Chiseled muscles and a Santa Clara degree

By Anna Callaghan

Santa Clara alumnus, Michael Neilson is "sizzling-hot."

Every year Cosmopolitan magazine publishes an issue that features a selection of top-notch bachelors, which includes single men from all 50 states and Washington D.C.

This year, Neilson represented Santa Clara and the state of Oregon on that list.

Neilson graduated in 2007 with a degree in studio arts and also as one of the first graduates of the newly started entrepreneurship program. Currently, he resides in Portland where he runs a fabric art business while also working as a fitness coach for a local company producing health and wellness videos.

Certain standout memories include the sense of community and great college atmosphere. He noted the good times he had while living in a house on Bellomy Street during his sophomore year and the influence of the courses he took, specifically a class on Islam that was taught by Professor Pinault.

"It was a really mind-blowing and a challenging class," said Neilson. The subject matter and teaching methodology motivated him to strive for a high grade in the class, which was not always a constant practice in his academic endeavors.

Neilson was involved in crew for the first year and a half of school, but made the transition to Rugby because its laid back vibe fit better with his lifestyle.

The "Hottest Bachelors of 2009" segment should not be dismissed as a superficial competition. At face value, it is a lot of half-naked men, but in truth the nomination and selection process produced a group of well-rounded, genuine bachelors. Until he was officially a Cosmo bachelor finalist, Neilson was wholly unaware that he had been nominated. His roommate's girlfriend, Lauren Wittorp, was visiting back in January and had brought along the magazine. After spotting the ad for the piece, the group joked around of nominating Neilson. Wittorp was serious.

"Neilson has been a great friend to me," said Wittorp who submitted a piece and pictures from Neilson's Facebook page to Cosmo. "(He) is more than just good looking. He is an intelligent, talented, creative, passionate guy with an incredible personality ... all of that combined is why I nominated him."

After hearing he as a finalist, Neilson stayed calm.

"I was trying not to get my hopes up or think about how it would change things," he said. Upon receiving news that he was in fact Oregon's 2009 bachelor, Neilson was excited and honored to be included in the group.

"Its actually a pretty good group of guys. I was really surprised," said Neilson of the other bachelors. "The caliber of guys is really high, they are all really multi-talented and mostly nice."

The process included two trips to New York. The first trip was in July for a photo shoot that took place on an "incredible" property in West Hampton. Despite the 14-hour day, he spoke highly of his experience. When his turn finally rolled around, a large crew surrounded him and suggested how he should pose for his shot.

"It was my first experience feeling like a piece of meat," joked Neilson. "Being from Oregon, they told me to post up against a tree and just work it."

On the second trip, the bachelors were profiled on an episode of The Today Show and Neilson's nominator, Wittorp, was even in attendance, holding a sign that directed viewers to Neilson's web page and boasted the phrase "I heart Oregon bachelors."

From there, the bachelors went to Sirius satellite radio and then a modeling agency before attending the official party where each guy took a turn working the runway. Neilson was chosen as one of three bachelors to talk to all of the camera crews that were present on the event's red carpet. After receiving national publicity, Neilson was featured on his local TV news station who put out a plug for bachelorettes to contact him. The result: a TV date for Neilson that will occur next month. According to Neilson, not much has changed since the release of the issue. If he were currently in college, however, he would surely have potential to be the "big man on campus."

"I am just kind of the big man in my own house," joked Neilson, adding that it is probably better for his ego that he is no longer in school.

Cosmo gives its readers the opportunity to e-mail their favorite bachelors, which resulted in around 80-90 e-mails so far that Neilson has been trying to respond to. He was surprised upon finding that the e-mails were mostly sweet and written by genuine girls who sincerely want to know more about him.

In regard to his dating history, he admitted that his college years were the peak of his dating career.

"I don't put myself out there all the time," admitted Neilson. "I've always been pretty passive when it comes to girls."

In a significant other, Neilson is looking for someone who is laid back, optimistic, has fun ideas and of course, beauty helps. He says that he still runs into Santa Clara girls, even in Oregon, and acknowledges that he recognizes something else about them.

"There are plenty of good things about Santa Clara girls," said Neilson sincerely. "With Santa Clara girls, it is a world of difference. I think it is just the brightness."

He was a taken aback when given the chance to propose advice to current Santa Clara students.

"Be creative, the world is a lot different when you get out of school," offered Neilson. "Keep enjoying yourselves and know that you've got one of the best educations in the country and that it will serve you."

Neilson has remained humble throughout his Cosmo experience and his positive attitude and perspective are evident.

"I don't know what all this is doing for me really. I just keep putting my foot forward and I stay optimistic."

Contact Anna Callaghan acallaghan@scu.edu or (408) 551-1918.