May 20, 2009

(San Francisco, CA) - Graduating senior and goalkeeperAnika Steig was selected as class Valedictorian for the Class of 2009. The Politics major and Peace and Conflicts minor's accomplishments in the classroom are even more impressive when one couples it with the commitment Steig made to being a student athlete. Student athletes at the Division I level can spend up to 20 hours a week dedicated to their sport; something that many college students would have a hard time balancing. Steig's not only balanced athletics and academics, but also thrived in both. The senior goalkeeper was a team leader that helped in setting the new team foundation the last two years. Her contributions to the program's commitment to excellence in the classroom are very impressive and summarized below:

- Valedictorian of the College of Arts and Sciences - speaking at 12 pm graduation on Friday, May 22nd.
- Ruth Aubrey prize - given to one graduating senior from the Honors in the Humanities Program
- Charles L. Harney Award - senior male and female student athlete who has maintained the highest academic average during his or her tenure at USF.
- Honored at the Scholar Athlete Luncheon for being the top senior with the highest cumulative GPA in their sport.
- Dean's List all semesters
- Member of Pi Sigma Alpha - the National Political Science Honor Society
- Member of NSCS - National Society of Collegiate Scholars

Head women's soccer coach Mark Carr said,"We are all really thrilled for Ani and her family. She has been a corner stone of our program in the rebuilding process and this award has shown her commitment to excellence off the field."

Steig's reaction to being chosen as class valedictorian, "I am totally humbled and honored. It is nice to represent my University after representing my team for the last four years."