NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Connecticut College community has been fortunate to have an outstanding group of more than 100 senior student-athletes who have represented the institution with class, respect, and sportsmanship in competition as well as a variety of other ways.
Over the upcoming weeks, we will take a look at the Class of 2020’s overall experience at Connecticut College as a student, athlete, and citizen; what being a student-athlete at the institution has meant, and what lessons they will take with them into the real world following graduation.
Today, our 14th team spotlight will highlight and celebrate the five seniors of the women’s water polo program. We spoke with head coach Matt Anderson about the group as well the seniors themselves about their overall experience at Connecticut College over the past four years.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW A WOMEN’S WATER POLO PHOTO GALLERY OF TEAM MEMORIES
Women’s Water Polo Class of 2020
- Katie Hammond (Sea Girt, N.J./St. Rose) – International Relations & Global Islamic Studies Double Major
- Ginny McCool (Captain) (Delray Beach, Fla./Saint Andrew’s School) – Psychology Major
- Jade Mueller-Galbraith (Santa Barbara, Calif./Santa Barbara) – Environmental Studies & Government Double Major
- Kaitlin Reagan (Captain) (Saratoga, Calif./Saint Francis) – English Major
- Hannah Rogers (Kingston, Pa./Wyoming Valley West) – Human Development Major
Head Coach Matt Anderson on the Class of 2020
“There comes a time in your coaching career when you have a group of seniors that have been all you could ask for, and that’s the case with our 2020 class. How well they get along and how team oriented they are is awesome. They are uncommon women who are rapidly changing the world! From Spain to California and everywhere in-between, this group has been the JOY in our JOYrney to what a team is about. I want to thank them tremendously for all they have done as players, teammates, and friends.”
Below are questions we asked the seniors as well as their answers about their personal experiences at Connecticut College as student-athletes over the past four years.
Q: Why did You Choose to Attend Connecticut College?
Katie: I chose Connecticut College because it was befitting for what I was looking for; a small liberal arts college close to home.
Ginny: Conn has a beautiful campus, and I was looking for an institution with a different weather scheme from my home in Florida where I would be able to focus on academics yet still have athletics be a strong part of my college experience.
Jade: For the Environmental Studies Department.
Kaitlin: I chose to attend Connecticut College because I felt like the small campus environment would allow me to make the interpersonal connections with professors and coaches I sought while still allowing me to pursue my passion of water polo.
Hannah: I was interested in studying at a small liberal arts college in the New England area and Conn seemed like a perfect fit. I visited the school and fell in love with the campus, the curriculum, and the honor code. Once I met Coach Anderson and the women’s water polo team, I knew I would become part of a close-knit community.
Q: What is your favorite Camel athletic moment?
Katie: My favorite Camel athletic moment was my short-lived experience on the women’s water polo team. Even though I had no prior water polo experience, let alone contact sport experience, my teammates and coach could not have been more supportive, encouraging, accepting, and helpful.
Ginny: There was one night where I was just sitting in a room with a group of friends, and we were all student-athletes who were in season. We were just sitting around watching television, and at one point, I just looked around and realized how much I cared about each person in that room and how much fun I was having doing absolutely nothing with them. It made Conn really feel like a home.
Jade: Joining the women’s water polo team and being welcomed by the coach and student-athletes on the team.
Kaitlin: My favorite Camel athletic moment was the summer after my junior year when the team went abroad to Spain. We played a tournament in Valencia and went out to dinner with the team that was hosting the tournament. That night, our teams bonded and learned about each other’s lives. We all spoke varying degrees of English and Spanish, and it was really cool to know that water polo connected us.
Hannah: When we were juniors, our team was much smaller in numbers than it had been our freshman and sophomore years and I became a starting player. At first I was nervous because I knew I had to step up and go out of my comfort zone in terms of my playing capabilities, but I experienced incredible growth and ended up scoring in the last minute of a close game to tie the score and bring us into overtime. We ultimately won the game, and I was very proud to help my team earn such a tremendous victory.
Note: To read a recap of the moment Hannah was describing, please CLICK HERE.
Q: What does #OneCamel mean to you?
Katie: #OneCamel means a cohesive and supporting environment that endorses feelings of acceptance and camaraderie. When I think of #OneCamel, I think of a group of individuals that comprise a team – both coaches and athletes – who have each other’s backs regardless of the intended or unintended circumstances and obstacles.
Ginny: #OneCamel means we have an endless support network and that there is a certain degree of respect amongst our peers.
Kaitlin: #OneCamel means that we are all a part of the same community that fosters growth and encourages one another to present our best selves.
Hannah: When I see the hashtag #OneCamel, I think of the bond that Connecticut College instills in its students. During such an unprecedented and difficult time for everyone, the students at Connecticut College have had the will to bond and stay together. We have united as one Camel, which has allowed us to persist and rise above these unique and often unwanted circumstances.
