At Swarthmore, Victor Brady ’13 was an Honors political science and history major, play-by-play announcer, student assistant coach (field hockey, softball), and administrative assistant (men’s basketball, women’s lacrosse). Today he is head field hockey coach at Bryn Mawr College.

Brady’s involvement on campus grew to reflect his versatility and drive. He held positions as a student assistant coach for field hockey and softball, administrative assistant for basketball and lacrosse, and sports editor for The Phoenix and The Daily Gazette. He served as student body president, bridging diverse communities with his leadership.

Brady chose to pursue a career in the sport that has captured his attention since high school: field hockey. He started on staff at Denison University, then coached at Smith College while he earned a master’s degree in exercise science.

“Field hockey is about principles, creativity, and making confident decisions in a fast-changing environment,” he says. “I try to create a space where athletes can develop those skills, not just for the game, but for life.”

Bill Cunningham ’56 was a religion major and raced to victory in track and cross country for the Garnet. Today, he’s still running — setting records and inspiring perseverance across the globe.

Hired as head coach in 2015, Brady has transformed Bryn Mawr’s field hockey team from underdogs into national contenders as he led the program to its first NCAA Tournament appearance and victory in 2024. His approach — grounded in teamwork, adaptability, and resilience — echoes the lessons learned at Swarthmore, proving that the values cultivated on campus extend into every facet of his life.

Brady draws on his Swarthmore experiences to create a collaborative environment for athletes.

“At Swarthmore, learning was dynamic and interactive,” he says, “I approach coaching the same way.”

Bill Cunningham ’56’s mission in life is finding where he’s most needed and delivering, whether that’s in competitive running, in his community, or across the globe. His journey is a testament to perseverance, forged over miles of one stride after another, and years of selfless service.

At Swarthmore, Cunningham joined the track and field team, ready to run whatever distance the team required. As a freshman, that meant focusing on the half-mile. By his sophomore and junior years, he became the two-mile specialist, before returning to the half-mile his senior year. The highlight of his college running career came in 1956 when Swarthmore faced Haverford in the annual track meet that would decide the coveted Hood Trophy contest between the rival schools. With everything on the line, Cunningham edged out two strong Haverford runners, posting a personal best and helping secure the meet for the Garnet.

Running didn’t stop after graduation. Cunningham embraced road running during the 1970s running boom and found his way back to the track in later life through the National Senior Games. In 2023, now in the 90-year-old division, he dominated his events, placing second in the 400 meters and setting National Senior Games records in the 800 and 1,500 meters.“Running taught me perseverance,” he says. “As you age, fewer competitors stick with it. That persistence has been essential throughout my life.”

Off the track, Cunningham’s life followed a similarly dynamic path. A religion major at the College, he went on to seminary at Drew University. There, he met his future wife, later following her to her native Philippines where they were married. He and Carolina Clemente Cunningham embarked on the arduous challenges of service work in the remote area of Luzon on the eastern side of the Sierra Madre mountains. They were founding teachers at a church-sponsored high school that grew into a university as the area developed.

The couple taught English and self-reliance to future generations of Filipinos. Later, Cunningham transitioned to a 25-year teaching career in Hawaii, primarily teaching English as a second language to immigrant communities.

From his days on the track to his decades of teaching, Cunningham embodies the grit and determination it takes to cross life’s finish lines — whether they’re on a track or in the communities he’s served so selflessly. Even now, he says, “I’m still running for Swarthmore.”

For Ladulé Lako LoSarah ’09, soccer has always been more than a game — it’s a life philosophy. The beautiful game mirrors his journey, with its blend of strategy, collaboration, and purpose. Whether orchestrating assists on Swarthmore’s soccer field or building opportunities through the sport globally, LoSarah’s story is a testament to the transformative power of soccer.

“Our mission is to create the next generation of leaders who will be able to usher in peace and unity,” says Ladulé Lako LoSarah ’09, an environmental science and French major. LoSarah is empowering youth and building futures worldwide through the transformative power of the game.

LoSarah’s choice to attend Swarthmore was deliberate; he was drawn far from his Southern California roots by the College’s intellectual rigor. Joining the men’s soccer team during its ascent under Coach Eric Wagner, LoSarah brought a creative spark to a defensive powerhouse. His ability to set up teammates made him a cornerstone of the team’s success, culminating in a Centennial Conference championship and an NCAA tournament run during his senior year.

