GIVING IMPACT2021 P R E S E N T E D W I T H G R AT I T U D E TO T H E U C S A N D I E G O AT H L E T I C S B O A R D
YOUR LEADERSHIP: A NEW ERA OF IMPACT For over 20 years, the UC San Diego Athletics Board has supported Triton Athletics on our journey to Division I, helping us build resiliency and achieving record-breaking milestones along the way. Now, after two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, we have begun a new era as a member of the Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. Our scholar-athletes are driven to succeed, excelling academically and graduating at an average rate of 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in Division I or II. Your steadfast leadership and encouragement inspire their every success. Thank you.
Aishah Brown ‘23, UC San Diego women’s basketball forward, named Athlete of the Week, January 10, 2022 (Mike McGinnis)
MEET OUR NEWEST BOARD MEMBER During his time on the UC San Diego baseball team, Erikk Aldridge ‘91 was a three-year starter, earned Rookie of the Year honors and served as a team captain. Almost 30 years later, his achievement of 42 career stolen bases still ranks in the top ten. In addition to serving as the newest member of the UC San Diego Triton Athletics Board, Erikk is the founder of the Inglewood Baseball Fund and is actively involved in several non-profit organizations in Los Angeles, including Inner-City Arts and Dodgers RBI. Erikk is the Vice President of Impact for LA28 where he will oversee youth sports, arts and culture and workforce development for the 2028 Olympics. Welcome, Erikk! Erikk Aldridge ‘91
SCHOLARSHIPS: SHAPING A BRIGHT FUTURE Julissa “Juli” Arzave ‘24 is a second-year scholar-athlete on the Triton women’s swim team. She majors in human biology and wants to attend medical school to become a pediatric surgeon. The Labowe Family Swimming Scholarship Endowment provides her with access to UC San Diego’s stellar athletics facilities and rich academic opportunities. Without her scholarship, Juli wouldn’t be able to study or train here. “I am very excited for UC San Diego’s new journey in Division I. I am honored to be part of this amazing community, and I am very proud to be a Triton.” Julissa Arzarve ‘24
“Our players and coaches love that UC San Diego has been on the forefront of the Return to Learn program and Return to Play program because it has given us an opportunity to get together and play as many games as we can to help our teams progress to the next level.” Eric Newman, Head Coach Baseball
Eleven Tritons on UC San Diego’s women’s volleyball team made the 2021 Big West Commissioner’s Honor Roll with GPAs between 3.51 and 4.0 (Mike McGinnis)
TRAILBLAZING FOR WOMEN’S ATHLETICS For over five decades, Judy Sweet has been a trailblazer for Title IX and women’s athletics. She was the first female physical education teacher — amid a dozen men — at UC San Diego in the early 1970s. Once she was named the first female athletic director on campus and in the country, Judy led Triton Athletics to 30 national championships, 23 of which were achieved by the women’s sports. In 1991, she became the first and only female president of the NCAA, inspiring change and transformation in athletics across the country. “I’ve always said that being the first was just a matter of timing,” says Judy. “The important thing is that I’m not the last.” The Judy Sweet Leadership Endowment for Women Scholar-Athletes was established to help shape and empower the next generation of women scholar-athletes at UC San Diego. As we make the transition to Division I, it is critical we continue to build on the foundation Judy created. With this scholarship, we hope to inspire philanthropic partnerships that unite Triton women’s teams with new advocates of athletic excellence.
“The ability to provide young women with scholarships enables us to expand our recruiting base. There are no boundaries and no limits in recruiting the best individuals who can thrive in this environment of academic and athletic excellence.” Heidi VanDerveer, Head Coach Women’s Basketball
May 12-13
UC SAN DIEGODAY OF CARING In May 2021, 7,764 donors gave during u.care, UC San Diego’s annual day of caring. This collaborative effort resulted in more than $2 million for the campus! Our very own Athletics Board members challenged donors to give, providing matches to funds in support of scholarships, travel for educational and competitive opportunities, athletic training assistance and more. Thanks to your leadership, we raised $182,000 for Triton Athletics! Join us again for u.care on May 12 – May 13, 2022, for another spectacular day of caring!
MILESTONES The impact of the UC San Diego Athletics Board has been transformative. You galvanize support for our scholar-athletes, propelling them toward their dreams in competition, in the classroom and throughout our community. The Campaign for UC San Diego began in 2012. And this year, as we approach its triumphant conclusion, we are pleased to share with you a selection of what we have achieved together:
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19,000+ donors to Athletics $17.3 million+ raised for Athletics $9.6 million+ for scholarships $2.5 million+ for Women’s Athletics
THANK YOU
At the University of California San Diego, challenging convention is our most cherished tradition. Through the Campaign for UC San Diego — our university-wide comprehensive fundraising effort concluding June 30, 2022 — we are enhancing student support, ensuring student success, transforming our campus, connecting our community, and redefining medicine and health care on a global scale. Together with our philanthropic partners, we will continue our nontraditional path toward revolutionary ideas, unexpected answers, lifesaving discoveries, and planet-changing impact.
Cover photo: UC San Diego Men’s Soccer team (Derrick Tuskan)