#BulldogBornBulldogBred

By MARISA MATA, Student Writer

Born and raised in Fresno, Brian Ekmanian (2001) grew up feeling part of the Fresno State community. He and his father, a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity, often attended sporting events and tailgated together. When it was time for Ekmanian to attend college, he applied to a few places but ultimately decided to stay in Fresno. He too joined Sigma Chi and was able to find his place at Fresno State both socially and academically, and over the years his love for the university has continued to grow.

“I wanted to go other places, but I hung out with some people, especially at the fraternity house, engaged at Fresno State games and I was just like, ‘This is the place, it’s home away from home.’”

Ekmanian remembers the best parts of his college experience including Vintage Days, having a nationally ranked football team led by David Carr, tailgating with friends and late nights at the library–the peaceful, and at times eerily, quiet moments of sitting in a corner, studying before a big test.

After graduating, Ekmanian moved to Los Angeles to work in advertising, but after a few years, made the decision to return to Fresno, settle down and start a family.

“I moved back and, I didn’t get married right away, but I met my wife literally the first weekend I moved back, but one of my buddies had a thing for her, [so] it prevented me from asking her out. About a year later, I found out that he never asked her out, so I asked her out. From there, we got married a couple years later, and we had a baby girl who’s [now] 11 months old.”

When Ekmanian moved back to Fresno, he began a career in commercial banking and also decided that he was going to get involved with Fresno State.

“I feel like the thing to do in and around Fresno is to engage yourself around Fresno State. Become that good alumni… [Stay] involved–[volunteer] in and around the Alumni Association–stuff like that will reap you benefits, it’ll give you the inside track on–if you’re staying here locally–some pretty good opportunities.”

Ekmanian became a board member on the Craig School of Business Alumni and Friends Board, and currently serves on the Fresno State Alumni Association Board. He wants to get more people engaged with Fresno State, and wants to support both athletics and academics. He still attends basketball and football games–this season, taking his daughter to her first Fresno State football game.

“She was 10 months old. We tailgated as a family for the first time, which I’ll never forget. We got pictures of her watching the game–she’s got no clue what’s going on, but she’s having a blast. I would definitely love for her to come here–just because of my experiences and my love for anything and everything Fresno State.”