Avreeta Singh excels as an athlete, scholar and leader.
Student athletes: leaders and scholars
Avreeta Singh, a former class valedictorian from Fresno, wasted no time establishing herself as one of UC Davis’ best and brightest in the classroom and on the volleyball court. As a freshman, Singh participated in the demanding Integrated Studies Honors Program, while setting school records in her sport.
Critical to her volleyball position — Singh plays a specialized defensive position called the libero — are her respected leadership abilities. Indeed, she was chosen to represent UC Davis at the NCAA National Leadership Conference in May 2007. The conference brings together student-athletes selected for their academic achievement and leadership prowess. Singh became the first Aggie freshman ever tapped to participate in this prestigious event.
“You can’t really understand how great an experience it was unless you were there,” Singh said. “It is a select group of students, so they are obviously at the top among their peers. You find yourself discussing things with students who are really focused and intense.”
Now a sophomore pre-med student who plans to eventually follow in her father’s footsteps as a pediatrician, Singh brought home from the conference an “action plan” to strengthen the solidarity among UC Davis’ teams. Among her ideas: institute a year-end award for the team that is most active in supporting other student-athletes.
“The thing about Avreeta is that she is wise beyond her years,” said head women’s volleyball coach Steve Walker. “On top of everything else, she has one of the best work ethics of anyone I’ve ever coached.”
2007 ON CAMPUS
UC Davis takes to NCAA Division I playing field
UC Davis is officially a Division I school after completing a rigorous four-year process that proved its readiness for the toughest athletic competition, academic requirements and regulations at the NCAA’s top level of play. The campus — with about 800 student-athletes participating in 26 varsity sports — is now eligible for conference championships and postseason play in Division I. UC Davis will compete in the Big West Conference.
Steel bridge team places second in national competition
The UC Davis Steel Bridge team, nicknamed “Chrome Ollie,” took second place overall at the 2007 National Student Bridge Competition at California State University, Northridge, in May. The team qualified for the national contest by earning its fourth consecutive Mid-Pacific crown. The steel bridge contest pits teams of civil and mechanical engineering students against each other in the design and fabrication of scale-size bridge structures that are judged on such criteria as structural efficiency, economy, aesthetics, lightness and speed of assembly.