Q: What do your teammates mean to you?
Ginny: My teammates mean everything to me. They are my family, and I would never change a thing about this group.
Kaitlin: My teammates mean everything to me. These are the girls who have seen me at 6 a.m. for morning lifts and have seen me after tough losses. These are the girls I have celebrated with. These are the girls that have taught me lifelong lessons of what it means to be a good teammate and a good leader. My teammates have carved out a special, irreplaceable life for me in the last four years. These are the people I have leaned on when I needed support and the people I have supported in return. My teammates are the people I laugh with until we can’t breathe and cry with until our eyes are red. They are nothing short of family.
Hannah: My teammates are my best friends. They are incredibly supportive of what I do in and out of the pool. When I first visited Conn, I could tell immediately that the girls on the water polo team were incredibly close. This most definitely turned out to be the case, particularly my junior and senior years. I think a smaller team helps with that, but my teammates have been the glue that has connected me to such an amazing sport and program.
Q: What is your favorite team memory?
Katie: My favorite team memory was when we celebrated the last week together of the spring 2020 semester on campus. We bonded as a team through dinners, beach visits, movie nights, card games, and lounging on the green. Despite the abrupt end to our spring season, we remained grateful for the time we were able to share with one another.
Ginny: My favorite team memory was when we were coming back from the CWPA Division III Championships during our sophomore year. We had just made a deep run, but we fell short in overtime of the championship game. We were all crushed. But when we got on the bus, after a while, we rallied around each other and started joking around and having fun with each other like we always do.
Jade: My first official day! I had little experience shooting a ball, but the players explained techniques and helped me without question or judgment.
Kaitlin: My favorite team memory was spring break of our junior year when the team went to California. Our assistant coach surprised us with a surfing lesson, and we spent the afternoon surfing in the ocean.
Hannah: As a member of the women’s water polo program, I have been fortunate to join my team on some amazing trips. Every spring break, we are given the chance to travel to California to play some of the country’s best water polo teams. While this trip is always athletically challenging, it has always helped the team grow. Additionally, it is special to travel with a group of your closest friends and coach. The summer after our junior year, the team traveled to Spain, where we had the opportunity to participate in a tournament and compete on an international level. We also had the chance to do some sightseeing and immerse ourselves in the Spanish culture. Overall, traveling with the team is my fondest memory.
Q: Describe the greatest part of your Connecticut College experience outside of being on the women’s water polo team.
Katie: The greatest part of my college experience outside of athletics has been finding my interest of study. As an incoming freshman, I had no inkling as to what classes I wanted to take or what to major in. Now I can confidently say that International Relations and Global Islamic Studies are extremely fascinating focuses of study, and I can’t wait to pursue a career that incorporates both of my majors. I have also enjoyed taking rigorous and challenging courses with remarkable professors that have opened up my eyes to foreign policy, diplomacy, and international affairs.
Ginny: The friends that I have made over the years have been great and have given me lifelong memories.
Kaitlin: The greatest part of my Connecticut College experience outside of being on the women’s water polo team has been forming lifelong bonds with my peers.
Hannah: Throughout my time at Connecticut College, I have experienced tremendous personal growth which I fully attribute to my professors and classmates. I have learned to challenge myself, explore and solidify my passion for education, develop necessary skills that will guide me in my future endeavors, and most importantly, I have created bonds that will last a lifetime.
Q: Describe a research project or presentation you had the opportunity to work on as a student at Connecticut College.
Katie: I had the opportunity to research peacekeeping missions in my UN Peacekeeping class with Professor Mitchell. I focused my study on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNFIL), looking into its origins, background info, peacekeeping methods applied, and the overall successes and failures of the peacekeeping mission.
Ginny: I did my research methods project on the body image of athletes and non-athletes at Connecticut College.
Hannah: As a student-athlete at Connecticut College, and as someone studying Human Development and Education, I have been fortunate enough to participate in multiple research projects. Last summer, I had the opportunity to assist a professor in the Human Development Department with a long-term research project centering preschool children’s thought process, or metacognition. This research ultimately led me to an independent study and individual project which I am currently working on. My professor and I are in the process of writing a research manuscript for a well-known child development journal and have been given the opportunity to present at a conference in Germany in the fall.
Q: What has been your favorite class?
Katie: My favorite class was Islam and the U.S. with Professor Uddin. This Global Islamic Studies course was fascinating to me because it focused on the intersectionality of race, gender, and religion. I gained so much knowledge about influential Muslim leaders like Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X and how they helped shaped western perceptions of Islam in America.
