WINONA, Minn. - Mikaela (Girard) Gitto was a four-year member of the Winona State Volleyball team. Gitto earned her bachelor's degree in Psychology in 2015, along with a minor in Business Administration. Gitto was named to the NSIC All-Academic Team in 2012, 2013, and 2014. This honor is given to student-athletes who achieve a 3.20 cumulative GPA or higher. She also received the WSU Presidential Scholar-Athlete Award in 2012-2013, 2013-2014, and 2014-2015, which recognizes student-athletes who achieve a semester GPA of 3.20 or higher. Mikaela is currently the Director of HR at Sentry Equipment. Mikaela is motivated by creating a positive employee experience and empowering individuals to bring their best selves to work.
 
What was your favorite sports memory during your time at WSU?
Definitely all of the time spent with my teammates. Getting to play a sport I love at a collegiate level was amazing, but it pales in comparison to the lifelong friendships and camaraderie with my teammates.
 
What would you say is your greatest athletic or academic accomplishment during your time at WSU?
Athletically, it would be ranking #2 for all time high hitting percentage in a single match. Academically, making the NSIC All-Academic team 3 years in a row.
 
How has your WSU athletics experience been influential throughout your life?
Lifelong friendships for sure, but the experience of being an athlete at the collegiate level taught me so many important lessons and skills that have served me well in life. There is a certain work ethic, grit, and self-discipline that is required to be a student-athlete, and those skills have served me well in life.
 
Please share any recent professional or personal accomplishments.
Last year at the age of 29, I was promoted to HR Director and added to the executive team at my company, which is a 65 million dollar a year manufacturing company. I was promoted after returning from maternity leave, so I'm now a mom and an executive. While I am far from perfect at it, I consider balancing both roles to be a major personal accomplishment!
 
What is your current occupation, and what are your career goals?
I am an HR Director, and I hope to one day be a Chief Human Resource Officer (CHRO) and sit on various boards for other companies.
 
What advice would you give to current WSU student-athletes?
It's easy in the moment to get caught up in the drama of playing time, injuries, coaching decisions, etc. Those things are important, but it's more important to see the experience as an opportunity to do what you love now while also building great skills for the future. The days are long, but the years are short - cherish all the moments throughout your experience while also prioritizing learning skills and learning about yourself so when you graduate, you're ready to put those skills into practice in new ways as you launch your life/career.
 
Please include any additional information you would like to share.
I loved my WSU experience!
 
 
If any current Warrior student-athletes are interested in connecting with Mikaela Gitto, please reach out to your SAS team advisor to get her contact information.
 
If you are a Winona State student-athlete alum and would like to be featured in the Alumni Spotlight series, please fill out the Alumni Spotlight Questionnaire.