Cavalier Corner is the publication just for UVa sports fans!
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APRIL 2019 21 In a 2013 Forbes article, president and founder of InsideSales.com Ken Krogue wrote that one of the leading factors he looked for in evaluating potential new hires was a strong background of per- sonal athletic achievement. "Athletes work hard. They practice. They discipline themselves to continu- ally do better," Krogue explained. "They work alone and in teams. They learn to finish. They like achievement. "They like to learn their statistics. They live to improve their performance sta- tistics. They don't mind being measured on results." For Michelle Cusimano Vachris, her career as a student-athlete at the Uni- versity of Virginia exemplifies Krogue's conclusions. The measure of results from her Vir- ginia career as a goalkeeper on both Virginia's lacrosse and field hockey teams are impressive. Vachris was team captain for both clubs in 1996, an All- American in both field hockey (1996) and lacrosse (1994-96, first team each of the last two years), and was twice named Division I National Goalkeeper of the Year. She was a contributing member of Virginia's NCAA lacrosse championship team in 1993, and w a s i n s t r u m e n t a l in leading the Hoos back to the NCAA title game in 1996. "I was a two-sport athlete in field hockey and lacrosse, and what I was looking for in a university was a very strong academic school that would allow me to play both sports at a highly competitive level," Vachris explained. "That is why I chose Virginia. I was for- tunate, they wanted me and I wanted Virginia." Vachris still holds the UVA lacrosse re- cord for career saves (681), and she's second in career save percentage (.641). She also is second in career saves (474) and fourth in career goals-against aver- age (1.28) in the Virginia field hockey record book. After graduating in May 1996, Vachris returned in August for a fifth year of field hockey and the following spring served as an assistant lacrosse coach at Yale. As a fifth-year field hockey player, the Long Island native decided to attend law school and ap- plied for admission the follow- ing school year. "It was quite a transition for me to go from being a player to coaching at the Division I level," Vachris recalled. "I have to say it was a fun and rewarding experience; and we even played Virginia that spring. "I am grateful that I had a fifth year of field hockey and the opportunity to coach at Yale because it provided a nice transition for me as my time com- peting in both sports was coming to an end." Vachris graduated from New York Law School in 2000 and worked at a large firm for four years until she moved to CBS Corporation in New York. In her current role as Vice President and Associate Gen- eral Counsel, Vachris provides advice and counsel on employment and labor law matters across the CBS divisions. Vachris has enjoyed continued suc- cess since leaving Virginia and feels her career as a student-athlete prepared her for that ascent. "Being a student- athlete at Virginia teaches you so many skills that are trans- ferrable to life after college sports," she noted. " Time man- agement, team work, sportsmanship and perseverance are just a few of those transferrable skills. "When I was in law school, I had the opportunity to intern at CBS," she added. "Being a student-athlete, you know the value of showing up on time and being prepared. You take those skills and you apply them to the next challenge in your life. "When I had that internship, I treated it like showing up for practice. I learned as much as I could, and I really believe that my internship provided me oppor- tunities later in my career." Despite a demanding career, family and living in New Jersey, Vachris still remains closely connected to the Uni- versity and Virginia athletics. "As a family, we enjoy following and cheering for all of the Cavalier teams. My sons [ages 10 and 13] play basketball and lacrosse, and over the years they have become very passionate UVA fans," she said. "We try to travel to Virginia at least once a year, and we also try to catch up with some of the Cavalier teams when they are on the road in the Northeast. "I host alumni tailgates when the Hoos are in the Princeton area. We will also try to go to the VAF events when they are in NYC." This past fall, Vachris — along with other Virginia alumni — hosted rep- resentatives from five intercollegiate sports who joined director of athlet- ics Carla Williams and career develop- ment staff for two days of networking and visits to nonprofit organizations in New York. Vachris was one of the alumni mentors for one of the New York events. "The student-athletes were impres- sive and engaging," she noted. "It was so interesting for me to speak to each of them about their experiences at UVA both academically and athletically. "I think the mentors got a lot out of the evening and so did the student-ath- letes. We all have a common bond being UVA student-athletes." Hopefully the visiting student-athletes took full advantage of the wealth of knowledge and experience, both on the field and in the workplace, afforded them through their visit with Michelle Vachris. — Greg Waters CONTINUED SUCCESS: MICHELLE VACHRIS (1993-96) Vachris was an All-American goalkeeper for both the women's lacrosse and field hockey programs, and served as a team captain for both squads as a fourth-year. PHOTO COURTESY UVA Vachris serves as the Vice Pres- ident and Associate General Counsel at CBS Corporation. PHOTO COURTESY VACHRIS "Being a student-athlete at Virginia teaches you so many skills that are transferrable to life after college sports." VACHRIS