Coalinga College sees student-athlete success with residence halls and academic support
· Yahoo Sports
Baseball and softball seasons are in full swing at Coalinga College.
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Jaydian Chavira is a pitcher for the Falcons, and Niliah Gruver is a catcher.
Both aren't originally from Coalinga, but the small town has become the place they call home while they're pursuing their degrees.
"I love it. It's very like personalized, like you know everyone. It's like a family, and that's my favorite part of it," Chavira said.
Chavira grew up in Madera, and Gruver in Fresno.
They both said being close to home made it easier to move.
"Even though we're kind of like an hour out from most big cities like Hanford or Fresno, it still kind of gives that experience of being away from home and living on your own," Gruver said.
The two are getting the full student-athlete experience.
Unlike most other community colleges, Coalinga College is one of just 13 in the state that offers residence halls.
Vice President of Student Services Angela Tos says while the dorms are open to all students, the majority of those who live in them are student-athletes.
"We're really proud of all of the things that we're able to offer despite our size," Tos said.
In addition to the residence halls, there's a communal space with games and a lounge area.
The close proximity to campus also allows quick access to practice fields or classes.
"The field is a two-minute walk away from my room, so yeah, that's a big part of it," Chavira said.
"We also have a lot of open office hours for our teachers that make it really easy for you to just kind of like come in and ask questions," Gruver said.
Tos believes that students staying on campus helps build rapport among teammates and keeps students focused on academics.
"We're really excited because the average GPA among all of our athletes across all of the sports is a 3.2. They only need a 2.0 to continue to compete, but they're obviously doing much better than that," Tos said.
Tos says giving students the option to live on campus helps provide peace of mind for parents and helps students thrive.
"We just want them to leave here looking back on this place as a place where they had fun, they felt a sense of belonging and that they gained the skills they need to be successful in whatever opportunities they choose to pursue," Tos said.
Coalinga College was named a 2025 Pathway Champion by the Campaign for College Opportunity for the fourth consecutive year.
It was recognized for having a higher number than average of students who take and complete transfer-level English and math courses during their first year.
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