Impact Of A Scholarship: Cameron Chism

Represent.

In the classroom, the community, or on the field, that's always the number one goal in College Park.

When you are a member of Maryland athletics, "represent" isn't a suggestion; it's the standard.

For athletes in the DMV, a scholarship is just the thing they need to come to the University of Maryland and do just that.

Hyattsville's Cameron Chism instantly jumped at his football scholarship and the opportunity to represent his home state and play football for the Terrapins. He took pride in that if he were going to make a name for himself, he would do it on his terms, at his number one school and right here at home.

"My thinking going in was, why would I take my talents to Alabama or LSU when I can stay home and make a name for the Maryland Terrapins." Chism said.

Chism represented Maryland well, becoming a three-year starter at cornerback, which included a streak of thirty-two consecutive starts. In addition, he was a member of two Maryland teams that went on to win bowl games, the 2008 Humanitarian Bowl Champions and the 2010 Military Bowl Champions.

Chism was a fixture in Maryland record books, finishing his career as one of the top players in program history in pass breakups, tackles, and interceptions.

"I just loved being out there, going to battle with my teammates every week. The atmosphere was crazy." Chism said.

After stints with the NFL and CFL, during his post-playing career, Chism started to realize the impact of his scholarship and his decision to come to Maryland.

He graduated in 2012 with a degree in Criminal Justice and Corrections and immediately saw the benefits of being associated with the University of Maryland's stellar academic pedigree.

"I had a couple opportunities with different law enforcement agencies, because they saw I came from Maryland and studied criminal justice." Chism said.

Those opportunities included a brief time as a Diplomatic Security Assistant and his current position as a criminal analyst for the Department of Justice.

With the DOJ, Chism's role is essential in locating criminals, often serving as the bridge between different law enforcement agencies.

The youngest of three, Chism credits his scholarship for taking a huge burden off not just him but the entire family.

"I didn't have a plan B to be completely honest. I would have still gone to school, but my parents would have had to pay for it. Thanks to the scholarship, we never had to have that conversation." Chism said.

The freedom enabled Chism to not worry about anything and take advantage of everything his home school offered.

"With the scholarship, I was taken care of by some great people, so it took away a lot of stress. I only had to focus on school and football, and I think that's why I was able to have so much success." Chism said.

Now older and watching the new generation of DMV athletes following him and choosing to represent their home school, Cameron looks back on how his scholarship enabled him to do the same thing, represent and make great memories.

"Thanks to my scholarship, I'm always going to remember my teachers and my teammates ... everything about my experience at the University of Maryland."