Player Spotlight - Samuel Bastida ‘26

Samuel Bastida was born in Ecatepec de Morelos, Mexico and immigrated to the United States when he was only twelve years old. He currently resides in Salinas, California. Bastida describes his upbringing in Salinas as very fun, mainly because of his love for soccer. He has sincerely relished soccer for as long as he could remember. He credits his dad for inspiring this passion. Bastida started playing soccer when he was about four or five years old. Ever since then, he has been playing every year of his life. Bastida’s fervent love for the game continues to grow immensely. 

Bastida also mentions a major “culture clash” after moving to California. He states that his Mexican culture clashed with a lot of his American peers, especially at school. Bastida went to a private high school with limited knowledge of the English language. As an immigrant, this was a challenging time for him. In order to combat this obstacle, he learned to adapt to American culture. Within a year, he was able to learn how to communicate efficiently in English. Bastida joked that he is now “too American to be Mexican and too Mexican to be American”. 

As high school concluded, Bastida noted that college wasn’t necessarily the next step for him, as his family was struggling financially at the time. This made the option of college seem unfeasible. But, in the end, college wasn’t out of reach any longer. Bastida decided upon Saint Mary’s, and hasn’t looked back since.

Bastida off the field is an entirely different entity. As a Biochemistry Major, Bastida is really hoping to pursue a career in the medical field. Impressively, Bastida already has his EMS license and has experience working in ambulances as a first responder. When asked why he is drawn to emergency medicine, Bastida says he “likes the rush”. Bastida recently took the MCAT and is currently waiting for the results. 

Besides focusing on his future, you can catch Bastida at the gym, running the Stem Outreach Club, or coaching Men’s Club Soccer. Other hobbies include hiking and going out with his friends on the weekends. He even revealed that he plays the guitar! Bastida’s favorite genres to recite are Mexican Banda and Mexican Corridos. Music isn’t his calling, but he has always loved it regardless. 

Towards the end of the conversation, Bastida was asked what the most meaningful lesson he’s learned. Bastida answered, “Resilience is big, it's going to get you everywhere, it's gotten me here”. When asked for an example of this life lesson, he told me about a time where he refused to give up. As mentioned earlier, Bastida attended a private high school. When he applied initially, Bastida’s application was rejected. Determined to be admitted, Bastida arranged for a meeting with the principal and asked for a second chance. The school administration agreed, and Bastida was accepted. Without resilience, Bastida wouldn’t have achieved his current status as a successful student with ambitious goals.

Samuel Bastida ‘26 is no stranger to adversity and perseverance. His story is a beacon of light for what it means to fight for what you want and to continue pushing forward. We wish him the best of luck in his journey after Saint Mary’s!