“The feeling when the final whistle blew, and we celebrated together, is one I’ll never forget,” says LoSarah.

After graduation, LoSarah became the first Swarthmore soccer alumni to play professionally in a country’s top league, competing in the top divisions of Macedonia, Trinidad, and the Maldives, while also featuring in the lower divisions of Germany and Thailand.

Representing South Sudan, his father’s homeland, LoSarah earned international caps, adding the biggest stage to his soccer journey.

Transitioning to coaching, LoSarah applied his on-field insights to elevate teams at every level. From college sidelines at Pomona-Pitzer, Illinois Wesleyan, Texas A&M International, and UC–Riverside, to professional with Union Omaha, and now the San Jose Earthquakes, he brings a player-first mindset. At Riverside, he helped secure the program’s second-ever Big West title and NCAA Tournament berth.

But LoSarah’s most profound contributions lie off the pitch. As founder of Future Stars Football Academy in Juba, South Sudan, he uses soccer to empower youth, providing pathways for education and leadership.

“Soccer teaches teamwork, communication, and the joy of working toward a common goal,” he says.

LoSarah’s story is one of unselfish play — on the field and in life. At Swarthmore, he ranked among the program’s top 10 in assists, a stat symbolic of his greater mission: enabling others to succeed.

From sparking goals in Centennial play to igniting change in South Sudan, LoSarah’s career is a reminder that the game’s most enduring victories are the ones shared with others. For more information: Futurestarsjuba.org; Instagram: fsfa.juba; Facebook: FSFA-Future Stars Football Academy.

As a student-athlete, Kathryn Riley ’10 rewrote the record books. A graduate and current associate professor at Swarthmore, her journey is a story of dedication, adaptability, and an unrelenting love for process over outcome — a philosophy honed as much in the pitching circle as in the chemistry lab.

Riley’s four-year tenure on the softball team saw her transform from a promising recruit to the cornerstone of a program reaching new heights. In her dual role as slugger and pitching ace, she was a dominant force, earning All-Conference honors every year and helping lead the team to its first postseason in decades. She remains etched in the College’s athletic lore, holding nine school records, a place in the Hall of Fame, and a spot on the Centennial Conference Silver Anniversary Team. As pitching coach, Riley helped guide the team to its first conference championship in 2023.

Kathryn Riley ’10 dominated in the softball circle and the chemistry lab as a student-athlete. Today she’s a Swarthmore professor who continues to inspire with her strategic approach to challenges on and off the field.

Riley’s passion for chemistry rivals her love for the game. After earning a Ph.D., she began working at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. However, the isolated research in a government lab lacked the human energy she craved. Steering back to academia, she rekindled a love for teaching at her alma mater through the Consortium for Faculty Diversity and a postdoctoral fellowship. Today, Riley is a tenured professor in Swarthmore’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, balancing teaching, research, and service. She is also the assistant softball coach.

Her duality as a pitcher and hitter reflects her professional life. In both roles, she excels in combining instinct with strategy. Whether it’s deciding the perfect pitch sequence on Clothier Fields, replicating the optimal hitting stroke in Lamb-Miller, or guiding students through an intricate chemical reaction, Riley thrives in the cerebral yet action-driven aspects of her craft.

“As a pitcher, every single pitch had a strategy. You break the game down into manageable parts,” Riley says. “That approach carries over to the classroom and the lab — it’s about understanding the problem in front of you and tackling it with a clear plan.”

Michelle Walsh ’98 navigated a rich athletics career at Swarthmore, excelling in three varsity sports: field hockey, basketball, and softball. A varsity letter winner and team captain, she earned all-conference honors and broke school records, which eventually earned her induction into the Garnet Athletics Hall of Fame.

Her field hockey seasons were marked by program-wide success.

“My teammates were much better, and that really drove me,” she says. “I wanted to rise to their level, and that competitiveness pushed me forward.”

Winter brought basketball, the sport she loved most despite its challenges. She played all five positions on the floor across three coaching changes during her time in Tarble Pavilion. Her grit countered her height disadvantage against some opponents (but couldn’t prevent two broken noses in one season). In spring, she was a standout on the softball field, setting school batting records.

Michelle Walsh ’98 was an engineering major who excelled in field hockey, basketball, and softball. She broke records and earned Hall of Fame honors. Today, she is director of athletics & physical education at Vassar College, shaping the future of college athletics as a nationally recognized administrator.

