Scott Summerfield fell in love with SDSU and now helps others do the same.

Scott Summerfield is a Bay Area native who came to San Diego State University and fell in love with the city, the campus, the athletics, and the beach.

“It was just a wonderful experience,” Summerfield recalled. “I wouldn't trade it for anything.”

His Summerfield Family Endowed Scholarship now ensures that more students can fall in love with the city and university like he did. 

Summerfield, who graduated in 1980, always had an interest in radio.

“When I was about 10-12 years old, my dad had a friend who worked at KCBS radio in San Francisco,” Summerfield said. “One night, my dad took me over there. We got to see how a radio station worked. A few years later, I wound up being general manager of our high school radio station. Did that for a few years, then started looking at where I wanted to go to college. San Diego State jumped out.”

At SDSU, Summerfield was involved with both KCR and KPBS. He was a telecommunications major, something no longer offered by the university, but Summerfield hopes students will be able to have a similar experience.

“One of the beauties of a really well-rounded college education is you get to experience a lot of different things,” he said. “Even though radio was kind of my first love, I also had experience on the (television) side, on the film side, set design, writing, journalism, plus all the other non-major courses. I hope students today get that.”

Despite his love for radio, Summerfield spent much of his career in communications and public relations. He wants students to know, regardless of their major or intended career, that there is unwavering support for them.

“There is a strong alumni base that wants them to succeed,” Summerfield said. “Providing financial assistance through a scholarship is one form of support. Being a mentor is another form of support. Career preparation, which we're doing through the Alumni Association, is a different type of support. You're not just going into your college experience by yourself. There is a whole team behind you that will help you succeed.”

For more information on applying for the scholarship, visit Aztec Scholarships. These majors in the School of Theatre, Television, and Film are eligible for the Summerfield Family Endowed Scholarship:

• Television-Film Production
• TV, Film & New Media (Critical Studies)
• TV, Film & New Media (Production)

“You may not know exactly what direction you want to head when you start off in your freshman year,” Summerfield advised. “But, by being exposed to a lot of different subjects, work experiences and internships, by the time you're getting ready to graduate, I'm really confident that you'll have a really clear path ahead. That's really gratifying.”