Acceptance Letter

On February 23, 2021 Tyler received a letter from Cal State Fullerton accepting him to be a Titan as a Pre-Business Major. He had a decision to make, however, as he was also accepted to Cal Poly Pomona, San Jose State, UC Merced (to which he didn't even apply), and ultimately UC Riverside. After he visited CSUF, CPP, and UCR over Spring Break he had a pretty good idea where he wanted to go, but he still needed to do some more research. He narrowed it down to Fullerton and Pomona, and then he decided to take a look at their online presentations to see if there was something that would put one school above the other. In the end, he made the big decision to attend Fullerton. We couldn't be more proud and can't wait until he begins his college adventure.

Commitment
4/28/21

Tyler committing to CSUF.

Dorm
7/20/21

After our trip to Disneyland, Tyler and Dad drove to CSUF to check out just where Tyler's dorm was. While his dorm looks to be the farthest from the Gastronome (Dining Facility), it did look pretty new and well maintained. Sure, it's a little farther to walk but he'll be among all the other on-campus students where we hope he'll be able to make new friends.

Freshman Year

The time finally came for Tyler to head down to Fullerton to begin his Freshman year of college. His move-in date was 1:00pm on Wednesday, August 18th. We drove down the night before and stayed at Grandpa's and Grandma's in Hacienda Heights. Luckily, Cal State Fullerton is only about 20 minutes south on Highway 57. Just like when Jordyn attended CPP, they can be there within the hour.

Move-In
8/18/21

Since Jordyn left some of her stuff at Grandma's and Grandpa's for Tyler, we had to load that all into the Pilot along with stuff he brought down from home. With a little adjustment we were able to get everything in. When we arrived at CSUF Tyler had to first purchase his Titan card (kind of like a Debit Card) that he could use all over campus. Next, we headed over to the East Parking Lot to park and unload. We got into the first line, which was pretty long, so he could verify he had been fully vaccinated for COVID (all California state universities require students to be vaccinated). While he waited, Mom and Dad got a cart and immediately loaded it so Dad could push it on the long journey from the parking lot to the dorms. While convenient, the cart was heavy and the road to the dorms wasn't exactly level. At one point Dad almost lost it turning a corner but he quickly recovered. After verifying Tyler was vaccinated, he and Mom stood in another line to get his dorm key and mailbox key. Dad, in the meantime, waited in front of Tyler's dorm to rest. Eventually, when Tyler got his room assignment (E324) and all his keys they made their way into his room to unpack.

Anatomy of an Instagram Post
8/30/21

Tyler really hadn't been away from home for any great amount of time so we were a little concerned how he would acclimate to life on campus. Fortunately, Tyler's roommate Alex is a good guy and they seem to have hit it off. Also, Tyler's good friend Connor is also attending Fullerton and while they aren't in the same dorm they find time to eat meals and do laundry together. On top of all that, they were able to meet new people in and around the dorms and have formed a little group that like to hang out. Take a look at what it took to take their first group photo together.

Hangin' with YBA
9/12/21

Tyler has been very fortunate since arriving at Fullerton. His good friend Connor is there, his roommate Alex is cool, and fellow MVBT YBA alum Caitlyn is in her 3rd year at CSUF. Tyler reached out to Caitlyn early on to get the low down on Fullerton's Nikkei Student Union (NSU). She was able to introduce him to members and helped him with his first meeting and post-meeting get-together. Since then, Caitlyn has been a font of knowledge that Tyler's been fortunate to tap into. She also has a car so they've been able to eat out and hit up Target for stuff.

NSU - Mini Golf Social
9/16/21

It looks as if Tyler will continue with NSU while at Fullerton. It turns out there are quite a few people from Nor Cal, all of whom have some affiliation with YBA, who are pretty active with NSU.

NSU - Bowling Hangout
9/30/21

NSU really comes up with cool ideas for get-togethers. A couple of weeks ago it was miniature golf, and this week it's bowling. The following day they did a simple social event where everyone met and did something called Speed Friending.

NSU - Speed Friending
10/1/21

In order to help NSU members meet one another they held a Speed Friending event.

NSU - Big/Little Reveal
10/21/21

At the beginning of every year NSU has the Big/Little Reveal. This is where a new member (Little) is teamed up with an older member (Big). The "Big" helps their "Little" with anything they might need. This ongoing tradition of mentorship continues to be passed down from one year to the next.

Tyler was incredibly lucky as he got Caitlyn to be his Big. She's been an incredible friend as she's helped him in so many ways. She's taken him to get food, to buy supplies, and looked after him. We can't thank Caitlyn enough for making Tyler's first year at Fullerton a great one.

2/4/22

For Christmas Tyler's NSU Big, Caitlyn, gave him (and her other Little, Kenny) a Park Hopper ticket to California Adventure and Disneyland. They, with a bunch of other NSU members, spent the entire day enjoying all the activities and rides the parks had to offer.

