From the Concrete Jungle to the Coffee Capital of the World
By: O'nalisa Hall
From the Big Apple to the "206", tennis stars Jennifer Kerr and Melissa Sakar are in their first seasons as Huskies with over 10+ years of experience to bring to the program, and the past four together as teammates.
Kerr and Sakar both graduated from Columbia University in New York, New York. Kerr earned her Bachelor's degree in Neuroscience and Behavior, while Sakar pursued her degree in Sustainable Development. In their first year as Huskies, Kerr is pursing postbaccalaureate studies and Sakar is working on a Masters of International Relations.
With similar program experience under their belts, both Kerr and Sakar expressed their gratitude for their time at Columbia; but their new experience at Washington has brought some fun changes.
"This is a much smaller team, so it's easier to have everybody on the same page and to hold everybody accountable," said Kerr, a native of Carlsbad, Calif. "You can form close relationships with the staff because you get to spend more time with them.
Sakar, originally from Lauderdale Lakes, Florida, echoed Kerr's thoughts. "I find myself hanging around the athletics campus, going to the training room and chatting," she said. "You can pop into the coaches' offices and give them a chat. At Columbia, in New York City, there's limited space so everything's so far away. They did a great job trying to bring people together, but it's the nature of New York City. It's just a different experience." Melissa Sakar at Columbia where she had a 34-9 dual singles record. Sakar committed to UW and eventually played a role in teammate Jennifer Kerr joining her.
Despite both winding up at Washington, their paths diverged slightly. Sakar was first to commit to UW, knowing she had two years of eligibility, and finding in Seattle the right combination of competitive team and Master's program. But it wasn't until some months later that Sakar reached out and told Kerr that the Huskies had another spot open.
Kerr had been thinking her collegiate tennis days were done.
"I didn't initially have plans to use my fifth year," says Kerr, who had a brief period of time over the summer where she suddenly did not have tennis as a main focus anymore.
"Because of that bit of time (before committing to UW), every single day this year I just come in with a mindset of 'swing free, don't have any regrets, don't try to protect anything, just play loose and trust yourself.' Tennis is so much more fun when you have that confidence to play without inhibition."
Sakar is also viewing this year, and next, as a blessing that came out of the pain of the years missed due to Covid.
"Covid was awful, but it brought this opportunity and I'm super grateful and very privileged," says Sakar. "This is an incredible program and I'm having so much fun every day. The people are awesome. Robin and Georgia really know what they're doing. My dad was my coach growing up, so there was a lot of time and trust that was put into that relationship. Then going to a new program, I think that building that trust is very important, and a lot of time is taken to do that here, which I really appreciate."
The two have been vital parts of the Husky lineup thus far, as Washington has gone 6-3 and moved up to No. 26 in the national polls. Kerr has played No. 4 singles, going 6-1, including a huge upset over a top-30 player on Vanderbilt in UW's 4-3 win over the 9th-ranked Commodores at the National Team Indoor Championships. Sakar has played mostly No. 5 singles, going 5-2 at the spot. Jennifer Kerr at Columbia where she was was a two-time All-Ivy League pick. Kerr is now ranked No. 93 nationally in singles.
Being a student-athlete can be compared to a juggling act. You must attend practices, conditioning sessions, scheduled classes, and set aside time to complete assignments. You must do this all while mastering your sport and trying to find time for yourself. Kerr and Sakar have mastered that balancing act.
"It comes down to time management and that comes with having done four years of college before this," said Kerr. "Having good time management skills and carving out the necessary amount of time to do work and focusing all in, then when I'm at practice I'm all in at practice."
With strong time management skills, organization, and professional presence, both Kerr and Sakar have bright futures ahead. Their time as Huskies is setting them up in different ways for the next chapter of their lives.
Kerr studied neuroscience as an undergraduate. She contemplated jumping straight into med school but after several years in labs decided to hold off for now.
"This year is about finding and exploring a path that intersects with neuroscience. For me, it's going to be computer science or UI UX work," said Kerr. "We're in the exploratory phase."
"I feel like I have a lot of interests," said Sakar. "I studied Sustainable Development in undergrad, so I would like to go into a career like renewable energy or finance. I've also been interested in law. I don't know exactly what my path is, but in terms of direction, I want to do something that would make this world a better place."
Not only do Kerr and Sakar share a special relationship with each other, they expressed the gratitude for the team, coaches, and what it means to be a Washington Husky.
"Trust is a very big word to describe the team as a whole," said Sakar. "I think that comes from the coaches and also each player being genuine towards each other, lifting each other up every single day in practice."
