How Hallie Copperwheat Got Connected

Through a program designed to prepare student-athletes for their future

Pitt junior Hallie Copperwheat knew she would be in for a major adjustment when she started college. She was used to life in England and was about to experience a new way of schooling, a new culture, a new emphasis in her training and a new path for her future. She wasn’t sure what she wanted to do, but near the start of her sophomore year, she knew what she could do to help herself.

Pitt’s athletics department includes the Cathy & John Pelusi Family Life Skills Program, whose mission is to “prepare student-athletes for success while in college and for life after college.” One of the ways in which they do that is through the Panthers to Pros mentorship program in which a student-athlete gets paired with an alumnus or community member. In Copperwheat’s case, that was former Pitt gymnastics head coach and athletics hall of famer Donna Sanft.

Sanft and Copperwheat communicate via text and email, and Sanft makes regular appearances at meets that allows them to meet up in person. Through this, Copperwheat’s gained valuable advice on future job hunting.

“I think a big challenge as a student-athlete is figuring out what to put on your resume because you feel like you haven’t got the same experience that regular students have because you might not have been able to work or had time for internships. She really helped me learn that the skills you learn as a student-athlete are incomparable to anything else and they’re a great addition to a resume.”

Copperwheat’s also gotten some great connections in a place that’s so far from her home. Sanft worked with Pitt’s sports administration staff, and her connections gave Copperwheat the chance to do an internship with them.

Copperwheat plans to continue her relationship with Sanft for as long as she needs it. She has more opportunities, so the next step is to narrow down her career path and whether she wants to pursue it in the U.S. or the U.K.