats to the class of 2020.
I am the first in my family to graduate from a university, so this experience means the world to me. I am so grateful to have my family, friends, Barrio Logan College Institute and professors who have supported me through my ups and downs, the past 5 years. I have learned so much being on my own in LA and I cannot wait for what is in store for my career. I would like to dedicate all my hard-work to my grandma because she would always tell me to try hard…I know she is looking down smiling proud of me.
As a first-generation college graduate, there isn’t a better feeling than being able to celebrate my academic accomplishments with my family. Graduation is the culmination of all my hard work and dedication to my craft displayed in one day. My proudest moments that have truly help mold who I am today consist of the long hours studying for exams, group project comradery, and the six years of never allowing myself to quit. I would like to thank all my professors throughout the years, academic counselors and my family for their wisdom and guidance. We did it class of 2020!
My proudest moment at Cal State LA was when I got to direct a short film for the Motion Picture Incubator class. I got to refine my skills as a director and bonded with everyone on set. We had so much fun making this film I wish I could redo the whole thing again.
Graduation to me is another chapter and accomplishment in my life. It is the beginning of finding a career or finding additional education to pursue, such as a Masters. Throughout my years in college, my proudest accomplishment is building connections through school and the internships I’ve taken throughout my years at Cal State LA.
My proudest accomplishment is coming into this school with having given myself the obstacle of transferring with not the best grades from a previous school. I challenged myself to do well and learn as much as I could while also getting the best possible college experience. Somehow, I managed to do both by being on the Dean’s list for at lest 3 out of my four semesters. This is before Spring 2020 as maybe four out of four. I also made some amazing friends who I hope to grow and work with for as long as possible.
I came here from Chile several years ago. It was a hard change; however, it filled me with this passion that kept growing and became a real drive to tell stories. Back then, I had no way to pursue a career in cinema — no equipment nor connections, but I had perseverance and the right people by my side. Then, I took a chance, an opportunity enrolling in college to pursuing my dreams. There I learned seeking help and mentorship when needed, is the real value of education. Everyone has his challenges; mine was running away from failure. But failure can be a great teacher if you let it. You learn to start over. Today, and after twelve years, I achieved my dream. I graduated with an MFA in Creative writing from CSULA. Now, my path is clear, and the future opens up to me.
There was a time I was uncertain of which career to pursue, who to be, and whether I’d even finish my college education. Now I can finally say I’ve earned my Undergraduate TVFM B.A. I’m grateful to my mom who always instilled the importance of education and hard work in me. No matter how long the journey has been, she’s been the driving force that never allowed me to give up (an immigrant single mom with the help of NO ONE ELSE). This is a victory for both of us. I’m truly excited for what comes next. CLASS OF 2020!
It’s been a long journey to get to this point. There are still a lot of questions and obstacles to overcome but I’m glad Cal State LA is a part of that journey.
I’m incredibly grateful to Cal State LA for teaching me so much, introducing me to so many amazing people, and being my second home. I have learned so much in my department and had the opportunity to create so many projects that I’m really proud of. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my life career-wise before starting college, but the TVF department made me feel so at home. I found my path and I love it so much. Thank you to everyone I’ve met here who I’ve worked with or will work with in the future!
Graduating means I have bloomed into a blossom that will infinitely bloom. I found not only the classrooms, but myself. The universe awaits.
Graduating with a Bachelor’s degree is something I’ve always dreamed of and now that it is finally a reality I am at a loss for words. When I moved from LA to Bakersfield in 2005, I knew I would return to my hometown someday. My time at Cal State LA was everything I hoped for and I am saddened that this journey has ended. Shout out to Professor Guess, Cox, and Liss, for turning me into a better writer and reporter. Most importantly, none of this would be possible without the support from my family and my girl. Love y’all!
Graduating from Cal State Los Angeles is one of the proudest accomplishments of my life. Earning my Master of Fine Arts has been a difficult, revolutionary, and life-changing experience. The community I’ve become a part of at Cal State LA has become a sistership and brotherhood that will be with me for the rest of my life. While the experiences I’ve had in school have helped nurture and advance my growth towards the man I want and need to be in this world today. It’s time to soar on the wings of inspiration fellow Golden Eagles!
