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Photo by: Craig Lassig
Alumni Spotlight: Bita Mancera
3/12/2020 11:50:00 AM | Tennis
Bita Mancera joined the University of Minnesota women's tennis program in the fall of 2016 as a transfer from NC State. Consistently playing in the No. 3 singles and No. 2 and 3 doubles spots, Mancera notched 75 combined wins while at Minnesota. Now graduated, she reflects on her time as a Golden Gopher, what she is up to now and where she wants to be. Catch up with Bita Mancera in this Gophers Alumni Spotlight!
Gopher Sports: Since graduating, what have you been up to? New job? Where are you living?
Bita Mancera: In July I packed my apartment and moved back to Mexico City. I started my new job as a consultant analyst and programming for a company called CX Team and later in the year I also started grad school for public politics at the Instituto Autónomo de México (ITAM).
GS: What are some things you have accomplished since graduating? Do you have any goals set?
BM: I think my biggest goal right now is to finish grad school and write a good thesis. As far as accomplishments go I think it has been great to do something outside of the tennis court, I have been involved in some really cool projects and I programmed the customer experience program for some firms like Caribou and BBVA.
GS: How did the Gopher women's tennis program prepare you for life after college?
BM: Being a student athlete allowed me to be very comfortable working under extreme pressure. The Gopher women's tennis program not only helped me become a better player, but it helped me find myself outside of the court. Which is something that I definitely had been struggling with after only thinking about myself as a tennis player
GS: Why did you choose the University of Minnesota?
BM: Academics was very important to me but I didn't want to sacrifice the few years I had left of competitive tennis and Minnesota helped me find a great balance. I am also a big city girl so having the campus in the city was a huge plus for me.
GS: What impact did the University of Minnesota have on you as an athlete and a person?
BM: All of the resources we have at Minnesota really focus on making you grow as an athlete and outside of your sport. My coaches and academic advisor were the most influential people on helping me realize that no matter how good I was on court, it didn't matter if I wasn't a good person off the court. Overall, Minnesota had a huge impact on who I am as a person and I am proud to say that the Gopher's program molded me into the woman I am today.
GS: You had a very successful career at Minnesota, ending it with 51 wins. How does it feel knowing you accomplished something like that?
BM: I went through a lot of ups and downs in my relationship with tennis but being at Minnesota really helped me find my love for tennis again. I also missed a really big part of my sophomore year due to injuries so I was just happy to be on court competing and I guess the wins came with it too.
GS: Do you have any favorite/funny memories while wearing the Maroon and Gold?
BM: My favorite memory definitely has to be clinching the match against Ohio State my junior year. As far as funny memories there are so many but definitely the top one was when Cammy left a peanut butter ball in the locker room and someone ate it. We had a lot of fun trying to figure out who ate it and to this day we don´t know who did it, but all clues point to Bella (sorry).
GS: What advice do you want to give newcomers that follow in your footsteps?
BM: Just try to enjoy it as much as you can, we played tennis for so long that we all tend to take it for granted. For most of us competitive tennis will be done after college and you will regret not giving everything you have in every match.
Degree/Major/Minor: Economics
Year Graduated: 2019
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