Impact Report: Year-Ends 2021 and 2022

Bruno Carnovale, College of San Mateo alumnus

Bruno Carnovale, Jr., class of 1964, says he owes a whole lot to his decision to attend College of San Mateo.

“I wouldn’t be here, if it weren’t for the California state college system.” He goes on to add, “it was so affordable to attend and I received an incredible education. It set me up for a great career.” It’s not lost on Carnovale that while he came from a middle-class family of modest means, his choice to attend the affordable and close-to-home College of San Mateo, was a smart decision that has realized plenty of dividends — even after all these years.

Carnovale is actually a second-generation Bulldog. His father, Carnovale, Sr., took classes in mathematics, chemistry, and physics at CSM during the 1950s. As a boy, Bruno was raised in a family that loved all things science and space exploration.

Growing up in the Shoreview neighborhood, close to CSM’s original Coyote Point campus, Bruno has vivid memories of watching the Sputnik launch. No surprise then that he pursued a career in science, just like his father.

When asked what kind of student he was, Bruno jokes he may have been overly ambitious, when he committed to a triple major of chemistry, physics, and mathematics. The academic rigor of those three programs, in addition to studying German, was a bit more than he could handle initially. His grades suffered that first year. He was grateful for the instructors, but also the tutors and student support that existed. It allowed him to learn the study skills he would need to succeed at a university.

After CSM, Bruno continued his post-secondary education within California’s state public college system and graduated without a mountain of student debt.

Bruno is now retired after a successful career working for major aerospace and defense companies. Today, the retiree enjoys paying it forward, through his gifts to San Mateo County Community Colleges Foundation and notably, the qualified charitable deductions from his Individual Retirement Account (IRA), which he describes as an easy way to give.