Montana's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) has adopted 'More Than An Athlete' as its slogan, hoping to showcase that each of them have interests, passions and pursuits beyond their field of play. Regularly throughout the summer, Griz student-athletes will share personal, first-hand letters about who they are and what the slogan means to them.
To read more about the initiative, click here. For an archive of previous first-hand stories, click here.
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Catie on her first day of grad school, in August 2022.Catie Semadeni, Volleyball
A multi-year starter for the Griz volleyball team, Catie Semadeni has played in nearly 100 career matches for Montana, accumulating more than 550 career kills and 140 blocks. Off the court, she is a four-time Academic All-Big Sky selection and served as Montana's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) president. She earned her undergraduate degree in health and human performance, but she is More Than An Athlete, as described below, in her own words:
More than an athlete means a lot to me because I've struggled with being a college athlete and buying into the false belief that my identity lies solely in my sport. Realizing that being an athlete only scratches the surface has been so freeing for me. I love playing volleyball and I've worked really hard these past few years in my career here, but there are so many other things I am so proud of that have also helped shape who I am today.
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Catie working in the NICU unit at Community Medical Center.
I've wanted to be a nurse for as long as I can remember, and I've always loved babies and children. In high school, I volunteered with YoungLives, a Christian organization that helps provide support to young mothers, and that experience changed my life. I knew after that I wanted to work in the health field with babies. Nursing is something I can't do while I play volleyball, so I decided to study health and human performance with a pre-nursing concentration. I graduated a year early with my bachelor's degree so I could start my master's in public health. My plan is to go on to nursing school after I finish my master's, but I've loved immersing myself in the public health field.
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One of the highlights of my schooling was an internship I did last summer at the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) at Community Medical Center here in Missoula. I worked the night shift, which involved a lot of caffeine, and got to assist the nurses in taking care of the babies. I got to be a part of a number of deliveries, attend educational sessions, discharge babies, help with care times, deliver vaccines, create baby photoshoots (yes, it's as cute as you're imagining), and lots and lots of baby cuddles.
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I absolutely fell in love with this work during the internship, which reinforced my passion for working in this field.
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Some of the other things I am passionate about in public health include studying health disparities, providing care for vulnerable populations, advocating for children and young parents, and non-profit work.
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Catie with volleyball's Team IMPACT teammate, Elle.
I also am associated with Team IMPACT, which matches children who are facing a serious illness with college teams. I heard about this organization and signed our team up, and the relationship our team has formed with our matched family has changed my life. Team IMPACT has brought so much joy to me and has helped renew my perspective on life. Â Aside from all of that, I am an avid book nerd, a sister to two brothers, an auntie to a sweet little girl, and a dog mom to Rillo. I enjoy baking shows, sunsets, country music, board games, coffee, crafting, being outdoors, Wii tennis (I'm undefeated), meeting new people, coaching, watching rom-coms, writing notes, spending time with my family and eating chocolate.
 Being involved in all of this has helped me learn so much about myself and has honestly helped me enjoy my sport more. I think by being involved with all of these things, it has helped enrich my college experience. I have immersed myself in this community in Missoula and it has made my experience here so fulfilling in ways that go beyond the wins or losses I've experienced.
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As I enter into my final year as a collegiate athlete, I have nothing but gratitude for all of the opportunities I've been given that have helped shape who I am today, which is someone who's so much more than just a volleyball player.
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