Q&A: Hear From Eight Michigan Ross All-Star Student Athletes on U-M’s Powerhouse Sports Teams this Year
It certainly is not easy playing for a Big Ten sports team at the University of Michigan while also attending a top-ranked degree program at the Ross School of Business.
Nevertheless, dozens of Michigan Ross students prove that it is possible to excel in both athletics and academics each year. In addition, the Ross student athletes say they are able to translate their classroom learning to their athletic performance, team leadership, and communication.
Below, hear from eight student athletes from the Michigan Ross BBA, Master of Accounting, Master of Management, and Master of Supply Chain Management programs about how they juggled a demanding sports schedule with a top-tier business school experience, how the Michigan Ross community supported them, and more. They also share advice for prospective B-school athletes.
Sierra Brooks
Hometown: Plainfield, Illinois
Program/year: BBA ’23
U-M team/position: Gymnastics
Post-graduation career interest: Initially, I want to get started in consulting, but I do also have long-term interests in marketing and entrepreneurship. Industry-wise, I have strong interests in the digital, higher education, and sports industries.
Have you been able to apply lessons from the Ross classroom to your athletic performance and team leadership or vice versa? If so, how?
100%. I honestly find myself applying a lot of business concepts to my daily life, especially surrounding athletics. From how our team markets itself through social media or other channels, to thinking about the logistical and financial challenges our athletic department has to overcome every year. A lot of topics that we covered in our management and organizations and business communications classes have affected how I think about leadership. I am constantly thinking about the unique communication styles we all have and the best strategies for getting teams to work well with one another.
What have you enjoyed most about being both a business student and U-M sports team member?
I've enjoyed the fact that I have been able to meet and grow close to so many unique individuals. Being an athlete at Michigan is extremely exciting, but we can get super caught up in our athlete bubble which doesn't allow us to meet as many other people as we should. This comes from being surrounded by other athletes in facilities, at practice, and so on.
By being in Ross, which is such a collaborative school, I've had the chance to create such great friendships that not everyone has the opportunity to have. That's one of my favorite things about Ross — the fact that we do so much group work that ultimately allows us to create bonds. I'm very fortunate with this, as I am aware other students can go to class and at the end of the semester they still haven’t gotten to know anyone outside of the people they already knew.
What accomplishments are you most proud of as an athlete and a business student?
As an athlete, I am most proud of the 2021 NCAA title that we took home. But outside of that, I am extremely proud of the positive and family-like culture we have created on our women’s gymnastics team. As a business student, I am most proud of the relationships I have built with fellow classmates and professors. I love that I am able to remember and apply concepts from all of the classes I have taken to not only help myself but those around me, too.
Outside of gymnastics, I am the president of our Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
How has the Michigan Ross community supported you as a student athlete?
The Michigan Ross community has supported me in so many ways as an athlete! I've had professors and other students come to support me at meets, but even outside of that, everyone is always so curious about how athletics is going, and they truly want to be there in any way they can. My advisors reach out time and time again to congratulate me and my team after great meets, and it only helps build the Ross community even more.
Cameron Bock
Hometown: Tustin, California
Program/year: MAcc ’22/BS ’21
U-M team/position: Men’s gymnastics, all-around
Post-graduation career interest: Tax accountant or financial controller
Have you been able to apply lessons from the Ross classroom to your athletic performance and team leadership or vice versa? If so, how?
One of the perks of being a part of Ross has been the opportunity to listen and speak to many successful alumni and business executives. I’ve tried to incorporate their wisdom into my own leadership tactics for my team. Being on a sports team has great benefits for the classroom as well, as I’ve seen myself working through school group projects in similar fashion to how I would deal with issues in the gym.
What have you enjoyed most about being both a business student and U-M sports team member?
I’ve enjoyed the diversity of opportunities that I’ve gotten from both sides. Ross has offered me so many great classes and networking opportunities, while being on the gymnastics team has allowed me to develop great working relationships with tons of guys. It’s the best of both worlds.
What accomplishments are you most proud of as an athlete and a business student?
As an athlete, I’m most proud of our team winning back-to-back Big Ten championships these last two seasons, which hasn’t been done since 2014 in our program. As a business student, I’m mostly just proud to have graduated among a class of over 75 other incredible MAcc students. It’s very validating to be studying and walking alongside other successful students.
