Loyola Theatre Arts and Dance sophomores Gabriela Lopez Ruiz and Jada Williams were named Bronze Scholar Athletes this week by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. Both were recognized for their academic achievement as well as their contribution to Loyola athletics, Lopez Ruiz a member of the women’s cross country team and Williams of the women’s track and field team. Each had a GPA above a 3.0 in the fall semester.
“I think it was pretty cool to be named one of the many students at Loyola to be a Scholar Athlete,” said Ruiz. “It was nice seeing the appreciation from Dean Maass and the Facebook and Instagram pages.” On top of maintaining top grades and running cross country, Ruiz acted in Southern Rep Theatre’s production of Native Gardens in the fall. She noted that she loves being able to run first thing in the morning because it is a great way to get her blood pumping and keep fully energized throughout a long day of classes and rehearsal.
“It is an honor to receive this title because it reflects how hard I've been working!” said Williams. She noted that the women’s track team puts scholarship above all else, so the path to Bronze Scholar Athlete was facilitated by her coaches and teammates. Williams, like Ruiz, maintained a high GPA while also juggling classes and rehearsing for TAD’s fall production of You Can’t Take it With You.
By Madeline Taliancich