Anthony Tallent had already lived a few lives by the time he transferred to Cal State San Bernardino.

He'd studied theater. Dealt casino cards. Built websites. Taught himself to code. At 30, he came to CSUSB with a clear, practical plan: finish his bachelor's degree, earn a teaching credential and build video games on the side.

Then he met Kristi Papailler, associate professor of theatre arts. 

“She found out I was into video games and said, ‘We've got a motion capture lab we're setting up,’” Tallent recalled. “And I was like, ‘Excuse me?’”

Within his first week at CSUSB, Tallent was in the lab — working with Unreal Engine, Blender, Maya and Qualysys motion capture software, the same tools used in Hollywood productions and major video game studios. He'd never worked with motion capture before. He hasn't stopped since.

"I was a baby compared to what I am now," he said.

What surprised him most wasn't the technology. It was how much his options expanded because of it. A teaching credential, a staff position at a university, a career in Hollywood — paths he hadn't considered when he enrolled are now all on the table.

And then there's the cost.

"If I'm being blunt, you can't beat the price point for this technology," Tallent said. "What's UCLA's price point? You have to think about what you're paying and what you're getting."

At CSUSB, what you're getting is access to technology rare at any university — and faculty who put you to work with it immediately. That combination of affordability, hands-on opportunities and individual attention is resonating with students: CSUSB’s enrollment has grown by 11 percent over the past two years.

Of Papailler, Tallent said, "she's been fully supportive and very willing to let me get as much experience as I can. It's been a game changer."

He expects to graduate in spring 2027 — with a portfolio, a set of skills and options he didn't know existed when he arrived.

Sometimes the plan you come in with isn't the one that changes your life. 

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Cal State San Bernardino offers hands-on experience with industry-standard technology across theater, digital media and computer science — giving transfer students and non-traditional learners a direct path from campus to career.