How has the Michigan Ross community supported you as a student athlete?
From day one, both the faculty and students at Ross have supported my athletic endeavors, which is a huge plus when you have a busy schedule like I have. When competitions or practices have conflicted with classes, my professors and program leadership have always accommodated me. This level of support made it possible for me to succeed overall.
Annabelle Burke
Hometown: Glenview, Illinois
Program/year: BBA ’24, economics minor
Team/position: Women’s lacrosse, midfield
Post-graduation career interest: Investment banking
Have you been able to apply lessons from the Ross classroom to your athletic performance and team leadership or vice versa? If so, how?
Working in diverse teams in the Ross classroom has taught me to be a more understanding, empathetic leader on my team. By being assigned to work in groups with people who work differently than me in Ross, it has encouraged me to reach out to those on my team who work differently than me and approach lacrosse with a different perspective. I have been able to directly apply the patience that I learned to develop from group projects in Ross to my leadership on my team. I have also been able to directly apply lessons learned from the lacrosse field to my work in Ross. Lacrosse has taught me to view challenges as opportunities and to lean on others for support. Bringing this mindset to the classroom has definitely helped my project groups grow closer and create a more lighthearted and fun environment while still getting the job done.
What accomplishments are you most proud of as an athlete and a business student?
Most importantly, I am proud that I have successfully been able to balance competing as a division one athlete and earning an incredible education. I am proud of maintaining a 3.95 GPA while doing this. As an athlete, I am proud of our team’s hard work and efforts to make the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament this year. As an individual on my team, I am proud of both earning a starting midfield spot this year and growing as a leader on and off the field.
Outside of sports, what other activities or programs have you participated in at Ross/U-M?
Outside of sports, I spend my time volunteering through Athletes for Community Transformation. I have volunteered at Bryant Market, helping to organize their food pantry and daycare areas. I have also volunteered at Arrowwood Hills Cooperative, helping to organize delivered food and handing out pre-bagged food to families. Within Ross, I am currently working with my BA 200 professor from last year to improve the course and make adjustments for next year.
How has the Michigan Ross community supported you as a student athlete?
The Michigan Ross community has been incredibly supportive of my decision to balance both business school and athletics. Whenever I have had to travel out of town for games, my professors have been very accommodating, scheduling different time blocks for me to take assessments and offering to meet in order to help me catch up. This year we played Ohio State at home and not only did two of my past group members attend the game, but two of my professors and my Ross academic counselor attended as well. This is a true representation of how supportive both my classmates and professors have been of me as a student athlete. Knowing I have their support has made my job so much easier.
Matt Frey
Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Program/year: MSCM ’22
U-M team/position: Baseball, infielder
Post-graduation career interest: Consulting, data analytics
How have you juggled playing for a Big Ten sports team with a top-tier business education?
It’s really, really hard! Michigan Ross and college athletics are both incredibly challenging on their own. I’ve had to be creative (and very communicative in both spheres) about finding the time and bandwidth to dedicate to both.
Have you been able to apply lessons from the Ross classroom to your athletic performance and team leadership or vice versa? If so, how?
Yes, of course. I think the no-nonsense, problem-solving attitude of Ross has helped me in athletics and in school. Ross has taught me that it doesn’t matter how long it takes or how problems get solved, it just matters that they’re solved. I think that’s served me well in sports, too.
Outside of sports, what other activities or programs have you participated in at Ross/U-M?
My Supply Chain Consulting Studio project (a required course where the MSCM cohort is broken into several teams and partnered with companies like Microsoft, Amazon, and Toyota to consult on the varying issues these companies have with their supply chains) has been a ton of fun. My group is working with Owens Corning to solve problems associated with sourcing glass cullet (crushed, recycled glass). The company wants to increase their glass cullet supply so they can make their home insulation products more sustainably by using more recycled glass in their insulation products. My team has traveled around to Owens Corning headquarters and other recycling facilities to get further insight on the glass cullet supply chain, but I haven’t been able to travel with them much yet. I’m really looking forward to doing so once the baseball season ends.
