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As the voice of CSULB's Assistant Vice President of Admissions and Enrollment Steven Salcido echoed through the Walter Pyramid Saturday, 18-year-old Isaac Jimenez — a first-generation college-goer — sat beside his parents in the top row, surrounded by thousands of other newly admitted students and their families.  

“Today is a day to celebrate you being admitted to one of the most competitive, most prestigious and well-known California State University campuses,” Salcido said. “With over 110,000 applications received, you were admitted. So, congratulate one another, congratulate yourself for a job well done.”

In the swell of applause, Isaac’s father, Jaime, a Mexican immigrant, quietly put his arm around his son and kissed him on the head.

It was the kind of moment that defines Day at The Beach, Cal State ������Ƶ’s annual open house, which attracted some 14,500 newly admitted students, their families and guests. Part celebration, part first step of the journey, the event — now in its third year — has quickly grown into a cherished campus tradition. By day's end, nearly 700 students had signed up at the admissions table, officially committing to The Beach.

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For Isaac, who is undeclared but considering the School of Nursing, choosing ������Ƶ State came down to vibes and values.

“It’s close to the beach and that’s just really, really appealing to me,” he said, “and it just had a good energy. I know most of the students here are Hispanic — that also appealed to me because I’m not alone here.”

His father, Jaime, expressed his pride in Spanish: “There are a lot of people who start, but not everyone finishes. I want him to be one of the ones who finishes what he started.”

Isaac said finishing is important to him, as well.

“It hasn’t always been easy,” he said, recalling moments in high school when he struggled with confidence in math. When he was at a low point, it was a teacher who taught him that no one is a “math person.”

“You just gotta work hard at it,” Isaac said. “So that’s what I plan to do here.”

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It’s close to the beach and that’s just really, really appealing to me.

Across campus, student stories unfolded at every booth, every tour stop and especially at the Admissions tent, where volunteers rang cowbells and cheered each time a student officially committed.

“I literally just chose it 10 seconds ago,” she said, as her dad stood nearby filming the scene on Tahani’s phone, so she could later share it to Instagram. “It’s such a welcoming campus. I’m such a big energy person, and if I feel there’s something… that may not align with me, I won’t go that route. But right now, I’m just like, ‘Go Beach!'... I feel so warmly welcomed."

I’m just like, ‘Go Beach!' ... I feel so warmly welcomed.

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Anderson, who is entering the sports psychology program in kinesiology, hopes to one day work with athletes across professional sports or performing arts.

“There’s so much I need to learn — mentally and physically,” she said. “Nobody’s going to stop me.”

That energy — hopeful, bold, joyful — permeated the Admissions area, set up between the Student Union and a row of tents showcasing everything from resource centers to . Each corner of campus had something to offer: interactive classroom displays, student-led tours and one-on-one chats with faculty. Volunteers in yellow shirts directed crowds, handed out tote bags, and celebrated each student who accepted their offer.

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The speech pathology program at ������Ƶ is one of the best.

One of them was David Flores, a first-year student from El Sereno, who said CSULB’s coastal location and sustainability focus sealed the deal for him. 

As an industrial design major, Flores said, “I want to be part of the generation that cultivates new sustainable industries for our ecosystem.”

Haley Manna, a transfer student in the speech-language pathology program, described how her path was shaped by a ski accident that left her temporarily struggling to communicate.

“The speech pathology program at ������Ƶ is one of the best,” said the Sacramento native, “so I was really excited to apply here.”

More than a campus visit, Day at The Beach offered a chance for students to imagine themselves here — for real. 

Something here at ������Ƶ was just calling my name.

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Diana Gutierrez, an incoming psychology student from Lynwood, put it this way: “Something here at ������Ƶ was just calling my name.”

And, at the end of the day, that’s exactly the kind of feeling university officials were hoping to instill: a sense that all admitted students had found the place where they belong — and a community that will cheer them on every step of the way.