During the month of May, SDSU honors Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) Heritage Month, which serves as a national celebration of the history, contributions, and achievements of APIDA communities. Visit the APIDA Center Resource Center website for more information about events this month.
SDSU Alumni Spotlight, Terry Matsuoka (‘98, ‘04)
Professional musician and San Diego State University alumnus, Terry Matsuoka (‘98, 04) describes what ADIPA month means to him, along with his journey at SDSU and post-graduation career.
Terry Matsuoka, professional musician
Q: Degree(s)/Graduation Year(s):
1998, Bachelor of Arts, Fine Art: Painting, Printmaking, and Photography, minor- Communications: Television, Film, and New Media
2004, California Teaching Credential, Secondary Education: Art
Q: Describe your journey to SDSU.
I was accepted to San Francisco State out of high school, but was too scared to leave home (having grown up in San Diego) at the time. So I started off college at Mesa College. I did the course work to get an Associates of Liberal Studies and complete the IGETC to transfer automatically to SDSU.
Q: Favorite memory from SDSU?
A favorite memory of mine is taking a break from painting in the SDSU Fine Arts painting studios in the middle of the night (maybe 1am). I would run into classmates while snacking and getting a fresh air escape from the turpentine and oil paints. It was a good feeling to know that I was around a lot of young people dedicated to their craft.
Q: How have you used your SDSU education to achieve success after graduation?
There are very direct ways that my education at SDSU has helped me achieve success. For example, I am currently teaching high school and college art and photography. A lot of what I know and my credibility come from what I learned in education, art and photography at SDSU. There are so many other ways that my education at SDSU benefitted me toward what I would consider a successful and healthy lifestyle; including my interest in film, and music, soft skills, being responsible...
Q: What, if any, challenges have you faced and how did you overcome them?
A huge challenge was trying to figure out what I wanted to do after graduating. I had learned so much at SDSU, but when I left school there was no clear pathway to do work in the areas I was interested in; which were art, film and music. It took a lot of trying different things out, and going in different directions before finding any kind of groove. For what I do and the kind of person I am, I've found that it's best for me to continue to explore, go towards those opportunities that interest me, and leave stuff that doesn't resonate with me behind.
Q: Describe your current career/job.
I am a professional musician (vocals and guitar as my main instruments) that writes, records, and performs. I teach art and photography at a high school (Army and Navy Academy) and college (Mira Costa College). I also do freelance design and illustration work. Being a teacher allows me to use my vacation time to work on my own artistic pursuits. Most of my performances are at night and on the weekends. Teaching is fulfilling work in itself, but it also gives me time to fulfill my own artistic interests.
Q: What does ADIPA month mean to you?
ADIPA Month is awesome in recognizing and celebrating the contributions and cultures that bring so much value to our country. Specifically for me though, it's about appreciating a community that has embraced and supported me. I wasn't a young person that was all-in on ADIPA from the beginning. I wanted to assimilate and fit in. But a great man named George Lin from the San Diego Asian Film Foundation (Pacific Arts Movement now) recognized me as a talent and person and got me involved in ADIPA events and organizations. This community has been by far the most supportive of me and my pursuits.
Q: How do you embrace diversity and inclusion in your life?
In my teaching I'm always trying to make kids feel welcome and included in my class. This includes celebrating all the ways that make people different and trying to create ties in all the ways that we are alike. In my personal life, life is just way more interesting when you're inclusive with a diverse population.
Q: Any advice for current students/other alumni?
I would encourage everyone to keep pushing yourself a bit out of your comfort zone at all times. What I've found is that these are the times that I have really learned something and developed as a person.