As a coach, Mark Mueller encourages his student-athletes to utilize consistent time management and study skills. At Stanford University, he studied the functional analysis of movement and nutrition, which provided him with a strong background in speed, power, and agility training. He has a unique personal experience with, and understanding of, injury prevention and rehabilitation, which has influenced his strong belief that constant communication between athletes and coaches is a critical part of athlete safety. Over the past six years, he has developed custom training, conditioning, and strength development programs for athletes at all levels of experience. Currently, he is continuing his pursuit of his calling to teach by working at his master’s degree at Duke Divinity School and to his calling as a coach by assisting with the Varsity Duke Track and Field Team. Prior to joining PATHworks, he founded Sports & Scholars – a tutoring company dedicated to challenging students and athletes to reach their full potential by developing a love of learning.
Marissa Ferrante received a BA from Stanford University and is currently in a joint Single Subject Teaching Credential in Mathematics and MA in Education program. As a future middle school math teacher, she is eager to encourage students to explore STEM fields, as this tends to be the age when many students lose interest in math and science. Marissa grew up as a multi-sport athlete and competed on the Varsity Cross-Country team at Stanford. Her true athletic passion is in triathlon and she won the 2012 USAT Collegiate Triathlon National Championship and competed at two ITU Elite World Championships.
Caitlin Fitzpatrick's interest in sports as a tool for youth development was sparked while evaluating Nike-funded sports for girls’ empowerment programs in Egypt as a graduate student. Pursuing an interest in education, she joined Teach for America as a 2nd grade teacher in the Bay Area for two years. Later, as an Education Pioneers Fellow she evaluated and re-designed the student impact data metrics, systems and tools for Tutorpedia Foundation, an organization providing free tutoring to students in low-income communities in the Bay Area. Caitlin holds a Master's in International Affairs from the Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts in East Asian Studies from Barnard College. Caitlin is currently a first year MBA student at the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business, where she is focusing on the intersection of business and social impact, particularly in the sports industry.
Mubeen Khumawala’s passion for education and social impact came when he joined Teach for America in 2009. He started his career in Houston, TX at YES Prep Brays Oaks where he was a founding staff member teaching 6th grade math and was the math department chair. During his time at YES Prep Brays Oaks, Mubeen also started the boy’s basketball team and led the team to 2nd place in the district in its first year. During the spring of 2011 and 2012, he also co-led his 6th grade students on outdoor camping trips where they learned skills such as kayaking, archery, and many others. Mubeen holds a Bachelor’s of Business Administration in Accounting and Finance from the University of Houston. Mubeen is currently a first year MBA student at the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business, where he is focusing on social impact.
Leah Koestner received a BS in Economics at Arizona State University's WP Carey School of Business. After graduating in 2009, she began working in the Arizona Governor’s Office of Strategic Planning & Budgeting, helping develop a budget for the State during the worst budget crisis in recent history. She became passionate about education policy while working at the Office of Economic Recovery, where she acted as a project manager for federal education grant applications for Arizona’s students. Aside from her work in public policy, Leah co-founded GoMusicals in 2009, a company that writes and licenses new musicals for high schools and community theaters. Leah holds a Master in Public Policy degree from the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley.
Not only has Ronnie made incredible waves in the NFL, but his dedication to youth and community development is almost unparalleled. With Ronnie's guidance, the benefits that PATHworks will bring to young student-athletes around the Bay Area are endless!
About Ronnie Lott:
Lott is a former American college and professional football player. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for fourteen seasons (1981-95) during which the versatile defensive back earned 10 Pro Bowl invitations at three different positions-cornerback, free safety, and strong safety. In his 10 seasons with the 49ers, San Francisco won eight NFC Western Division titles and four Super Bowls. He was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2002, and is widely considered one of the best defensive backs in NFL history.
Lott is just as impressive off the field as he was on. He is a venture capitalist who co-founded HRJ Capital, a private equity investment manager, and founded Olympus Capital, a minority-controlled firm. Lott also does much to help his community; he founded All Stars Helping Kids, a nonprofit organization that has helped disadvantaged youth in the Bay Area for 25 years.
Lott is a graduate of the University of Southern California where he received a bachelor's degree in public administration.
As a native Bay Area, Californian, outdoor activities were instilled at a young age and fortified through many organized and extreme sports over the years. Graduating from UC Berkeley in Finance and Marketing from the Haas School of Business, Kim Helgans worked for IBM and NYNEX Corporations. Post graduating from U.C. Berkeley, Kim was exposed to the benefits of Yoga via her background of dance. Hours of competitive bike racing and triathlons deepened her need to bring more yoga to help balance her body and mind. Kim has found the positive impact of the physical and mental benefits of yoga and works to share and teach to college athletes as a Sports Performance Yoga and Stretch Coach. She works teams and individual athletes at U.C. Berkeley and the San Francisco Bay Area.
Kim also works with PrAna Clothing and Lifestyle Corporation to promote Yoga for Athletes presenting and teaching the benefits of Yoga. Kim and Nanci Conniff, Sports Performance Coach at Stanford are both founders of the Athletic Yoga Alliance to improve the knowledge and education of yoga instructors involved in athletics.
Having competed at an elite level across five different sports since the age of six, US Olympian Erica McLain credits much of her personal development to sports. From an early age, her athletic involvements helped to increase her confidence and developed her ability to persevere in the face of adversity. After graduating from Stanford University with a BA in Communication & a minor in Studio Art, Erica pursued her gift in track & field, representing the US at the 2008 Olympic Games & signing an athletic contract with NIKE, Inc. Although a traumatic training accident has since ended her athletic career, Erica remains committed to her mission of promoting sports as a vehicle for social development. Erica is an active member of Athletes for Hope & Harper for Kids, and is an Advisory Board member of the Jerry Smith Coaching for Life Academy. Erica holds an MBA from UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business ('15).