Cary Family

Chris Cary (‘93, Management) and Martha Cary (Sophomore, Finance)

Chris Cary (left) with his daughter, Martha Cary

Did your college experience influence your parenting style? If so, how?
Chris: Yes! It did influence my parenting style in a few different ways. I remember my freshmen year at SDSU meeting several kids that seemed to be going “wild” by not being super responsible and making questionable choices. I was all for having a good time, but also about having your stuff handled, showing up to class, and giving a good effort. It seemed like the common denominator for the “wild” kids was they were getting their first taste of freedom and were having trouble handling it. I wanted to give my kids some freedom and space to make decisions, specifically in their middle school and high school years, so that when they did go to college, it wasn’t their first time to have to be responsible and they could make good choices for themselves. It was important for me to share this experience with my daughters. 

I had college paid for and wanted to provide that to my kids as well.

I was first in my family to graduate from college which was a bigger deal than I realized at the time. I wanted my kids to be excited about the possibility of going to college, so I made a point to take them to college fairs as high school freshmen. They could see how many schools were out there which served to give them a taste of it before their later years in high school.  When they went to the college fair as upper classmen, it was less intimidating and they could actually get some useful information and answers to their questions.

Did your dad’s education at SDSU inspire you to attend? 
Martha: I think my dad having gone to SDSU definitely had some influence on me wanting to attend. Ever since I was young, we’ve had SDSU football season tickets. So I’ve grown up going to those games, as well as basketball and baseball games, and being a supporter of the school.

I think I’ve always had an appreciation for the school, but I never really thought I’d actually go here until I started applying for college. I figured I would apply to SDSU because it was a local school and because my dad went there. I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to major in, so I applied in a bunch of different majors I found interesting across all the schools I applied to. I knew SDSU had a really good business school, and it was my dad who encouraged me to apply as a business major. I never really intended to “follow in his footsteps,” but I think it’s funny how it kind of ended up that way. 

How do you think your SDSU experience was different from Martha’s?
Chris: SDSU feels like more of an academic powerhouse than when I went. At my time of application in 1988, it was much easier to get into SDSU. I think my GPA was 2.7 and I had taken the SAT. Martha was a much higher achiever than I was (academically) in high school and needed to be just to gain admission.

I had a rough time getting dialed into campus life during my freshmen year. I was a commuter and SDSU was known as a commuter school.  I didn’t do a good job seeking out opportunities to connect with people. But Martha lived in the dorms, made connections across campus, and learned to get along on her own.   

A big difference was in campus spirit and the sports teams.  In my time, there was no basketball on campus and you had to go to the Midway District /Sports Arena for most games.  Now the games are on campus at Viejas Arena, and super fun. I had a great time as a football fan during the Marshall Faulk years.  The stadium was electric and students got tickets for $1 per game. I am excited that Martha will be able to experience football next year at Snapdragon Stadium.

Martha: I’ve had a lot of fun getting to compare our experiences even though I’ve only been at SDSU for a year. Obviously, a lot has changed since he was a student, but we still have a lot of shared experiences, both on the academic side and the overall college experience. It's cool to think that I'm taking a lot of the same classes that he had to take and going to some of the places he used to hang around as a student.

When do you anticipate earning your bachelor’s degree?
Martha: I’ll hopefully be graduating in 2025 with a degree in finance.

What lessons did you learn at SDSU are you still using today?
Chris: Some of the most valuable stuff I learned at SDSU was how to get through the red tape at the university and in life: Who to ask questions of, which line to be in, when it made sense to escalate a situation.  And when to decide this is as good as it is going to get, to now deal with it and make the best of the situation.  I took a lot of classes at less desirable times in order to get the ones that counted toward my degree. I made lifelong friends and memories during my time at SDSU and Greek life was good to me.  I loved the diversity on campus, and it appears even more diverse now, which is great to see.