2/4/22

After hitting up California Adventure in the morning to see the Avengers Campus and ride Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure (primarily), the gang headed over to Disneyland to visit Galaxy's Edge (Star Wars Land) and ride all the other classic attractions.

NSU - 1st General Meeting
of the new semester
2/23/22

After a prolonged break due to the COVID Omicron variant, the Cal State Fullerton NSU held their first general meeting on February 23rd. It was a long time coming but they were able to get a good group together to hang out and play pool or bowl.

Dinner
3/5/22

So, everyone pretty much knows dorm food is terrible. Tyler was OK with it in the beginning, but as the year has progressed he's gotten really tired of it. Fortunately, good friend Caitlyn lives in an apartment just on the other side of campus. Once in a while he'll go over to her apartment so they can have dinner and watch the Warriors. Unfortunately, this night they lost to the Lakers. Just the same, I'm sure he was more than happy just to eat a great meal.

4/15/22

In a fortuitous turn of events for Tyler, he found himself at an NBA Play-In Game on Friday, April 15th. A friend had extra tickets for the Clippers/Pelicans at Crypto.com Arena (formerly the Staples Center). These seats weren't close to the action by any stretch of the imagination, but he had fun none the less. He also came away with some swag - a Clippers Basketball t-shirt and a light-up wrist band. He said the arena was really nice and was taken aback by how loud it got. I guess when any of the L.A. teams play an opponent other than the Warriors the fans cheer for the home team (yes, that's throwing shade at L.A.).

Raising Cane's
5/3/22

As a thank you to Caitlyn for helping Tyler so much in his first year at CSUF, Mom ordered Raising Cane's for dinner.

Dodger Stadium
5/4/22

Tyler is a huge Star Wars fan. For instance, while standing in line waiting to get on Smuggler's Run in Disneyland, he taught himself Aurebesh (Star Wars alphabet). He was then able to read all the signs and inscriptions written on walls, cargo containers, and storage tanks in Galaxy's Edge. Anyway, every die-hard Star Wars fan knows that May 4th (May the Fourth Be With You) is Star Wars Day. On May 4, 2022, while still at CSUF, Tyler and a bunch of his NSU friends made it out to Dodger Stadium for Star Wars Night. Despite having to endure the Dodgers playing in their home stadium in front of Dodger fans, he was able to score some Star Wars swag and enjoy a fun time with friends.

Moving out of the Dorm
5/19/22

Tyler had a real doozy of a last week at Fullerton. The Sunday before finals, he got sick with flu-like symptoms. He immediately took a COVID test but the results came back negative. The following day he felt better but took another COVID test and those results came back negative as well. Believing he was only sick with the flu he tried to get as much rest as possible. His first two finals were project based and his last one was his only in-class exam, and since he was getting better every day he didn't think too much about it. When the day of his only in-person final came, he took a third COVID test, but this time it was positive. He immediately contacted the school and then emailed his professor that he would not be able to sit for his final. The school basically said he had to leave campus immediately or else be moved to quarantine housing. Since he was moving out anyway, it didn't make sense to move to alternate housing and then move out again when Mom and Dad came to get him. So, Dad jumped in the Pilot and drove down to L.A. Wednesday afternoon. The next morning he helped Tyler pack up everything in his dorm room and drove home.

Returning to take Final
5/31/22

Because Tyler missed his Chemistry final, he had to approve the professor's recommendation that he receive an Incomplete. He was told he could take the final exam next semester at which time the professor would replace the Incomplete with a final grade. Tyler was not happy with this plan. He was upset the university did not have a contingency plan in place in the event students got COVID during final exam week. From the time he returned home, for the next week or so, he emailed back and forth with his professor, the head of the science department, and the Dean of Students. He pled his case that he did everything according to protocol and that he was being punished for doing the right thing. He argued that other students could potentially test positive for COVID but wouldn't notify CSUF because they wouldn't want to get an Incomplete and have to sit for the final 3 months later. Finally, his professor came up with a solution that would allow him to take his final exam at the end of May or beginning of June. Tyler jumped at the opportunity, so he and Dad drove back down to L.A. on Tuesday, May 31st. Tyler took his Chemistry final on Wednesday, June 1st at 10:00am and then he and Dad drove back home when he was done.

Sophomore Year

The weekend of August 20th, at the beginning of his Sophomore year, Tyler moved into a two-bedroom apartment with friends Suraj, Alex (his dormmate from last year), and Nic. It would be a big transition for Tyler as he now has to cook for himself. Despite the added responsibility Tyler has been looking forward to moving in with his friends, and even though he's off campus now he's actually closer to many of the classes he will be taking this semester.

