Chris Chessmar

Student

“There aren’t many people in Hollywood with a college degree. But knowledge is king, and the more I have, the farther I’ll go.”

“Being in ‘the industry’ in Hollywood is something I’ve just always wanted to do,” says Chris Chessmar, art director and, at SMC, member of the honors society. “There’s a certain mentality with people in film and TV: We don’t relate to that 9-to-5 grind. But ask us to work 20-hour days and we’ll find a way to get the work done somehow.” And Chris brings the ‘can do’ philosophy of film production crews to his approach to SMC.

“I did a lot of research before I came here and, when I finally enrolled, I headed straight for the Counseling offices,” says Chris. “They’ve got great people to help you find out about all your options. And I knew I couldn’t both work in films and go to school, so I made my decision to study.” After six years of steady paychecks from working in all the areas of art and set design in films, Chris knew that deciding on going to college would have some consequences. “Basically, I’m broke!” he says with a laugh. “But through EOP&S, grants, loans and scholarships, I can survive. I suppose I could work at some burger joint,” he adds. “But I need to keep totally focused and concentrate. I want that GPA to be as high as I can make it.”

Chris plans to transfer soon to UCLA’s film school. “I used to dream about going there when I was a kid, and now I’m finally going to be doing it,” he says. “I’m excited about going, but I’m really going to miss SMC. Without the assistance I’ve had here, there’s no way I would have made it. And,” he continues, “I think the most important thing I’ve learned here is that education doesn’t discriminate. The people who are going to apply themselves are going to find that they have all the advantages.”

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