Alumni Corner: Anna Gullickson (2005-09)

Portland women's tennis head coach Susie Campbell-Gross will be reaching out to alumni of the program with a running question-and-answer feature for PortlandPilots.com throughout the summer. Coach Campbell-Gross recently caught up with Anna Gullickson (2005-09), who graduated with a major in Accounting and a minor in Spanish.

"I don't care if you work for Apple, Intel, Nike, adidas – it doesn't matter – Anna Gullickson will make your company better," Campbell-Gross said. "That is what she did for us at the University of Portland. We feel like we have had some great people along the way that have really created a good culture in our tennis program. Anna came in and enhanced that culture, which is rare when you see that impact right off the bat from a young person. I'd like to think that I had a small part in forming that character, but Anna came to UP as an 18-year-old freshman, mature beyond her years. Anna comes from a very strong and supportive family, whose mom Cathy also played tennis here at UP and obviously helped shape her very strong character. Anna is a great person, but not in a way that made her a pushover on the court. She was as competitive as they come. She tangibly won some very big matches for us, but just as important were the intangible qualities that she brought to the team: leadership, humility, thoughtfulness. I know there is a blurry line sometimes on teams where seniority can bring a certain feeling of entitlement to people. In reality, a true leader is one that is selfless and isn't always claiming the best seat on the airplane or the first place in line at the restaurant. A leader is one that recognizes the needs of others around them and understands for a team to be successful that everyone needs to feel supported. Anna provided that in our program and by doing so, helped make everyone around her better. People like Anna, Andrea Swick, Jill Nickel, Lacey Pflibsen and countless others have really set a high standard for people in our program at this point in my mind. No question we want to win more and we feel we do have the talent at this point to make big strides. I see potential in a couple of our players to become that 'leader' to the current group of young players that we have and that leadership quality is so important to a team that it almost serves as a 7th player in the lineup. I am really counting on naming a couple of the current girls in that group of leaders that will perpetually be remembered in the program, like Anna."

What would you like people to know about your family at this point in your life?

On October 25th, I will be getting married to former Pepperdine Wave (and national champion) Scott Doerner and I couldn't be happier!  We will make our home in Santa Monica following our wedding.


What is your current occupation?

Property/Casualty underwriter for Chubb Insurance in Los Angeles.


What is your fondest tennis memory at UP?

I have many a fond memory of the tennis experience, but the ones that still get my heart racing are when the matches would come down to 3-3 or when we were in a close battle to advance or place at conference and the win would rest on one teammate's match. Every point was treated like match point and we had to rise together to keep her steady and strong. It was an even greater adrenaline rush to be on the receiving end of it. One moment I will never forget was when we played Santa Clara at home. It was already a long day having been on our fifth hour of being in the tennis center. It came down to my match as the deciding one and I remember trying to keep myself focused and not let my nerves get the best of me. We battled long points and finally it was my turn to clinch the win. I aced my opponent on match point and it felt like we had won the National Championship. I'll never forget the excitement and smiles and sheer joy on my teammates' faces. I clinched it, but I couldn't have done it without them.
 
 
What is your fondest memory about UP in general?

The school is such a lovely place, inside and out. I met more genuine, helpful, supportive people in one place than I have ever met. UP provides such a wonderful well-rounded, holistic education. The values are true to its core.  It is the perfect platform for launching well-prepared students into successful professionals. I made lifelong friends and learned valuable lessons from the school, my courses, and my tennis experience.  It's the people along the way who helped me grow into the person I am now.
 
 
What do you miss most about your college tennis experience?

As everyone else will say there is nothing like it!! I think about my experience every day and I truly miss it.  Sometimes I wish I could go back and just play one more match to feel the adrenaline of the battle, to see my teammates on the sidelines and coaches on the bench pushing me through. Susie embodies the values of UP and implements that in the tennis program. She also takes it beyond the tennis and molds her team into being the best people they can be. She taught me how to compete, to win, to take losing, and to maintain dignity and character through it all. I would not trade the early morning workouts, the soreness, the sprints, the wall sits, the long matches, the travel, the losses, the disappointment, nor even the fartlek runs (still have nightmares about those) around Chiles Center for anything. 
 
 
If you could give advice to an 18-year-old entering the University of Portland as a tennis player now, what would it be?
 
It goes by faster than you think. Listen and take it all in. Be a leader early on in your career and don't be afraid to be challenged. Try to be in the moment as best you can. Remember that you represent yourself, your team, your coaches, and your school at every event in which you participate. Be proud of yourself for being a kick-ass Division I female athlete and embrace it! It's a huge asset to be able to take that experience and have it as a life story!
 
 
Are there aspects of your professional life that your experiences as a Division I athlete differentiate you? Maybe give you an advantage over someone who didn't compete at that level as an athlete?
 
I use my athletic experiences every single day. Whether it is in my own workouts, the monotonous work that sometimes comes with an office job or the competition in selling my work product, everything I learned from the tennis experience applies to my professional life. I push myself to be disciplined in staying fit and healthy so I can be at my sharpest for the long hours sitting at a desk (and in traffic). It is also the best talking point I have in an interview and in a professional networking scenario. When you venture into the professional world, you will find there are actually fewer D-I athletes out there than you think, especially ones that have played for all four years. It is an amazing feat and accomplishment, and something to be showcased at the top of your resume. People want to hire athletes because they know they have the work ethic and drive needed to get the job done.


Any final thoughts?

One final gratifying experience to share was during the fall of my junior year, when Susie signed us up to volunteer at an under-privileged elementary school. For a month, we went once a week to the school's PE class and taught tennis to the children. It was delightful to see the excitement on the kids' faces. They thought we were celebrities! This was just one more instance of Susie providing us with the holistic experience of being more than just a tennis player; to put things in perspective that there is more to life than a win or loss on the tennis court.