Transfer Stories
kelly wijaya
Meet Kelly Wijaya, a business-marketing graduate who transferred from Fullerton College to Cal State Fullerton.
Business-marketing graduate Kelly Wijaya grew up in the city of Surabaya on the island of Java in Indonesia, a far cry from Fullerton, California. As a first-generation student, she was eager to attend a college that had a pulse on cultural and social trends while offering a strong foundation in business.
“I thought that it would be a really good idea to come to SoCal to study marketing,” she said. “If you look at the internet and the brands that are popping off, it’s all centered around the California lifestyle.”
A recent graduate of Cal State Fullerton, Kelly is now hitting the ground running as an owner of a jewelry business in Indonesia.
Finding A Home in Fullerton
“Something that came up was how going to a community college for two years and then transferring to a four-year university would be cheaper in the long run,” she said.
Upon arriving in the United States for the first time, she recalled experiencing culture shock stepping into a Costco warehouse. “Why am I in a warehouse, and why are the chip bags the size of my torso?” she said. “I’m living in a fever dream right now.”
Kelly Wijaya building community with fellow students at the International Student Center.
“Our families were far away in our respective hometowns, so in a really cute way, we found our own family for kids that were far away from home, comfort and family,” she said.
She credits program director, Alexander Brown, and coordinator, Sammy Solis, for creating a welcoming environment for international students. “They’ve just been there for me since day one,” she said. “They made my experience very vibrant and homey and loving.”
Kelly was actively involved on campus, taking student life and engagement to the next level. As the vice president of the International Student Club, she was successful in rechartering the club from its pandemic numbers, recruiting nearly 300 prospective members during the first club rush. She also ventured into many clubs outside of her discipline, including those focused on applied engineering, chess, computer science, and even psychology.
“I can’t even play chess or code,” she said, laughing.
As she entered her final year at Fullerton College, she was pleasantly surprised to discover that she would be graduating with three degrees.
Kelly Wijaya holds a bouquet of flowers while recruiting students during Club Rush.
“To be completely honest, it was a coincidence to graduate with three degrees,” she said. “I pursued a business degree, but it turns out that a lot of my classes were overlapping with requirements for other degrees. I didn’t find out about that until my counselors helped me.”
Kelly graduated from Fullerton College with three associate’s degrees in business administration, science and mathematics and social sciences. Soon after, she transferred to Cal State Fullerton to begin her bachelor’s program in business-marketing.
Real World Experience as a Titan
“It’s in my personality to be very active on campus,” she said. “My experiences with all the clubs back at Fullerton College helped me have an easier transition into club life at Cal State Fullerton.”
In just a short amount of time, she had already joined Alpha Omega, Titan Ventures, Christian Club, and Pi Sigma Epsilon. Through Pi Sigma Epsilon, she was also able to explore her interests in art and creativity.
“Graphic design is my passion and I’m a Canva warrior,” she said. “PSE let me see that my skills in art don’t have to be in fine arts and can be used for something as marketable as graphic design.”
Kelly Wijaya studying at Cal State Fullerton’s Mihaylo Hall, home to the College of Business and Economics.
These student organizations were instrumental in shaping Kelly’s personal and professional development as she gained experience in event planning, public speaking, networking, and soliciting corporate sponsorships.
One of Kelly’s most memorable experiences in the classroom was taking a marketing class with Professor Jake Benifa. Through this course, she had the opportunity to work with a tequila distillery in Jalisco building their first retail brand.
Kelly graduated from Cal State Fullerton this past spring with a bachelor’s degree in business-marketing. With several degrees under her belt and a lifetime of college memories to cherish, she has since moved back to Indonesia where she supports her family business with the new skills she’s gained.
As Kelly moves on to this next chapter in her life, she provides some advice for students looking to transfer:
“When you see something that really piques your interest, and you feel it in your heart that you belong there, you should go for it,” she said. “You are brilliant. You have all this potential to do amazing things.”
Transfer Success Starts Here
These students successfully transferred from Fullerton College to CSUF. With the Future Titan Center, so can you!
