Luis Carlos initially attended CSM as a Middle College student in his junior year of high school because he needed more academic stimulation than regular high schools offered. By graduating, he became the first in his family to earn a high school diploma. He decided that his best course of action would be to continue to attend CSM as a college student with the goal of transferring.

As an astrophysics major, he needed great resources like the Math Resource Center, the Integrated Science Center, and the Learning Center on campus to aid him in his studies. With so much aid, wonderful professors, and a supportive administration, CSM became the place he grew academically, intellectually, and personally.

Thanks to his astronomy professors at CSM, who are collaborators in the San Mateo Arctic Research Telescope (SMART) Project, he received an internship in the Arctic Circle with the Haughton-Mars Project and NASA through CSM. This experience helped him establish a firm foundation for my studies at CSM and eventually Stanford University.

He recommends that prospective students take advantage of the tremendous resources offered at CSM, such as the transfer services, financial aid, admissions, counseling, and the host of centers for studying; all have been pivotal to his success and satisfaction at CSM.

At Stanford University, Luis will engage in physics, math, astronomy, and computer programming classes that will increase his understanding of astrophysics; he hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in the area and lead research concerning extra-solar planets -- planets outside our solar system.

Luis says that, "CSM laid the foundation for my success; if you work hard, study hard and thrive here, I guarantee it can do the same for you."