Walsh started her professional journey as an automation consultant, working on Y2K compliance. Unfulfilled, she pivoted to coaching and athletics administration, with stints at six different U.S. colleges and universities, earning master’s degrees in exercise science and business administration.

Walsh credits her years as a Garnet student-athlete for shaping her resilience, adaptability, and collaborative mindset — qualities that define her professional success. For the last decade, she directed all aspects of Vassar’s athletics department, managing 29 varsity programs, supporting 600 student-athletes, and overseeing 40 full-time coaches and administrators.

“Athletics is a microcosm for the rest of campus,” Walsh explains. “We have to know admissions, fundraising, academic support, rules enforcement, and, above all else, we have to understand and support our students, leading them by example.”

Walsh’s leadership roles extend to the national level, including serving on prestigious NCAA committees such as the Management Council, which oversees the implementation of policies by the NCAA’s Board of Governors and Division III Presidents Council.

Navigating both the academic and athletic challenges at the College taught her perseverance.

“Sport wasn’t just a distraction for me; it was an anchor,” she says. “It gave me a space where I had a little more confidence than I did in the classroom.”

For the Loeffler brothers, basketball has been both a passion and a proving ground. Josh ’03 and Shane ’16 translated their time on the court at Swarthmore into thriving careers as basketball coaches, shaped by the lessons they learned both on and off the white maple hardwood in Tarble Pavilion.

Josh, the eldest of the three Loeffler brothers who attended Swarthmore (Chris is a 2004 graduate), arrived on campus as a two-sport athlete in basketball and football. Josh’s Swarthmore experience was defined by a blend of challenges and triumphs. He played under Coach Lee Wimberly.

“Lee understood the pressures of Swarthmore,” Josh reflects. “He made basketball an escape — a space where we could work hard and just enjoy the game.”

Shane Loeffler ’16 celebrates after a Swarthmore win.

Josh Loeffler ’03, head men’s basketball coach at Loyola University Maryland, talks with his players. Josh and Shane honed their leadership skills on the court. Now they coach at Division I and III programs and embody basketball’s transformative power, fostering growth and connection while carrying Swarthmore’s values into their careers.

Josh’s post-Swarthmore path led to coaching roles at all levels of college basketball, including successful head coaching posts at Stevens Institute of Technology (N.J.) and Johns Hopkins University, and turns as an assistant coach at Division I University of Cincinnati, Rutgers University, and Loyola University, Maryland.

Now, back at Loyola as its new head coach, Josh credits Swarthmore’s intimate athletic environment for teaching him the importance of relationships. “That’s what college sports is supposed to be about on every level,” he says. “Whether it was trainers, professors, or coaches, everyone contributed to my growth. It’s a lesson I carry into coaching today.”

Shane followed his brothers to Swarthmore and carved out his own legacy as a point guard and captain. He helped lead the Garnet to their first appearance in the Centennial Conference championship game in 2016.

After one year coaching at Randolph College (VA), Shane returned to Swarthmore as an assistant coach and helped steer the team’s meteoric rise — multiple Centennial titles, a No. 1 Division III ranking, and a trip to the national championship game.

“Swarthmore fosters intentionality,” says Shane, now the associate head basketball coach at Swarthmore. “From the classroom to the court, you learn to value preparation, collaboration, and precision.”

The brothers also credit the College’s financial aid for enabling their journeys. “Without Swarthmore’s support, coaching might not have been an option,” Josh explains. “Graduating without debt let us focus on pursuing careers that make an impact.”

The brothers’ basketball journeys have diverged, but their bond remains strong.

“When we’re not coaching against each other, we’ll call to talk shop,” Shane says. “Sometimes it’s Xs and Os, other times it’s recruiting or sharing insights about trends in the game. Josh’s experience in Division I brings a unique perspective I can learn from, and I hope I can offer him the same.”

Josh values Shane’s input and insights into the nuances of coaching a high-achieving program at a Division III level.

“Shane’s work at Swarthmore is remarkable,” he says. “His ability to adapt and innovate, while fostering strong relationships with his players, is something I admire. I often find myself calling him to pick his brain about strategy or how he’s managing his team culture.”

Today, the Loeffler brothers represent two sides of the coaching coin: Josh shaping a Division I program, and Shane maintaining Swarthmore’s nationally prominent standing. But they are united by a shared ethos: Basketball is more than a game — it’s a platform for growth, connection, and lasting impact.