How has the Michigan Ross community supported you as a student athlete?
Both the professors and students have been understanding of the challenges brought by being a student athlete and a member of the Ross community. Baseball demands long hours and about 60 games spread out over a few months with tons of travel. My group mates and professors have always been willing to help me find ways to make sure I’m not missing anything in the classroom. It’s lifesaving.
Katherine Galzerano
Hometown: Garden City, NY
Program/year: MM ’22
U-M team/position: Women’s lacrosse, defender
Post-graduation career interest: Change management, sustainability consulting
How have you juggled playing for a Big Ten sports team with a top-tier business education?
For me, the most important lesson I learned during my time at Michigan was the importance of time management and proactive organization. The hardest part about playing for a Big Ten sports team is the time commitment and travel. Without a proper approach to my schoolwork, it would have been easy to fall behind.
Have you been able to apply lessons from the Ross classroom to your athletic performance and team leadership or vice versa? If so, how?
Ross has always been focused on the importance of group projects, and through my group project experiences I have learned how to be both a group leader and a smaller part of a larger entity. Both of these skills are tremendously important in lacrosse. As a defender, my ability to communicate on field is valuable to the team.
What accomplishments are you most proud of as an athlete and a business student?
The aspect I have enjoyed the most is the many people I have met in both environments. I have made lifelong friends here at Michigan and at Ross. My most important accomplishment as a business student was definitely being published for an article I wrote with a few classmates under the supervision of Professor Andy Hoffman. The paper was about environmental racism and describes the unequal burden of environmental hazards placed on disadvantaged communities through systems, policies, and practices. For lacrosse, I am most proud of overcoming multiple obstacles to become a starting defender.
Outside of sports, what other activities or programs have you participated in at Ross/U-M?
I joined the OptiM Consulting Group, which provides Ann Arbor- and Metro Detroit-based business owners with strategic recommendations for long-term performance improvements. I had the opportunity to work closely with a sustainable brand in order to help them go to market.
Karina (Kari) Miller
Hometown: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Program/year: BBA ’24
U-M team/position: Women’s tennis
Post-graduation career interest: Investment banking
Have you been able to apply lessons from the Ross classroom to your athletic performance and team leadership or vice versa? If so, how?
Being on a team as an athlete has definitely taught me how to push myself and my teammates to continue to be better, which I can use in a team setting in Ross as well. In Ross groups, I have learned how to problem solve and cooperate as a team which definitely helps me in an athletic setting.
What have you enjoyed most about being both a business student and U-M sports team member?
What I have enjoyed most about being in the business school and being an athlete is both the academic and athletic rigor. Being part of strong programs both on and off the field has greatly helped me grow as a person.
Outside of sports, what other activities or programs have you participated in at Ross/U-M?
During the school year, my primary commitments are tennis and school. However, last summer I had a private equity internship in New York City that I was able to get through the help of Ross and the Michigan Athletics Career Center. This was a very valuable experience and helped open my eyes to potential future careers. I even talked with Business Insider about how impactful the internship was.
How has the Michigan Ross community supported you as a student athlete?
As there are quite a few athletes at Ross, the community and professors are very flexible and understanding of student athletes’ busy schedules. Everyone is very supportive when I do have to miss class for competition, and professors are always willing to help outside of the classroom.
Erik Portillo
Hometown: Gothenburg, Sweden
Program/year: BBA ’23
U-M team/position: Hockey, goaltender
Post-graduation career interest: Consulting, professional hockey player
How have you juggled playing for a Big Ten sports team with a top-tier business education?
Throughout my childhood, I’ve always only had two things in mind: Hockey and school. It’s very tough to balance them, and you have to learn to sacrifice some things that other teenagers do. I’ve learned that the only way to do it is by being disciplined and staying focused on my long-term goal.
Have you been able to apply lessons from the Ross classroom to your athletic performance and team leadership or vice versa? If so, how?
During my time at Ross, I’ve learned many valuable lessons about working in teams and how to handle different types of people. I have grown a lot in that area, and it’s something I have brought with me when being a leader on my team.
What have you enjoyed most about being both a business student and U-M sports team member?
I feel so grateful every day for the people I meet. It’s inspiring and fun to be around motivated and intelligent people; this goes for students, teammates, professors, and coaches.
