Courtesy: SMC Athletics Release: 10/23/2009  

Tracy, Ca – Saint Mary’s men’s basketball player, Omar Samhan, took some time away from the classroom and court, to visit the Advancement Via Individualized Determination (AVID) students at Williams Middle School in Tracy on Wednesday. This marks the second visit Samhan has made to a Northern California school this school year. “As educators, we can tell kids what they need to do in life to succeed, but it means a lot more to them when it comes from a young adult who has similar life experiences,” said Sam Strube, Assistant Principal at Williams Middle School. 

Williams Middle School AVID program share a photo with Saint Mary's College basketball star Omar Samhan

 Samhan, a senior at Saint Mary’s, spoke to 170 AVID 6th, 7th, and 8th graders about his upbringing, the College, and what it took for him to become a student-athlete at Saint Mary’s.  AVID prepares students in the academic middle for four-year college eligibility. These are largely low-income students and most will be the first in their family to attend college. Williams Middle School is one of 118 (of the 4,000 AVID programs nationwide) schools that has earned the honor of being an AVID National Demonstration School.  

“Hearing a message from a young, successful student-athlete about working hard, not quitting on one’s dreams, and taking school seriously, resonated with our students and made them feel like they can also accomplish great things,” said Michelle Simas, counselor at Williams Middle School.  Samhan and the Gaels are working hard in preparation for their first game of the 2009-10 season on Friday, November 13 when they take on New Mexico State.  

Tip-off is set for 8:30 p.m. from McKeon Pavilion, on the Saint Mary’s campus.

Height may be an advantage, but this young player proved he's got game Photo Tod Fierner, Lamorinda Weekly

Last week basketball became bigger than just a game. When ten super athletes pound up and down the court as part of an Ozone Night, an event put together by Saint Mary’s College (SMC) and the Hayward Youth Academy (HYA), the business of putting a ball in a hoop is no longer just a game. It’s a chance for a child to dream, for a parent to hope, and for a community to lift its collective chin with pride.

Chris Major, President of HYA, is the human power pack behind the operation. Buzzing with energy, Major has gathered a mesmerizing group of individual and corporate sponsors to bring sports to kids and kids to the college. He’s an ‘83 graduate, leaving SMC with not only a degree, but with a refined sense of civic responsibility.

The purpose of HYA is definitely multifaceted, but one word says it all: opportunity. In addition to a long list of outreach and support services, the nonprofit organization pairs Gaels star athletes with youth, ages 8-15, from the Bay area.

This year, that star is center Omar Samhan. Samhan is proof that a player can be much more than just a player. “He’s as genuine as there is,” Major says, explaining the instant rapport Samhan has had with the HYA children. Not exactly a top student upon entry, Samhan has worked hard both on and off the court. “Saint Mary’s really took a chance on a kid who had that inspired wonder in him,” Major says.

“He’d play at 6:30 in the morning with us old guys,” adds A. J. Rollins, a SMC alumnus and former player attending the HYA event. “He came in ready to work and now it’s paying off.” Rollins and Major are invested in Samhan; the personal connection is clear, tight, like a family.

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