Michelle Savuto ’15

Hometown:  Ridgewood, NJ

Major: Sociology and Health, Science, Society and Policy (HSSP)

Minor: Economics and Legal Studies

How long have you been playing soccer?

I’ve been playing since I was about six years old. 

What position do you play?

Goal Keeper

Did you come to Brandeis because of soccer or did you join the team once you were here?

I was recruited to play soccer at Brandeis but I primarily came to Brandeis because of the school’s academic reputation.

How do you like being a team captain? What other responsibilities are involved?

So far it’s going really well. I love the team and I would do anything for them. So it is nice to be able to contribute more to the team and work with my other co-captains to help the team reach its goals. My biggest responsibilities are to be support my coach and my teammates the best that I can.

Are you involved in anything else on campus?

In the Spring, when I don’t have as many obligations with the soccer team, I’m involved in the Mountain Club, Amnesty International, and the Waltham Group.

How do you balance your extracurricular with your schoolwork?

I’m a morning person so I do most of my homework in the morning and use the rest of the day for whatever I need to do.

I hear you went abroad last semester, what was the best part about that? Where did you go and what made you choose that? 

I think the best part about studying in the Netherlands was learning about the country’s rich history and cultural quirks. I traveled all over the place because the Netherlands is in such a convenient location to get almost anywhere in Europe.  I went to Ireland, Germany, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Belgium, Italy and Poland. Most of my trips were spontaneous decisions because airfare is so cheap.  For example, I went to Poland because my friend and I decided one weekend that we shouldn’t leave Europe without seeing Auschwitz. 

What is your favorite thing about fall at Brandeis?

I always look forward to Fall Fest and I’m a huge fan of fall-flavored foods. Bake anything pumpkin, cinnamon, or apple flavored and I guarantee you that it won’t last two minutes on a kitchen counter.

Do you have any advice for freshman athletes?

When you get to campus, it’s very tempting to only hang out with your teammates and other athletes.  While that’s great, I think it’s really important to make friends with all kinds of people.  I’ve met some of the most fun and caring people off the soccer field.     

What is one thing you could not live without?

I couldn’t live without my running shoes.  On days when I’m stressed or anxious about something all I have to do is go for a run and everything seems okay again.  Exercise gives me the mental clarity to tackle my problems. 

When can we see you play next?

Our big upcoming home games are Bates, Wellesley, Smith, Rochester, Washington University of St. Louis, Chicago, and NYU.  After the big turnout at our MIT game, I’m really looking forward to seeing our fans stick around to cheer us on.  This is a huge year for us and we won’t disappoint.

Favorites: 

Movie: Fried Green Tomatoes

Band/Artist: Jay-Z

Weekend Activity: Eating cereal with my housemates at 2am.