What accomplishments are you most proud of as an athlete and a business student?
As an athlete, it’s winning the Hal Downes Award, given to the team's most valuable player. I was very honored and proud to receive that award. It’s an award that is voted on by the players, my teammates, which makes it even more special.
As a student, it’s to have been a part of Dualete, a startup company that assists top college athletes in sharing their knowledge. We have been given this opportunity by the +Impact Studio at Michigan Ross, which has been a fantastic resource during this process. In the +Impact Studio, we receive excellent guidance and access to tools that help us grow the company. It’s been such an exciting ride, and I have learned a lot from this experience.
Jess Speight
Hometown: Richmond Virginia
Program/year: MM ’22
U-M team/position: Football, defensive line
Post-graduation career interest: Business development consultant at Oracle, partner at The Uniform Funding Foundation
How have you juggled playing for a Big Ten sports team with a top-tier business education?
The program was exceptionally difficult in the month of August because it overlapped with my preseason training camp. Camp hours are from 7 a.m –- 10 p.m. daily and consist of practice, workouts, rehab, and meetings. While I did have to miss some meetings every morning, the MM program was very understanding and allowed me to build my own schedule so I wouldn’t miss a practice (missing practice is like a cardinal sin for collegiate football). While I was able to balance education and football very well on my own, the MM program was understanding of my rigorous football schedule and helped me out when I needed it most.
Have you been able to apply lessons from the Ross classroom to your athletic performance and team leadership or vice versa? If so, how?
Most classes at Ross have curriculums that revolve around action-based learning, so I spent a lot of my time outside of the classroom working closely with classmates. Regardless of who I was paired with, I was able to work well with my classmates to succeed as a team. I credit this to my experience on the Michigan football team, which helped me understand how to best work with individuals from various backgrounds (socioeconomic status, upbringing, religious beliefs, sexuality, etc.).
What have you enjoyed most about being both a business student and U-M sports team member?
I enjoyed being a part of an incredible community for 4.5 years with the Michigan football team. I was sad to leave Michigan football in January, but was quickly embraced by some wonderful classmates. Without football, I was able to spend time with my classmates outside of an academic environment. I truly did not expect to grow so fond of my classmates considering the program is only about 10 months. By graduation, I had made lifelong friends who were quite difficult to say goodbye to.
Outside of sports, what other activities or programs have you participated in at Ross/U-M?
I help run a 501(c)(3) non profit organization called The Uniform Funding Foundation that provides uniforms and mentorship to underserved youth athletes around the country. TUFF is run by myself and some fellow Michigan Football teammates. Throughout my time in the MM program, we raised over $150,000 and have a huge summer ahead of us.
Second semester I also worked in recruiting with Michigan football, which helped me hone my interpersonal skills.
Advice for aspiring B-school athletes
Step out of your comfort zone, sit next to someone new, and be ready to make new friendships that will last a lifetime!
Use as many resources and meet as many people as possible during your time at Ross.
My main advice to aspiring business school athletes is to always try to find time to do the things you enjoy and also to leverage your athletic identity when looking for internships and jobs.
Stay focused and enjoy it as much as possible. Get involved and try to meet as many people as possible. It is such a great community!
Balancing business school and sports is going to be really challenging, but also tons of fun and really fulfilling. I’d also say to really cherish the relationships you develop in Ross — because that’s what you’ll remember the most about your program.
Never forget how amazing the opportunities to attend Ross and compete on a division one team at Michigan are. At times, all the due dates, practice blocks, and upcoming tests can seem overwhelming and never ending. Being able to step back and realize how awesome and unique being a B-school athlete is has allowed me to continue to work hard and smile through the difficult times rather than allow myself to get consumed by stress.
Be willing to open your mind to any opportunities that come your way! The diversity of personalities that you’ll meet in B-school will be a great experience that you can use to your advantage if you are willing to expand your circle a bit and meet new people.”
For future athletes who are hesitant because of what you hear about the workload or difficulty of balancing athletics and academics (specifically a business major) — I advise you to simply go for it and use your resources! Those of us who have gone this route before are happy to mentor and there are so many resources that will help you if you need them.
