TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Student-athletes from the University of Arizona are excelling in the classroom. The U of A says every single team finished the fall 2024 semester with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
More data from the U of A shows that in the fall 2024 semester, 504 student-athletes earned a collective GPA of 3.4. That's the highest fall semester GPA in the program’s history.
Tanvi Narendran is a neuroscience and cognitive science major who plays for the women’s tennis team. Her day starts early with conditioning, and then practice. After that she gets a bite to eat before class.
“It can seem like a lot, but I think it's actually a good thing because you know, I never procrastinate, I can't afford to. I have a planner. I write everything down," Tanvi said.
Tanvi is in her third year at the U of A. She says as a freshman, it took time for her to adjust to balancing schoolwork with tennis.
“But I think figuring that out and learning how to balance that has helped me so much and now I feel really prepared for whatever comes after college," Tanvi said.
Tanvi graduates in May and wants to be an intellectual property lawyer specializing in AI law.
“It might seem daunting to have to balance everything, but at the end of the day, I'm so thankful for my experience," Tanvi said.
Noah Ray also balances the student-athlete life. He’s majoring in nutrition and human performance while running for cross country and track.
“Everyone, it seems like they're doing really well in the classroom and outside of the classroom. So, like you get pushed in practice. Then at school, like your teammates are also doing really well in the classroom. Like makes you want to strive to do better," said Noah.
Noah says, like Tanvi, it took some time to learn how to balance everything, but says he feels well-supported by the U of A and his coaches.
“We actually have the Cats Academic Center, which they provide us with tutoring and we meet with our counselors one-on-one sometimes to discuss classes and like our current grades," Noah said.
After graduating, Noah wants to work in private health coaching and work with clients one-on-one.
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Jacqueline Aguilar is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born and raised in Yuma, AZ., she is no stranger to the unforgiving Arizona heat. Now this U of A wildcat is excited to be back in Tucson and is looking forward to involving herself in the community. Share your story ideas with Jacqueline by emailing jacqueline.aguilar@kgun9.com or connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
