Brooke Anderson never believed she was “Division I material.” Despite lettering in three high school sports, this unassuming San Diego native flew under the intercollegiate recruiting radar.

It wasn’t until midway through her sophomore year in high school that Anderson found her true athletic calling. After a stress fracture in her right foot sidelined her during soccer season, she shifted her focus to cross country. Her late arrival on the San Diego cross country scene meant she was years behind in the recruiting process. Nonetheless, she found herself recruited by several top universities.

Anderson was enamored with the UW on her first visit and decided it was the place for her. Though she arrived on Seattle’s campus in the fall of 2005, she didn’t compete as a Husky for another 1.5 years, due to an injury.

Anderson admits she endured some darker days during her injury, “It was devastating not to be out there contributing. All I wanted to do was put in the same amount of effort that my teammates were putting in.”

While injured, Anderson found another outlet for energy. By the end of her sophomore year, she was elected President of the Washington Student Athlete Advisory Committee (W.S.A.A.C.). Anderson credits her W.S.A.A.C. experience for teaching her the importance of little things, such as taking the time to learn underclassmen’s names, always making eye contact, and keeping up-to-date with the different Husky sports.

By the time Anderson returned to competing, she had extended her influence far beyond the athletic arena. Academically, she earned a spot on the Dean’s list for 9 consecutive quarters and won the Provost’s Medal for Academic Excellence every year. In the community, she tutored children at a transitional housing shelter.

Anderson also served as the only student on the search committee for the new Washington Athletic Director. She took advantage of the opportunity to interact with top university officials during her 9-month stint on the committee. Two in particular, Ed Taylor and Peter Dukes, were pivotal in providing support for Brooke’s developing voice, intellect and insight.

During the course of the search, Anderson began to understand the qualities required to lead an athletic department. Anderson recalls a turning point in the midst of the search when she started to see the process from an administrative viewpoint, “It was like a light bulb went off. I thought to myself, ‘I can do this!’” Anderson, the cross country crossover who didn’t think she was “Division I material”, now serves as a role model to hundreds of Huskies as the epitome of the

total student-athlete in the classroom, in the community and in competition. She contributed to a stunning National Championship victory for the Washington women’s cross country team in the Fall of 2008. She recalls, “Standing there at Nationals, in the front row with #1 recruits and All-Americans from all over the country was unbelievable. It was empowering and amazing.” After she graduates, Anderson plans on attending the dual Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) and Master’s in Sports Administration (MSA) graduate program at San Diego State University. She hopes to run her own sports-focused company. These days, no one can convince her she isn’t top material.

— Written by Joanna Gail