CSUMB graduate David Bennion (Biology, 2012) and his wife, Kristen, got a big surprise June 3 when the phone rang in their Troy, Michigan, home and Ellen DeGeneres was on the other end of the line.

The surprise was magnified when Ellen’s correspondent, Andy Zenor, knocked on the door with a camera crew in tow and said they were going to be part of the show’s recurring segment, “Cash at Your Door.”

The couple was chosen, Ellen said on camera, because Kristen had written to the show more than 30 times in the last year. During their segment, the couple answered a series of questions and performed a “skill” challenge. By the end of the 7-minute segment, the couple had won $15,000.

They plan to use the money to help with school expenses since both are students.

After graduating from CSUMB, David, a Marine Corps veteran, was selected for a full scholarship to the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine. He had signed on as an Air Force reservist once his Marine Corps service was completed in order to attend medical school with military benefits. He will serve as a physician in the Air Force once his medical training is complete.

Once in med school, he said his classes at CSUMB had prepared him well.

“Often I see glazed eyes and confusion during instruction, but I feel my education at CSUMB equipped me for the challenge,” he said at the time. “In particular, instruction and counseling from Dr. Aparna Sreenivasan and Dr. Henrik Kibak have been integral to my success.”

Does he have any advice for pre-med students?

“Set goals, don’t give up (EVER), and take Biology 414.”

At the 6:24 mark, you’ll see a reminder of David’s days at CSUMB