Fall — 2004
cover stories
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Malin Dell’Amico and
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“Terry Green was my first math teacher, and I just loved him. I absolutely hated math before I got to him. And by the time I left, I was his No. 1 Student.” Okay. Here’s the ‘equation’ of a former math student at SMC, so see if you can figure it out: How do baseball, a town in Sweden about a hundred miles from the Arctic Circle, love, and a passion for sports all add up to children and ownership of a very successful Santa Monica restaurant? The answer from Malin Dell’Amico is a most colorful one. “I met my husband when he was playing baseball in Sweden, where I’m from. And then we went down to Australia, to see if it was going to be more than just a summer fling,” says Malin. And it obviously worked out, because Malin found her way to SMC, Los Angeles, and a different kind of life. “I started in SMC in Liberal Arts, and then transferred to Northridge, where—I’m embarrassed to say—I haven’t graduated from because of kids and work. But I will finish!” she says with determination. However, yet another series of SMC connections has both enhanced and complicated Malin’s life in a most pleasant way. “When I first came to SMC, I met Heather Perini, who was the assistant volleyball coach under Elaine Roque,” recalls Heather. “She worked my butt off in the gym!” she recalls with a laugh. “But then we discovered how much we had in common. How much we valued each other. And she got me my first job at the 17th Street Café, which we now own.” MVP in three sports at SMC during her tenure, Malin looks back with fondness over all that’s happened to her since her arrival at the ‘Rancho on Pico.’ “SMC prepared me so well for Northridge. It was a breeze when I got there. But I think all international students—and Americans—have a great opportunity to learn from each other at SMC.” And by the way: The chicken breast sandwich at the 17th Street Café is the best! Back |
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