Cavalier Corner

April 2021

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28 CAVALIER CORNER Hailing from Philadelphia, Brielle White (Col '06) was an award-winning member of the UVA Women's Swimming and Diving team. As a star athlete for most of her career, White success- fully models the difficult transition from college athletics to the working world. College imprints a double identity in each of its student-athletes, challenging them to navi- gate a future both academically and athleti- cally. It empowers them with time manage- ment and organizational skills, and ultimately eng enders the successful student-athlete. White enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences with a major in American politics and a minor in history. This prepared her for her career as a public servant in the city of Philadelphia's District Attorney's office. White works in the Special Investigations Unit under the progressive team of Larry Krasner. While competing for the Hoos, White be - came a seven-time NCAA Division I All-Amer- ican; eight-time ACC Champion; and she was a member of the 2003 and 2004 ACC Champi- onship teams. White was named ACC Swim- mer of the Year in 2005 and 2006, becoming only the fifth two-time Swimmer of the Year in league history. She went on to compete at the Pan-American Games in 2007. Along with these great accolades, White cherishes memories from her time as a Hoo. "Some really good pastimes were after a workout when the men's and women's teams would go to the dining hall and take up multiple tables," White recalled. "We'd talk about how the workout went; we'd talk about what's happen - ing this weekend; we'd talk about what happened last weekend. "There's all this energy. The camaraderie is just one of my favorite things at UVA." The athletic dining hall in the John Paul Jones Arena gathers all athletic teams throughout the week for healthy, homemade meals to keep the student-athletes well fueled and to facilitate companionship among the teams. With the onset of COVID-19, however, only take-out meals are provided as student-athletes must stay distanced from one another to reduce the spread of the virus and hope - fully allow teams to continue to compete for the rest of the 2021 season. White has fond memories of UVA's Grounds. "UVA has such a beautiful campus," she said. "We are so fortunate. We are highly ranked as one of the best academic campuses in the country. Just walking to and from classes was so beautiful. We have the perfect layout." For any student-athlete moving into the working world, letting go of their athletic identity is a difficult but inevitable decision. White, however, gained the skills needed at UVA that aided her transition from a Division I student-athlete to the real world. "Being a student-athlete was definitely a big part of my life. It made me who I am today," she said. "We are well-rounded and we are completely ready, willing and able to continue to be great. You realize it's not a race any - more, and we're so competitive. It's part of the culture we're used to, but we have mas- tered the tools." White strongly supports the VAF's work to support student-athletes, which helps to take the burden off families and allows the student-athlete to focus more on their sport and less on the funding of their education. "That's my biggest takeaway when I look at the VAF — it's about the many opportunities they provide for student-athletes," she said. White was inducted into the University of Virginia's Swimming and Diving Hall of Fame in 2019 for her accomplishments while at UVA. She has seen great success in her ath - letic life and continues to translate that into her working life. She is thinking about going back to school and furthering her studies in public policy. For now, though, she is happy where she is. "I think I want to remain a public servant," she said. "I think it's where I can help out the most." — Jamey Bulloch CONTINUED SUCCESS: BRIELLE WHITE Brielle White with fellow Swimming and Diving alumni Trevor Free- land (left) and Jason Webb (right) during Virginia's Swimming and Diving 2019 Hall of Fame induction banquet. Brielle White and head coach Mark Bernardino with White's college career highlights shared on screen during Virginia's Swimming and Diving 2019 Hall of Fame induction banquet.

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