Bentley Little ’84, ’87 (B.A. communications, M.A. English) tasted success when he sold his first novel, “The Revelation,” but he was humbled when he learned that legendary author Stephen King enjoyed his writing.
Little wrote “The Revelation” as his thesis while earning his master’s degree in English at Cal State Fullerton. Today he has 17 horror novels and a volume of short stories to his credit.
Little is one of this issue’s 50 prominent alumni, a list compiled in celebration of Cal State Fullerton’s 50th anniversary. He and the other Titans listed are prominent in their fields and represent a diversity of professions, areas of study, ages and interests.
For his part, Little recalls Cal State Fullerton in the ‘80s as a cultural center where he heard Mary Chapin Carpenter in concert in the Pub and Eldridge Cleaver guest lecturing in class. He remembers English professor Keith Neilson and the late communications lecturer Gary Granville mentoring him, the former exposing him to a wider variety of horror literature and the latter helping to improve his writing.
“I took something from every class at Cal State Fullerton,” he recalls. “I remember students hanging out with professors the way we did with other students. Those were great experiences.”
Like Little, successful Fullerton alumni recall certain teachers, programs and classes that continue to positively impact their professional lives. Many alumni remember coming to CSUF because of its convenience only to remain thanks to its high quality instruction and programming. For other alumni, the sheer act of getting to class provided valuable training in discipline and dependability.
“Going to Cal State Fullerton was a great experience overall,” says Tony Reagins ’91 (B.A. business administration), general manager of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. “Just getting to school every day, taking responsibility, and being the best that you can be.”
On-the-job training via internships and part-time work are other fond memories for many CSUF alumni, who credit their experiences with helping them land their first jobs out of college. Reagins traces the start of his career in major league baseball to an internship with the Angels an internship he began as a student at Cal State Fullerton. His baseball career has continued with the Angels ever since, through three management companies and five managers.
For others, experiences such as Camp Titan and Associated Student leadership positions allowed them to grow and develop. “Fullerton gave you the opportunity to explore options and learn a lot about yourself. There was great leadership training,” recalls Joann Schaefer ’90 (B.S. biological science). “You could explore where you were and where you wanted to go with your life.”
Success comes in many different sizes and styles, in countless varied forms, for more than 185,000 Cal State Fullerton alumni across the United States and the world. Titan alumni are businesspeople and corporate leaders, musicians and entertainers, professional athletes, engineers and astronauts, government leaders and teachers, and more.
A select few CSUF alumni attain a level of prominence making them especially noteworthy. And while Fullerton is pleased with of all of its alumni, these Titans make us particularly proud.
