Student-Athletes of the Month
*The Student-Athletes of the Month are selected on the basis of the all-around student-athlete...effort and excellence in academics, leadership, integrity, dedication to team, campus involvement, community service, and the ability to serve as role models for current and future VU students and student-athletes.
April 2008
Taka Bertrand - Women's Tennis
Senior, Major: Economics, Minor: Spanish
Why did you choose to attend Vanderbilt?
 I came to Vanderbilt because it’s a private school, and because of Coach Macdonald.
What are your career goals?
My career goal is to do something that gets me excited to go to work every day.
What does it take to be academically successful at Vanderbilt?
I think listening in class pays dividends.
How do you manage your demanding schedule?
I try to do a little work when I’m not watching or playing tennis.
What is your ritual before taking a test?
I go over the material and then Wikipedia anything I don’t know.
What is your favorite quote?
“Anything worth doing is worth doing well.”
Why Taka is a Student-Athlete of the Month . . .
Taka has enjoyed an illustrious career at Vanderbilt. She is a person of great determination and her work ethic is second to none. She has carried this approach into the classroom having been named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll as well as helping her team earn ITA All-Academic recognition. Coach Geoff Macdonald calls her one of the top two or three competitors he has ever coached, a true testament to her commitment and dedication. She has received just about every athletic accolade possible in her sport: SEC Freshman of the Year, SEC Player of the Week, All-SEC, SEC Player of the Year and Tennessee Amateur Athlete of the Year, and recently became Vanderbilt’s all-time leader in singles victories. Taka will graduate in May and I wish her all the best in whatever her future may hold. --Shawn Fagan
Christina Wirth - Women's Basketball
Junior, Major: Human and Organizational Development, Minor: Child Development
Why did you choose to attend Vanderbilt?
 I chose Vanderbilt because of the combination of great academics and athletics. I always wanted to go away from home for college, and being from Arizona, Tennessee is pretty far away. I liked everything that I learned about Vanderbilt during the recruiting process, and then when I came on my official visit, I loved the team and the coaches, and that did it for me.
What are your career goals?
I was recently accepted into the Vanderbilt School of Nursing, so next year I will begin taking classes to become a nurse practitioner. I would love to work in a children’s hospital. Hopefully being in nursing school will help me to gain a little more direction from there.
What does it take to be academically successful at Vanderbilt?
Being academically successful at Vanderbilt requires commitment and sacrifice. Especially for student-athletes, there are a lot of demands on our time, so it is important to be self-motivated and driven. Also, taking advantage of all of the resources offered to students and to student-athletes can go a long way toward making sure that you will be successful.
How do you manage your demanding schedule?
Sometimes it’s not easy, but I have definitely grown over the past few years as a result of having to juggle such a busy schedule. I am very organized, and I make sure to prioritize all of my assignments and activities. I always try to make sure that I’m making time for God and my faith and for my friends and family because those are the things that get me through when I get too busy or feel overwhelmed.
What is your ritual before taking a test?
I don’t think I really have too many rituals that I do before a test. I usually skim through my notes/study guide as I’m walking to the classroom, and then right before the test I say a prayer.
What is your favorite quote?
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, Oh Lord, my strength and redeemer.” -Psalm 19:14
Why Tina is a Student-Athlete of the Month . . .
This is Tina’s second time as Student-Athlete of the Month, and if I were allowed, I would nominate her every month! Last time I wrote, “Tina sets goals, and there is no doubt that she will reach well beyond what she sets out to accomplish.” Tina did not prove me wrong. She has proven to be a take-charge person who is able to successfully develop plans and implement them. Tina decided she wanted to apply to the Nursing Program at Vanderbilt University; she set a plan and was determined to finish. Part of this plan was to complete her undergraduate requirements by the end of her junior year, which she will accomplish at the conclusion of this semester. For all of her hard work, Tina was accepted into the Nursing Bridge Program, which she will begin Fall 2008.
Tina’s accomplishments go beyond the classroom; she is also a very successful basketball player. This season, she was the team’s leading scorer, she was named First Team All-SEC, and most recently, she scored her 1,000th career point.
Through all of her success, Tina has always been very humble. She is truly a talented, well-rounded person. She works hard in everything that she does and never loses her faith. I am proud of Tina’s accomplishments and honored to know such a remarkable person. I know that she will continue to experience success in all that she does! --Christy Hogan
Past Recipients...
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005
Academic Support for Student-Athletes | Vanderbilt University
Department of Student Athletics | 2601 Jess Neely Drive | Nashville, TN 37212
Phone (615) 343-0444 |
