Chris Seminoff, a 2007 graduate of Aragon High School, says that choosing to attend CSM was an easy decision. “I wanted to continue to play football but I also wanted to get a good education. Living in the community, I knew that CSM had a strong athletic program and reputation as one of the best community colleges in the state for academics.”

At CSM, Chris realized that he was treated as more than just an athlete. “My coaches were excellent. They emphasized the need to work hard on the field and in the classroom. Their consistent message was to improve and exert more effort as an athlete and as a student.” His coaches’ advice made an impact; Chris sought out resources that could boost his grades and improve his chances of earning an athletic/academic scholarship. Although his English class required only an hour of lab time each week, Chris spent more than the minimum time in the Writing Lab which he says helped him to improve and fine-tune his writing.   “The environment at CSM felt very much like a university in many ways.

Chris was among the first group of athletes to benefit from CSM’s newly renovated athletic facilities, including the football stadium and team house. He offers his view of the new amenities, “I was impressed with what CSM had to offer athletes. The college has NFL-style lockers, state of the art equipment, and a turf field that overlooks the Bay Area. It’s no wonder CSM has become one of the most desirable community college destinations for high school recruits and NCAA Division 1 scouts.”

As cornerback for the Bulldogs, Chris was part of CSM’s 2009 football team that won the NorCal Championship and finished fourth in the nation. He received athletics scholarship offers to several universities in the U.S. and eventually chose Simon Fraser University (SFU) in Burnaby, British Columbia, a Division 2 school in the NCAA.  From his visit to SFU, Chris liked the campus because of its academic prestige, diverse international student population and a community very similar to the Bay Area. Although he missed home, it helped to have a football team of “brothers” who he could lean on and soon formed strong bonds with his teammates. After two years, Chris earned his BS degree in physical geography.  “I am so thankful I had the opportunity to transfer to SFU and CSM made it possible. If I hadn’t attended CSM, I never would have considered SFU and I would have missed out on a great college experience.”

“I tell other students don’t sell community college short. Especially at CSM; it opened doors for me, I built relationships with my coaches, teammates and staff members, and I completed my general education requirements without having to be fully committed to a major. I consider CSM part of my family—once a Bulldog, always a Bulldog!”