First time cooking
8/22/22

Tyler had to cook for himself on his first full day of classes. He started with lunch and made himself a grilled cheese sandwich. That evening for dinner he made egg, spam, and rice. Since he had all this rice and spam he made spam musubi for lunch to eat the next day. In one day he's cooked more than Dad has cooked in the last month.

Cooking (cont.)
9/2/22

Tyler's finding cooking can be "difficult" at times. For instance, one day he wanted to fry an egg. He couldn't understand why it wasn't cooking. Turns out he turned on the wrong burner on the stove. Then, he wanted to make spam musubi, but he forgot to put in the spam. There are going to be days like this when he's so busy that the littlest distraction will make cooking an adventure.

Cooking (cont.)
9/18/22

Now that Tyler's getting more comfortable in the kitchen, he's trying to make stuff that is a little out of his comfort zone. This time he thought about making his own "egg mcmuffin". He got some English Muffins, eggs, and cheese. He said the only thing it was missing was either sausage or bacon. Looks good.

Misprinted Lego
10/13/22

This story actually starts a long time ago. Tyler is an avid Lego fan. He has tons of sets and probably hundreds of thousands of bricks. He's also a huge Star Wars fan, so Lego Star Wars sets are probably his favorite thing. Anyway, as time has marched on he continues to follow any Lego news that comes along. Primarily, he's interested in what new sets might be on the horizon and what new mini figures are likely to debut. In order to get the news as quickly as possible he follows Lego collectors on Instagram and YouTube.

So, about a year ago Tyler became aware of a Lego collector who specializes in misprinted Lego mini figures, particularly Star Wars mini figures. Lego has great quality control so misprinted mini figures are an extreme rarity. As luck would have it, Tyler received a Star Wars set with a misprinted 501st Jet Stormtrooper years ago. He really didn't think much of it at the time, but when he realized he could potentially have a rare collectors item he reached out to this collector on Instagram. The collector was really interested in Tyler's stormtrooper and made him an offer he couldn't refuse. Since Tyler was at CSUF and his Lego was home, he reached out to Connor to dig out the stormtrooper. Connor found it and then Dad stepped in to mail it.

Fast forward to today. Tyler's watching a video of the most popular Star Wars Lego YouTuber at a Lego convention. During the video the YouTuber interviews the guy who collects misprinted Star Wars Lego mini figures. They go through a bag of misprinted Star Wars mini figures and the YouTuber actually picks up the stormtrooper Tyler sold to the guy!

Intercollegiate Nikkei Council
Beach Day
10/15/22

Every year the INC holds a beach day when all the NSU's in Southern California come together for a huge gathering to meet and mingle. Tyler really wanted to attend because he knew his Mountain View YBA friends who attend college in SoCal would be coming as well. Here's a pic of Tyler with friends Nick K. and Evan I.

Cooking (cont.)
10/20/22

Tyler's been at school for 2 months now and he finally found himself with enough leftover rice to make fried rice. He had all the ingredients except alaea salt. Dad's been using this salt since he picked up a bag in Hawaii years ago. Since that time he's been able to buy it locally at Marukai. Anyway, Tyler used just regular salt but said it just isn't the same. I guess we'll have to get him a bag of this red sea salt the next time we see him.

Christmas Decorations
11/25/22

Tyler and his roommates have been getting along great! So much so that they extended their lease for another year. The great thing is he won't have to move all his stuff out, and, in turn, he won't have to move it all back in. Everything will just stay where it is. It's nice they're all getting used to the fact that this apartment is their place. They've even gone so far as to decorate for the holidays!

Cooking (cont.)
1/19/23

Last weekend Tyler was at Disneyland. Rather than travel home only to return a few days later, he elected to remain in L.A. and wait it out until classes resumed the following Monday. Since he was by himself and had nothing else going on, Tyler thought about some different dishes he could prepare for dinner. One night he ate pulled pork. This particular evening he made sliders with spinach and roasted mushrooms.

Intercollegiate Nikkei Council
Meltdown
1/26/23

Every year the Intercollegiate Nikkei Council holds a dance called Meltdown for all the NSU's in Southern California. Jordyn went to a number of them when she was a member of the Cal Poly Pomona NSU, and she always had a great time meeting up with old YBA friends who went to school in SoCal. This year was Tyler's turn and just like Jordyn he caught up with all his YBA friends and hung out like old times.

Cooking (cont.)
1/30/23

It seems Tyler eats sliders a lot. He says he only makes this when he watches the Warriors play stressful games. Yeah, Tyler eats sliders a lot.

Cooking (cont.)
2/12/23

Tyler and his roommates all hunkered down on Super Bowl Sunday to watch the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles. To get himself in the mood, Tyler made a cheeseburger so he could enjoy the game.

