SANTA CRUZ, Ca. - On Thursday April 10th, as part of NCAA DIII Week, UC Santa Cruz Athletics and Recreation welcomed back four alumni to speak on a Young Alumni Panel on campus at the Merrill Cultural Center. The panelist represented men's cross country/track and field, swim and dive, women's soccer, and tennis. Each panelist shared their unique career journeys and offered advice and tips for navigating being a student-athlete and preparing for life after graduation.

Panelists included Marc Pugeda '21 a member of the 2020 men's swim and dive team that won the 2020 PCSC Championship. Notably, the Banana Slugs made a return to the top of the podium again this season with a dominant victory in the 2025 PCSC Championship. A business management economics major, Pugeda is finishing up his final year at University of San Francisco where he is earning his masters in Sport Management. He works as the Associate Director of Alumni Relations at Cal Athletics Fund.

Sean Riedel '21, a mathematics graduate and alum of the cross country/track and field program, has remained at UC Santa Cruz to pursue a PhD in Applied Mathematics. He continues to be involved with his team as a volunteer assistant coach and continues to compete at meets independently.

Representing women's soccer was Katie Herm '23, who currently works at UCSF as a Junior Specialist in Bose Lab. This fall, she will begin her PhD studies at UCSC. Herm encourages current students to get involved in clubs and organizations beyond athletics, and strongly recommends building relationships with professors and continuing those connections beyond the classroom.

Tanner Rowland '24 also made it back to campus where she was seen often volunteering with the women's tennis program and often joining meetings as a Congressional Aide to Congressman Jimmy Panetta. A SAAC president her senior year, Rowland also served as a member of NCAA National SAAC this past year.

Attendees had the opportunity to ask questions during the event, including one student who inquired about the transition from being a student-athlete to life after competition sports - and how challenging it can be to navigate that shift in identity. Pugeda has continued to stay active by exploring new athletics outlets, getting involved in more endurance events like triathlons. Herm shared that after her final season, she felt burnt out and needed to take a break. Over time she has realized she missed it more than expected and has now ambitiously signed up for four different soccer leagues. 

The panel was moderated by MCD Biology Professor and Faculty Athletic Representative (FAR) Guido Bordignon and senior women's soccer player Amanda Scott. Scott will be attending graduate school in the fall at Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. where she will be a graduate assistant in the athletics department.

The panelist covered a wide range of topics from navigating Covid to applying for jobs to asking for letters of recommendation as well as noting things they would do differently if they were still current students. This event is one of many opportunities to connect our current student-athletes to alumni.