Transfer Stories
Juan Munoz
Meet Juan Munoz, a fourth-year communications-advertising student who transferred from Fullerton College to Cal State Fullerton.
As the eldest of seven siblings, communications-advertising student Juan Munoz is the first of his family to graduate from high school and attend college.
He had always dreamed of attending a prestigious university. However, his dreams came to a sudden halt when he learned that he was a DACA student during his senior year of high school.
With his mixed-status and the cost of tuition weighing on his mind, Juan began to question whether college was the right path for him. A chance encounter with an outreach counselor, however, opened his eyes to a future at Fullerton College.
Today, as a fourth-year transfer student at Cal State Fullerton, Juan’s now working towards making his mark in the advertising world.
Walking on a Dream
Juan was in the inaugural cohort of the Anaheim Pledge Program, offering seniors from the Anaheim Union High School District one year of free tuition to attend a community college. He had already taken Regional Occupational Programs (ROP) and counseling courses at Fullerton College through its Dual Enrollment Program, catching a glimpse of potential majors to pursue.
He credits outreach counselor Jeannie Nguyen and student services coordinator Annika Shellenbarger for helping him navigate his Fullerton College journey through the Pledge Program. He also thanks counselor Lorena Marquez, saying, “She really helped me choose a career path that would help me be anything I want to be.”
One of Juan’s most impactful experiences at Fullerton College was being part of the Disney Aspire Program. At the time, he had dropped out of college due to personal hardships. He was working as a shift lead at Disneyland when the Disney Aspire Program launched, providing a pathway for employees to return to school at no cost. Inspired, Juan decided to return to Fullerton College to pursue college once more.
“Disney offered me a path to go back to school,” he said.
Juan Munoz at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Park.
On campus, Juan immersed himself into the vibrant student community, joining the Speech and Debate Club and UnDocu Scholars. He also worked as a student ambassador for the Office of Campus Communications and outreach assistant for the Welcome Center, citing these experiences as being instrumental in growing his network at Cal State Fullerton.
“Being a college ambassador at Fullerton College helped me network my way through Cal State Fullerton,” he said. “I visited some offices to ask questions and I’ve seen people that I gave tours to or family members who remember me.”
Making The Magic Happen
Known for his friendly, approachable nature, Juan often finds himself being approached by friends and strangers alike, whether at school or even at the gym. Eager to offer a helping hand, he relies on his experiences navigating the community college to university transfer pipeline to help other students find their path.
Juan Munoz celebrating his commitment to Cal State Fullerton with Tuffy the Titan at the 2025 Transfer Celebration.
“As a first-gen, I like to do it all,” he said. “Whatever you set your mind to, you can do it.”
“I have the ability to enjoy that process of being in college and experiencing everything because my parents are very supportive,” he said.
Juan will graduate next year from CSUF with his bachelor’s degree in communications-advertising with a minor in communications studies. He hopes to work for a Big 5 organization and open his own advertising agency one day.
In the short-term, he looks forward to supporting his family with their dream of opening a Mexican restaurant.
His advice to transfer students: “Don’t be scared to ask for help. If you wait for things to come to you, it will never come. Always seek help and be you.”
Transfer Success Starts Here
These students successfully transferred from Fullerton College to CSUF. With the Future Titan Center, so can you!