Chloe's Birthday
2/26/23

For Chloe's 20th birthday Tyler flew up to Chico to celebrate with her. On his final afternoon there, about 25 miles away, it was snowing so they drove out to take a look.

Joshua Tree
National Park
3/25/23

To kick off Spring Break, Tyler and his homies (Caitlyn, Lauren, Kenny, and Connor) traveled out to Joshua Tree National Park. Now, don't think for a minute they camped out under the stars. They stayed the night at a nearby Airbnb.

Junior Year

Moving Back
8/12/23

After spending the entire summer back home, Tyler returned to Fullerton about a week before classes would begin. All of his housemates were coming back early as well, so this was their opportunity to hang out before school started. Since he returned to his same apartment, there really wasn't a whole lot that needed moving in. He brought back his clothes and we helped him stock up on things we thought he could use (Sapporo Ichiban, Botan Rice, Kleenex, etc.). One thing we were curious about though was a bookshelf he and his roommate Suraj purchased so they could showcase some of their Lego. This was our first chance to see what they did. As it turns out, their other housemate Nic is a Lego fan too. Some of his stuff was displayed in the entertainment center in the living room.

In the Gym
9/5/23

One of the nice things about living in the apartments near campus is the gym. Whenever Tyler is motivated he can always walk downstairs and work out. Hopefully he has the time and the stamina to keep it up!

Heading back to CSUF
1/19/24

Tyler was home for about a month during his Winter Break. During that time he worked at Minaris and hung out mostly. Just before break ended his roommates Nic and Alex drove up from L.A. to visit Nor. Cal. to see the sights. First they picked up Tyler and then headed straight out to Mountain House near Tracy to stay over night at Suraj's. The following day they all drove into San Francisco and toured around town. Finally, on Friday they headed back to Fullerton. Rather than go straight down I-5, they decided to take the scenic route along the coastline. One of the sights they stopped at was the Lone Cypress near Pebble Beach.

CSUF vs. CPSLO
68-50 (W)
2/22/24

Tyler loves basketball, and while the Cal State Fullerton Men's Basketball team isn't great they aren't too bad either. A few years ago the Titans actually made it into the first round of the Division I Men's Basketball Tournament. This year there isn't any chance they'll be playing during March Madness, but Tyler still loves to take in a live college basketball game. He and his roommate Suraj go whenever they can. At this particular game they played Cal Poly SLO and during one of the intermissions they had fans take the floor for a round of musical chairs. Guess who won?

Mom's Visit
Feb. 29 - Mar. 5

During the first week of March, Mom flew down to L.A. to hang with Grandma while Grandpa visited Hawaii. While there she also took the opportunity to have a few meals with Tyler. Here are a couple of pictures of them having dinner together.

Connor's Visit
April 13, 2024

The second weekend in April, Connor was in Southern California to attend the SDSU Open House for Admitted Students. On Saturday the 13th he along with Mom and Dad drove from Grandma's and Grandpa's house in Hacienda Heights to San Diego State. They spent all morning and a good portion of the afternoon there touring the campus and gathering information about the school. When they were done, they drove north to Fullerton to pick up Tyler so they could have dinner with the Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Derek, and Aunty Lara at Tokyo Lobby. Now, at the same time, one of Connor's oldest friends, Jillian was in Fullerton visiting her older sister Caitlyn. Since she was in town they thought it would be cool to catch up after dinner and get some dessert. So, after dinner Mom drove Tyler and Connor back to Fullerton so they could meet up with the Higa girls (no relation).

Since the kids were going to be out late, we decided Connor would just spend the night at Tyler's apartment in Fullerton, and someone would pick them up the next day so we could have lunch together. It sounds as if the boys had a good time hanging out. After they got back to the apartment Tyler showed Connor the gym in his building where they worked out a little. Once they were done they went upstairs to shower, but they didn't go to sleep. Tyler has a Playstation 5, so they played video games until 4:00am in the morning! It was nice they got to hang out together, and it kind of gave Connor a taste of college life.

Senior Year

Moving
August 22, 2024

So, Tyler moved out of his apartment at Alight. His roommate Suraj secured an internship and would be moving out mid-year to work in Orange County. This meant Tyler would get another roommate who he wouldn't know, and that didn't sound too appealing. As luck would have it, good friend Caitlyn said her housemate was moving out August 1st, and asked Tyler if he would be interested in moving in. This sounded like a much better situation, so Tyler accepted. Also, Caitlyn's cousin who was attending Long Beach State moved home after graduating. She had a dresser and bed she sold to Tyler for $100.00. They stored the furniture in the garage, and when Tyler returned to Fullerton he moved everything into his new room.

Shopping
November 4, 2024

Tyler and Suraj have become pretty good friends with Luke who took over Tyler's spot at his old apartment. They do a lot of things together including shopping.