Shahin Hemat
Cal State LA soccer player honored for his excellence in the classroom
By Sabrina Hamilton
Cal State LA News Service
In 2015, California State University, Los Angeles became home for Shahin Hemat. The talented men’s soccer midfielder from Noskollen, Norway, made his mark as a top scorer and an outstanding student-athlete.
Hemat was a two-time California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) All-Academic winner, which is awarded to athletes who excel in the classroom. He was also an All-CCAA honorable mention awardee for his performance on the field. In his most memorable game, he scored a game-winning goal against rival Cal Poly Pomona in the 2016 CCAA Championship Tournament.
He was named the 2017 Male Academic Achievement award winner at the Cal State LA Student-Athlete Awards Banquet. He was also a member of the Business Honors Society.
On May 22, he will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an option in management, and a minor in economics.
Driven by a desire to make his family proud, Hemat has always held education as his top priority.
“My family is everything. I would have no opportunities without them. They support me so that I can focus on building myself,” he says. “So I always try to give [school] my best effort.”
Hemat began soccer training as a 4-year-old. Over the years, his hard work led him to an opportunity to play on a professional Norwegian team at the age of 16.
He recognized that soccer could be used as a way to gain opportunities for personal development off the field. He decided to pursue an education in the United States after receiving an offer to play at Francis Marion University in South Carolina. In his junior year, Hemat was looking for a change, and he was offered a position on the 2015 Cal State LA men’s soccer team.
Hemat has a passion for helping others and eventually would like to work with nonprofit organizations that provide international humanitarian aid. He is fluent in Farsi, German, Norwegian, and English. He says that his professional goals are influenced by his Bahá’í faith.
“The Bahá’í faith taught me all these values of love and unity and it shines through me in everything I do,” he says. “I want people to experience unity, love and acceptance, and I feel that I am a natural leader who incorporates everyone’s view.”
In his downtime, he enjoys playing the guitar and the piano, as well as being outdoors, practicing meditation and watching documentaries. He also looks forward to a weekly Skype chat with his family in Norway.
As he prepares to walk across the Commencement stage at the University Athletics Stadium, Hemat looks back at his time at Cal State LA and says he has no regrets.
“I took advantage of all the resources I was provided and made time to get to know great people,” he says. “This has been a great experience.”