Paul Mata and CSUSB alumni think about how many miles one ...

time, I want that investment to literallypay off.” When the university grows inboth recognition and population, he saidhe sees the return on that investment.To Mata, his degree has become morevaluable. In one way, he has helped ensurethe value by giving back to the placethat gave him so much, and by leavinga set of indelible footprints that todayserve as a guide to those who also mightbe tempted to turn the car around on firstsight of the library.Kimberlee BentonBy Shea JohnsonSome people have it all. At age 8, shewon a national modeling contract.She’s been stockpiling dance trophiessince she was 10. She was studentbody president, co-captain of the cheerleadingsquad and member of the dancecompany at Arroyo Valley High School.Last January, she added Miss Black SanBernardino to her already impressive catalogof achievements. Yet, Kimberlee Benton,only 20 years old and a Cal State SanBernardino junior, would have you believethat it’s all just in a hard day’s work.“There was a fork for everything,” saysBenton about the etiquette lessons contestantsreceived in preparation for theMiss Black San Bernardino pageant. Contestantshad to attend weekly meetingsfor nearly three months prior to the eventto plan fundraisers, search for sponsorsand learn skills such as how to walk. Benton,a mass communication major who isworking toward her minor in theatre artswith an emphasis in dance, found portionsof the pageant familiar – the talentcompetition and interview in particular.“Most of my life I have been dancing,”she recalls. “I did the ballet thing when Iwas younger, but it was just, like, littlekids – not really dancing. You just lookcute.” Benton’s dancing picked up seriouslyat the age of 15 when she began tostudy dance as part of her high school’sperforming arts program – an experiencethat prompted her to join CSUSB’s UniversityDance Company. So, it was no surprise,then, that she chose dance as hertalent for the competition.As a mass communication major, Bentonentertains aspirations of becominga broadcaster. Last fall, she heard CBSnews anchorwoman Laura Diaz speak atCSUSB on diversity issues and achievingcareer aspirations. Sobering as it may be,she was inspired by Diaz’s personal storiesof triumph in an arena that has typicallybeen male dominated. It’s also a fieldwith few minorities.But after mentioning her dream duringa Miss Black San Bernardino pre-pageantinterview to KCSB channel 3, a localcable television station, Benton was approachedwith a surprise offer. “As soon asthe interview was over, one of the productionguys told me, ‘If you want to come infor an internship, it’s always open to you.’”Peggy Hazlett, assistant to San BernardinoMayor Patrick Morris and hostof KCSB-TV channel 3’s “Inland EmpireAlive!” remembers Benton well. “She wasvery articulate,” she says. “She could takemy job. She’s an engaging and wonderfulyoung lady.”Benton’s been impressing people herentire life. Around age 15, she startedreading the announcements every Sundayat her local church. Admittedly, shereads them more like an entertainmentreporter and less like a wistful observer,but it feeds right into the kind of personthat she is.When it was time for Benton to choosea university to attend, the choice was obvious.Besides having both parents workingat Cal State San Bernardino, she likesthat the university is fostering her dreamthrough academics and programs that inviteoutside professionals to speak. “I tooka debate class, Comm 180, which gave mepointers on how to speak well and howto take in information and debate it fromeither side,” she says. “All the communicationclasses I’ve had so far have somehowhelped me in my goal to become a broadcaster.”Having just finished her general educationrequirements, Benton says she isready for the next set of specific classesthat will help her achieve her goal of becominga broadcaster. She took a radiopracticum class last spring working forCoyote Radio and is excited about thenew chance to venture into more broadcasting-relatedcourses and leap into thevigor of learning.16 | summer 2008