Basketball Season Tips Off With Game-Changing Scholarships

Basketball Season Tips Off With Game-Changing Scholarships

By Debby Clark

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For recent graduate Dexter Stratton, a basketball scholarship made it possible to stay close to home, pursue a degree and have his family cheering from the stands.

"My parents were super thankful I got a scholarship and excited that they could go to my games," said Stratton, a power forward from Chula Vista. "And as much as I enjoy basketball, I know there's life after sports, and I appreciate that CSUSM provides student-athletes with the resources to succeed at both."

Stratton came to Cal State San Marcos after competing at a community college. He chose CSUSM because it allowed him to continue playing the sport he loves while earning a degree in finance.

For second-year student-athlete Portia Polo, scholarship support has provided a different kind of opportunity: the freedom to focus fully on school and sports. Polo came to CSUSM from Washington state with plans to study public health while competing for the Cougars.

"Thanks to athletic and academic scholarships, I can focus on sports and school without the stress of making ends meet," Polo said. "A scholarship is not just financial assistance; it's a vote of confidence in my potential."

Stories like Stratton's and Polo's inspired Cougar supporters to step up in a big way. CSUSM Foundation Board Director Carleen Kreider and College of Business Administration lecturer Dick Lansing established a matching gift challenge to expand scholarship opportunities for basketball student-athletes.

Scholarships Create Opportunity

As a NCAA Division II program and member of the California Collegiate Athletic Association, CSUSM competes in one of the strongest conferences in the nation. Cougar student-athletes balance practices, travel and competition while working toward their degrees and preparing for careers beyond athletics.

Yet compared with many conference peers, the CSUSM men's and women's basketball programs remain among the lowest funded in scholarship support. Additional scholarship resources help the university recruit and retain talented student-athletes while making a CSUSM education more accessible.

"When you meet these student-athletes, you understand why this matters," Kreider said. "They're talented, driven and committed to their education. We want them to feel supported financially and emotionally by a community that believes in them."

"Scholarships give student-athletes the opportunity to earn a degree while competing at a high level," Lansing added. "When we invest in them, we're impacting their futures, their families, our university and our community."

Join Us This Season

As the Cougars prepare to tip off a new basketball season, fans have another opportunity to support student-athlete success.

Whether you're cheering from the stands at the Sports Center or making a gift to scholarships, your support helps students like Stratton and Polo pursue their academic and athletic goals at CSUSM.

Check out the men's basketball schedule and women's basketball schedule, attend a game, and show your support for Cougar student-athletes.

All gifts count toward CSUSM's Blueprint for the Future fundraising campaign.

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, communications specialist

[email protected] | Office: 760-750-7306