WATCH: Saint Mary’s President Roger Thompson Shares the Gael Experience with ESPN+ Viewers
“We offer all the opportunities of a big school, packaged in a very personalized way,” he told the national television audience. “Here, you are going to be seen, you are going to be heard, and you are going to be known.”
At halftime of the Gaels Men’s Basketball game on November 11, President Roger J. Thompson joined the ESPN+ broadcast team to talk about Veterans Day and why Saint Mary’s is a great fit for many college-bound students.
He opened with a reflection on what the day means to the campus—gratitude, service, and the quiet dignity of honoring those who served—before turning to the heart of the interview: the Gael experience.
Thompson described Saint Mary’s as having “all the opportunities of a big school, packaged in a very personalized way.” He highlighted a campus culture where students are seen, heard, and known, and a setting that doubles as an outdoor playground—year-round Bay Area sunshine, weekend adventures, and easy access to San Francisco and the wider region.
He also pointed to the momentum across academics and student life: hands-on learning, internships and research, vibrant arts and athletics, and a community that rallies around Gael students. The result, he said, is a place where you can stretch yourself—intellectually, personally, and professionally—without getting lost in the crowd.
Watch the halftime conversation—and hear why so many students are choosing Saint Mary’s for a transformative, highly personal college experience.
