Student Experience at College of San Mateo
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Student Experience


Adela Esquivel-Swinson
Adela Esquivel-Swinson College of San Mateo “My experience at CSM was excellent!” As a single parent, Adela needed a college education to get a good job that would allow her to support her family. While she was a student, she also worked in the college’s Admissions and Records Office which enabled her to learn new skills and gain valuable work experience.
Rachel Brannon
Rachel Brannon College of San Mateo, Accounting As someone in the process of changing careers, CSM has helped put Rachel on the right career path. “My professors were all very knowledgeable and I received a top notch education at a great price.” In addition, she found the resources in CSM’s Accounting Department to be very helpful in providing networking opportunities to meet with accounting professionals.
Claire Mack
Claire Mack College of San Mateo, A.A., Broadcasting
Antioch College, B.A., Broadcasting and Community Development
Claire Mack, a native of San Mateo, has spent much of her life making the community a better place to live. Having dropped out of San Mateo High School she persevered to earn her high school diploma eight years later from The American School. She went on to earn an AA degree in broadcasting from College of San Mateo (CSM) and BA degrees in broadcasting and community development from Antioch College. She returned to CSM in 1969 to begin her career in broadcast media as the producer and host of a number of local television and radio shows which aired on KCSM and KGO. She also served as the community affairs coordinator at KCSM-TV, a position she held until retiring in 1998. Among her achievements at the college, Claire is proud to be the founder and former producer of Jazz on the Hill, a fund-raising jazz concert benefiting KCSM-FM.
Chisa Menyon Daye
Chisa Menyon Daye College of San Mateo, Psychology When Chisa Menyon Daye was a high school sophomore in Daly City, she attended a College of San Mateo student festival. About five years later—after working in the retail industry and a “soul searching” summer—she still had that day impressed in her memory.
Amber Klink
Amber Klink College of San Mateo, English
Sarah Lawrence College, Social Work and Child Development
Amber Klink looks back on her young life and credits CSM in getting her to where she is today: a senior at Sarah Lawrence College in New York and concurrently taking graduate courses in social work and child development. "CSM has given me everything I have today: I literally and figuratively owe it my life."
Chris Phillips
Chris Phillips College of San Mateo, Public Broadcasting For CSM alumnus and employee Chris Phillips, the college and specifically, the broadcasting program, became his home away from home. In search of a career direction, Chris found the campus to be a surprisingly comfortable place to learn and explore. To sum up his experience, Chris says, "Everything I needed was at CSM."
John Vehikite
John Vehikite College of San Mateo “Think of a number from one to 10,” instructed John Vehikite, who works in College of San Mateo’s Financial Aid Office reviewing students’ financial aid applications for eligibility. “Now, grab my wrist and think of that number over and over again. Squeeze tighter. OK, now you can let go.” As Vehikite rubbed his arm, the red marks created by the grip began to form a number. Suddenly and amazingly, seven appeared; it was the exact number Vehikite’s subject was thinking. How did he do it? Like a true magician, Vehikite (pronounced vay-he-key-tay) didn’t reveal the secret of his trickery. But, the easy-going 27-year-old did talk freely about himself and his other interests: Vehikite enjoys Polynesian/Tongan and Latin dancing and, most recently, he’s taken up the guitar.
Dima Khudari
Dima Khudari UC Davis, B.S. While at CSM, Dima was able to successfully combine her studies with extracurricular activities. She participated in student government which prepared her to become an active member of her community.
Paul Haas
Paul Haas College of San Mateo, Nursing A husband and father, Paul Haas, 37, graduated from College of San Mateo with honors last spring with a nursing degree, a well-paying and secure job at a local hospital already in hand and eminently prepared to pass the registered nurse licensing examination on his first try —all a tribute to his hard work and a highly regarded nursing program at the community college. “It was the toughest thing I’ve ever been through in my life,” Haas said of nursing education at CSM. “It was a very intense program.” “The instructors were always supportive. They always prepared us to be good nurses and made sure we were serious about what we were doing” added Haas, one of 10 men in the 51-student nursing program graduating class. Part of CSM’s nursing education involves clinical rotations at hospitals, providing students with an array of hands-on experience—much to Haas’ liking.
Jeremy Cham
Jeremy Cham UC Berkeley, Economics In addition to the coursework in general education and his major, Jeremy participated in a wide variety of extra-curricular activities such as the Transfer Club and Phi Theta Kappa, the honor society, as well as serving as an intern for a large financial company and as a volunteer in the community.
Gizem Basar
Gizem Basar UC Davis, International Relations I chose to attend CSM because my parents and I decided that attending a community college for my general education was the best decision for me financially. I also did not mind staying home for a couple more years to truly learn more about myself before I moved out. At first it was difficult to get used to the idea of still being home when most people I knew were going away to college.
Stephen Schmidt
Stephen Schmidt Graphic Designer, Creative Director Stephen Schmidt’s career path, which began in graphic design classes at CSM, has catapulted him to become an award-winning book designer and creative director of his own graphic design company.
Cecile Sorensen
Cecile Sorensen Denmark I loved the small classes and the attention I received from my professors. I met Maggie Skaff, who helped me get everything set up for my visa. The great thing about CSM's International Student Program is that Maggie makes me feel like I'm the most important student on campus and she has done so much to help me succeed.
Elena Seynova
Elena Seynova Russia CSM gave me the strength to believe in myself. The college also provided me with the information I needed to transfer so that I could continue my education. Transfer Services made my search for a university easier and less time consuming. In fall 2012, Elena transferred to San Francisco University and is studying international business. In looking back on her decision to attend CSM, Elena says, “I am very proud to be an alumnus of CSM."
Jose Angel Ortiz
Jose Angel Ortiz After 10 years in the restaurant business, Jose “Angel” Ortiz decided to return to school and pursue a new career in cosmetology. He chose CSM because he heard that the cosmetology program had an outstanding reputation. “Attending CSM helped change my life. I received constant encouragement from my cosmetology instructors, Suzanne Russell and Becky Boosalis, who were also my mentors. They helped to build my confidence and never let me down.”
Saruta (Sandy) Bualop
Saruta (Sandy) Bualop Thailand I believe that College of San Mateo has helped me to reach my goal because I have not only gained knowledge through books and classes, but I have also made lasting friendships at CSM.
Zhan Llusha
Zhan Llusha Albania The counselors have been very helpful in building my student learning plan and providing information about transferring to a four-year university as a business major.
Catherine Raye-Wong
Catherine Raye-Wong Catherine arrived at CSM equipped with ambition and drive to pursue her lifelong career goal of becoming a lawyer. Having a full time job presents an extra set of challenges for many students but Catherine found that CSM addressed multiple needs involved in balancing work and school.
Keyxa Henriquez
Keyxa Henriquez Venezuela CSM offers students the opportunity to improve and continue their education and has a great staff to help in setting goals.
Fabian Miranda
Fabian Miranda Fabian Miranda isn’t afraid to try out new jobs. Consider that in recent years he’s driven trucks, fitted shoes for women at a local department store and passed surgical equipment to doctors at a medical center. So he wasn’t afraid to jump from biology and anatomy courses into a technology program where the training lasted just one semester. The Network Cabling Specialist Program, launched at CSM last semester, gives students the knowledge and handson experience they need to land jobs in the fast-paced, high speed world of information technology. Students learn to design, fabricate, install and test copper wire and fiber optic cable systems. “I enrolled because the classes were accelerated and I knew there would be jobs once I finished,” said Miranda.

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