CORVALLIS, Ore. – Heading into the 2020-21 year, 24 student-athletes were named to the Cascade Collegiate Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), representing their schools.
Grace Gerardi is one of the two SAAC reps at Northwest University, along with fellow cross country and track teammate
Corban Phillips. The junior runner chose NU after hearing about the school from friends and getting a recruitment letter.
“I decided to check it out,” said Gerardi. “Once I visited a couple times and met the team, I felt at home. It was also very important to me that I went to a Christian college because I wanted the experience of going to a Christian school after going to a public high school and NU fulfilled that desire.”
One part Gerardi loves about NU is “getting the opportunity to be taught by strong Christian Professors who deeply care for their students.” The secondary education major, with a focus on English language arts, states the most influential people in her life at NU are her professors and teammates.
After graduation, Gerardi wants to be a high school English teacher while “continuing to pursue running as a well-loved hobby.”
Gerardi knows it can be demanding to be a student-athlete, but has learned how to manage it.
“Student-athletes are required to be very skilled in time management because of having to make time to practice their sport, eat enough food to refuel, and get enough sleep to stay healthy, all while also maintaining good grades in their classes,” said Gerardi.
When not running or studying, Gerardi likes to play the piano, hang out with friends, read and do outdoor activities like hiking or Spikeball.
Although Gerardi loves spending time with people, the pandemic has caused that to change.
“The biggest thing COVID-19 has changed about my life is causing me to have to not only wear a mask but also only be able to see half the faces of my friends and classmates,” said Gerardi. “Also forcing me to distance myself from those I miss and love.”
The Yakima, Wash., native enjoys traveling with her team for out of state meets, like in Oregon and California, and hopes to get back to that soon.
As a SAAC rep, Gerardi hopes to make an impact on her campus for her fellow student-athletes.
“My hope as a member of SAAC is to assist in making the lives of student-athletes at my school smoother and more enjoyable,” said Gerardi. “I want to do this through forming events and atmospheres on campus in which students and student-athletes can bridge the gap and learn to better support each other as members of the student body.”