Cal State Fullerton student Nataly Luna had been planning to pursue a career as an elementary school teacher.
But Luna, who is majoring in liberal arts and minoring in literacy education, was still curious how her liberal arts degree and education studies could open the door to other careers.
Luna found her way to the Passage to the Future Program, a certificate program within the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at CSUF designed to prepare students to succeed in a variety of fields.
“So that really captivated me because I wanted to learn what other career possibilities there were,” said Luna, who will graduate in May.
Luna completed an internship in Washington, D.C., through the Cal State D.C. Scholars program that was paid for by the Passages program and is currently doing an internship at Team Kids, a nonprofit group focused on empowering youth to strengthen connections to the community and become changemakers.
“Because of Passage to the Future, I realized that I want to do something different and pivot and maybe something more at a macro level or at an administrative side of things supporting children, families and education,” said Luna, who plans to attend graduate school. “Taking all these opportunities, I’ve been able to now engage with other professionals and ask them questions and kind of pick their brains and learn more about what they do and their passions and how they got to where they are.”
Passage to the Future was started in 2022 by Sheryl Fontaine, former dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and current dean Jessica Stern.
Students pursuing humanities and social science degrees often don’t ‘realize the scope of available opportunities, said Business and Community Relations Strategist Chérie Rolapp, who currently manages Passage to the Future.
Rolapp spent 30 years in the corporate world, working with Fortune 500 companies and launching her own startups. She leverages her contacts to help create internships and other opportunities for Passage to the Future students.
Georgina Galindo, left, with Nataly Luna (Photo courtesy of Cherie Rolapp)Since it launched, the program has grown from nine students to more than 350 students.
“I always care about social impact and giving back and education reform,” Rolapp said. “This job is just like my dream job to mentor and coach students to help move the needle in economic development and workforce readiness.”
Passage to the Future students are required to take a three-unit class, HSS 200, to start learning about various careers.
Students also learn to market themselves and have the opportunity to connect with humanities and social science alumni.
Passage to the Future student Gina Galindo, a criminal justice major, is currently working as an immigration legal empowerment intern at the Orange County Justice Fund, a position that deeply resonates with her.
“As someone with a similar background, I was drawn to their mission of supporting individuals and families facing deportation by providing legal assistance and advocating for due process,” Galindo said.
After graduating in fall 2025, Galindo hopes to secure a position at a nonprofit organization where she can make a positive impact.
“Ultimately, I aspire to be part of a policy department where I can advocate for underrepresented communities and help shape initiatives that promote equity, opportunity and social justice,” Galindo said.
History major Eli Wolcott, who is also in the Passage to the Future program, has aspirations for a career as a museum curator.
Wolcott is currently interning at the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum at the site of the former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro.
Wolcott, who learned about the internship from Passage to the Future, digitally preserves historical artifacts related to the men and women who served at the Orange County base, along with other duties.
“They like having the students there, and that’s the whole goal of the museum: to help educate students,” said Wolcott, who hopes to work at the museum after he graduates. “I didn’t really know about the internship. I’ve come to realize that you don’t hear about a lot of it. You kind of have to know somebody that’s involved. So that’s why the Passage program is helpful, because they have alumni or they know people.”
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