Student & Alumni Spotlight: Julian Horner

From Business Major to ESL Educator

After arriving at Cal State Fullerton as a business major, Julian Horner discovered a passion for language, culture, and education that ultimately led him to pursue linguistics and TESOL. Today, he is both a graduate student in the TESOL program and an English as a Second Language (ESL) instructor at North Orange Continuing Education (NOCE). As a recipient of the Nancy “Terry” Baden Scholarship and a member of Guardian Scholars, Julian's journey reflects the value of exploring new interests, gaining hands-on experience, and following an unexpected path.

Tell us a little about yourself and your academic journey.

My name is Julian Horner, and I am currently a TESOL graduate student at CSUF. TESOL stands for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. I am also an English as a Second Language (ESL) instructor at North Orange Continuing Education (NOCE), a local adult school.

I came to CSUF in Fall 2022 as a business student. At the time, I majored in business because I thought I would have difficulty finding a job otherwise. I was not the strongest in math and did not feel confident pursuing other, more "lucrative" STEM majors.

However, I had been interested in teaching English abroad since I was a teenager. I had always wanted to travel and live abroad. As a result, I enrolled in CSUF's undergraduate TESOL certificate program in addition to my business major.

The truth was that I did not really enjoy most of business or accounting, and it did not feel like what I was called to do. I increasingly faced this realization as I continued as a business student. After a time of prayer, I left the business program and changed my major to linguistics in Spring 2024.

I ended up really enjoying CSUF's undergraduate linguistics program. I especially enjoyed learning about sociolinguistics. I continued with the TESOL program and enjoyed it as well. I particularly appreciated the program's hands-on classroom experience. My linguistics degree and TESOL certificate qualified me to work as an adult noncredit ESL instructor.

 
What inspired you to pursue your area of study?

In a way, it started when I was very young. As a child, I enjoyed learning about different countries. I used to check out books about countries such as Venezuela and Indonesia from my elementary school's library. I also watched travel shows.

Over time, that interest in other countries expanded into an interest in foreign languages and cultures. This connected very naturally with the fields of linguistics and TESOL.

 
Was there a class, professor, research project, internship, or experience that had a major impact on you?

Yes. The Project SHINE program, which is a partnership between CSUF and NOCE, provided me with valuable hands-on experience at the school where I would eventually work after graduation.

I was an ESL volunteer in Dr. Rueckert's beginning literacy ESL class at NOCE. I observed how Dr. Rueckert engaged with his students, and it is something that I still strive to emulate in the classes that I teach.

 
What are you doing now, or what are your plans for the future?

I am currently an adult noncredit ESL instructor at NOCE and a graduate TESOL student at CSUF. This is my third semester teaching at NOCE.

 
What accomplishment are you most proud of during your time at CSUF?

I do not have one specific accomplishment that I am most proud of, aside from graduating. However, I am thankful for the opportunity to explore my academic interests and put them into practice through both the linguistics and TESOL programs.

I had the opportunity to study Vietnamese for a year, present on the vitality of ethnic minority languages in China at the Linguistics Student Association Academic Symposium, and gain hands-on experience through service learning in the TESOL program.

 
What advice would you give current or future HSS students?

I would advise students to take advantage of opportunities to gain hands-on experience. This can include service learning, volunteering, or internships.

Practical experience outside the classroom can help you better understand what your future career may look like and make you more competitive in the job market.

If you enjoy teaching and working with people from different cultures, TESOL is a great field, and CSUF has an excellent program that I highly recommend.