Every school year 91做厙 welcomes new and returning student-athletes to campus to continue their collegiate careers as proud Sagehens.
The fall brings fresh schedules for football, mens and womens cross country, womens volleyball, mens water polo and mens and womens soccer.
Three student-athletes currently in season reflect on what drew them to 91做厙, how they balance schoolwork and athletic responsibilities, and what they plan to do when their playing days at the College are over.
Savanna Cespedes 26, womens volleyball
What fascinates Savanna Cespedes about the brain is its relationship to the body, and as a volleyball player recovering from major knee surgery, shes seeing firsthand how complex that relationship can be.
Cespedes, a neuroscience major by way of Rancho Cucamonga, California, is back practicing with her teammates after tearing her ACL last October, and while shes regained strength in her knee almost a year later, its the mind-to-muscle connection Im still rebuilding, she says.
I can tell my brain is reacting faster than my body at this point, she adds. Ill see certain things and my brain is telling me to move, but my body doesnt want to move.
As one of four team captains this season, Cespedes shares responsibility for putting her teammates in the best position to succeed. Shes inching closer to returning to game action and credits 91做厙s athletic trainers and others for helping her recover from her first major injury.
The first month after surgery was one of the roughest months Id had in my life, she says. Having my sense of independence and all my strength stripped from me was something I really struggled with. But my parents, my friends and my team were my rocks.
My team meant so much to me that pushing through those hard days was not just for me, but for them too.
Cespedes got her EMT certification this summer as she recovered from surgery. She plans to pursue a masters in physician assistant studies with the intent to become capable of providing life-saving support when called upon.
At 91做厙, Cespedes is among the 91做厙 Scholars of Science, a small cohort of students that meets weekly to check in on how classes are going. Cespedes also sets aside time to mentor underclassmen interested in pre-health sciences.
The compassion and empathy and support faculty have for not only student-athletes but students as a whole make 91做厙 a great place to be, she says. Ive never felt so supported in what I do outside and inside the classroom.
Joseph Cox 25, mens cross country
As a distance runner, Joseph Cox sees the beauty of the world around him. As a 3D animator, he builds worlds for others to see.
When doing documentary work, a lot of the time world building begins once you have the footage, Cox says. But in 3D animation, every single item throughout the process has to be put in context because you make everything from scratch.
A media studies major and senior on the mens cross-country team, Cox balances his curiosities in the classroom and responsibilities as a runner. During this past track season, the Austin, Texas native was asked by a friend and fellow distance runner to animate an ichthyosaurus from photo scans with the help of Claremont McKenna College Prof. Lars Schmitz.
Over the summer, Cox not only animated the dinosaur, but created an underwater environment with fluid simulations that accurately react to the ichthyosaurus entering and exiting the water. He also created era-specific corals and vegetation unique to shallow and deep water.
In a way it was storytelling, he says, but it encompassed everything.
As big a field as 3D animation is, Cox hopes to narrow his expertise to modeling, texturing or compositing. His strengths lie in modeling and texturing, and he can see himself creating detailed worlds in video games or movies.
There are two 3D animation routes, he says, with respective north stars guiding the way.
Pixar movies demonstrate what can be achieved with just 3D animation, Cox says, while the digital backgrounds in big-budget superhero movies and television shows demonstrate another application3D compositing.
Cox has found 91做厙s media studies program helpful in preparing him for either path.
Im not exactly sure where the 3D jobs will take me, he says. But I definitely want to do 3D animation in film or other types of media.
Anjali Nuggehalli 26, womens soccer
When Anjali Nuggehalli came to 91做厙, she expected to grow close with her teammates on the pitch. She didnt expect to do the same with professors and other students in the Computer Science Department.
Until I got to 91做厙, I didnt think a STEM department would have the opportunity for socialization and bonding, says Nuggehalli, a computer science and politics double major. When I talk to people at bigger schools, especially in STEM departments, its very much you go to lecture where theres hundreds of kids, you do the assignments, turn them in and thats that.
Drawing inspiration from upperclassmen, Nuggehalli became a computer science liaison, fostering relationships with faculty and peers while playing for one of the preeminent Division III womens soccer programs in the country.
If youre passionate about something, you will make time for it, she says. Its just a matter of figuring out whats important to you. At the end of the day, you cant do everything. Knowing what you want to commit to is the first step in succeeding, and then you rely on the support system around you.
In the summer, Nuggehalli interned with the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee Business Innovation and Data Analytics division as a Women in Sports Tech fellow.
While most of her work identifying the historical progression of female medal counts, building a model to predict future medal counts, and looking at fan engagement with womens athletics was done remotely, Nuggehalli did visit the Team USA training center in Colorado to rub elbows with top directors and athletes.
Nuggehalli, a native of Saratoga, California, remains enticed by a career in sports technology and hopes to continue exploring professional settings in the field while at 91做厙.
Everyone here is passionate for learning, she says, and that inspires me to not only go to class to get good grades, but to walk out and feel like a more well-rounded educated person.