Ginny: Psychology of Sleep with Professor Schroeder was one of the most interesting classes I have taken at Conn. I found it very interesting studying a field that many college students seem to struggle with. We really got to see what helped us and what didn’t through the use of our sleep monitors.
Jade: Global Environmental Politics. It was my first political science class rooted in environmental policy, and it helped stir my passion for the subject.
Kaitlin: My favorite class has been Form and Family in Modern Literature. In this class, I discovered one of my favorite books, The Professor’s House. It was also the first class taught by one of my favorite professors, Professor Gaubinger.
Hannah: My favorite class at Connecticut College has been Foundations of Education. It was this class that instilled in me a passion for teaching and learning.
Q: Who has been your favorite professor?
Katie: My favorite professors have been Professor Uddin and Professor Sayej. I have taken more than one class with both of these professors, and I enjoyed the topics that were being discussed, the readings assigned, and class discussions. I learned a lot from these professors and appreciated the fact that they were challenging professors who rewarded you based upon your effort and hard work.
Ginny: I have had many great professors, but I would have to say it has been Professor Schroeder. I have taken many courses with him, and he is a great instructor and manages to keep really dense information fun to learn about.
Jade: MaryAnne Borrelli. She is so compassionate to her students and always wants to make sure that we are mentally and physically healthy. Professor Borrelli tailors her classes to relevant news and wants us to learn from our own work so that we can become the best we can.
Kaitlin: My two favorite professors have been Professor Rae Gaubinger and Professor Michelle Neely. Both of these women have demonstrated the attention they put into their work and the care they have for their students. I have learned so much from them, and they have been the foundation of my academic career at Conn.
Hannah: My favorite professor is Lauren Anderson, the chair of the Education Department at Connecticut College. I attribute all of my personal academic and personal growth to her. When I was just a freshman, she saw potential in me and pushed me out of my comfort zone. Since then, I have intrinsically motivated myself by doing the same. Additionally, she has been an incredible mentor and friend as well as the most supportive of both my personal and academic challenges.
Q: Name an individual who has been the most influential and supportive of you at any point during your four years at Connecticut College.
Katie: The two individuals who have been the most supportive of me during my college experience have been my parents. They encouraged me to challenge myself and to also find an area of study that I enjoyed. They came to every one of my swimming meets and the very few water polo games that were held this season. They guided and advised during my most difficult times and supported me no matter what.
Ginny: There are too many to name just one. Conn has given me such a great support network between friends, coaches, professors etc. Any time I have struggles with anything, I have had someone there to help me.
Jade: Katie Hammond. She has stood up for what is right, supporting me in both athletics and my studies, and she can always bring a smile to my face.
Kaitlin: Professor Michelle Neely has greatly shaped my path in the English Department and has shown me the multitude of options available to me. She has also shown interest in my life at Conn outside of academics by supporting me in water polo and my involvement in student organizations. She helped me decide where to study for my semester abroad and has made sure that I have felt equipped and confident to succeed in all of my endeavors at Conn.
Hannah: Matt Anderson, our head coach, has been the most supportive of me. As a student-athlete, I had to balance academics, athletics, and my personal life. Coach Anderson has supported me in doing this. He has been incredibly influential and is a tremendous role model for me.
Q: What is the greatest lesson you have learned from being a student-athlete at Connecticut College?
Katie: The greatest lesson I have learned from being a student-athlete is that hard work, determination, and resilience enables one to succeed. I also learned how time management and overall mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing are keys to great performances both academically and athletically. In addition, supportive teammates and friends as well as coaches and professors are crucial and contribute to your overall happiness and success.
Ginny: Resilience is key to success in any field.
Jade: Stand up for what is right and know what is best for yourself.
Kaitlin: The greatest lesson I have learned is how to take responsibility for your actions and how to devote yourself fully to achieving a goal.
Hannah: As a student-athlete at Connecticut College, I have learned the value of teamwork and dedication. As a freshman, I had no idea I would become the player that I was my senior year, and I have my teammates and coach to thank for that. I learned that amazing transformation can occur with perseverance and dedication both in practice and in games. Most importantly, I learned that a team is like a backbone. I have been fortunate to play alongside the most amazing team and now understand the importance of teamwork in reaching a common goal. These skills are incredibly transferrable and will help me succeed in any career or future endeavor I choose to pursue.
Q: What are your career goals and plans for after graduation?
Katie: My plans for after graduation are to pursue a career in diplomacy either in Washington, D.C. or New York City.
Ginny: I want to go into sports marketing.
Kaitlin: I plan to stay on the East Coast to work in either publishing or with sexual violence advocacy programs. I will do this as I work on my goal of becoming a published writer.
Hannah: After graduation, I hope to pursue a career in education. As of right now, I hope to move to New York City where I will hopefully teach in a public elementary school.
Release courtesy Connecticut College Athletics Communications
