General

SAAC Spotlight: UAA's Moro Bamber

Part of a regular series:

Throughout the year, GNACsports.com uses this space to profile conference student-athletes who are members of their respective institution's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). In addition to providing feedback on the student-athlete experience, conference and institutional SAAC members also offer input on the rules, regulations and policies that affect student-athlete’s lives on NCAA member campuses.

Name: Moro Bamber
Sport: Alpine Skiing
Institution: University of Alaska Anchorage
Year: Senior
Major: Computer Science
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
 
 
Why did you choose to attend the University of Alaska Anchorage?: I thought it'd be a unique experience in an interesting place. Alaska provides a great venue for Alpine Skiing and I love racing here. I also thought the engineering school seemed quite robust so that was a draw as well.
 
Who has been your favorite professor thus far and why?: I really enjoyed having Dr. Rieken Venema as my professor for probability and statistics. I liked how he presented the information and was as fair as can be.
 
What is the favorite class you have taken in college and why?: My favorite class I have taken has been Computer Hardware Concepts because it's really hands-on. A large portion of the class revolves around in-person labs where we get to build circuits on circuit boards using logic we designed ourselves. I liked applying what we learned in the classroom to the real-world to comprehend better how computer logic works.
 
How many years were you involved in SAAC?: Two years.

What made you want to be involved in SAAC?: To make a positive impact on the athletic department and to represent my sport and advocate for the team.

What is the most important thing you've learned from balancing the demands of athletics and academics?: Organization and time management. Juggling two important things at once and succeeding in both is difficult. So the strategies I use to succeed in and out of the classroom are key.
 
Most memorable sports-related moment: Winning my first international-sanctioned competition. It was a slalom in Canada and I was surrounded by a lot of friends and great teammates.
 
Best advice I’d give to an incoming freshman: Make friends, and be active in communication with professors; they are willing to help as long as communication is fluid.
 
What does it mean to you to be a Division II student-athlete?: I wanted to compete in the NCAA for a long time before I came to UAA so it is amazing to fulfill that long-term goal.
 
What is the biggest obstacle you have overcome during your collegiate career?: Lots of traveling puts a strain on academics; so being able to balance competition and school while making sure I do what I need to be successful in both.
 
Who are your current mentors?: My parents. They are incredibly supportive of me. I am grateful every day for having them.
 
What hobbies/passions do you have outside of your sport: Mountain biking, drawing, reading
 
One thing that people don't know about me is: I am a dual citizen of the U.S. and Canada.
 
Favorite athlete: Jason Bay, former MLB player
 
Favorite sports team: Toronto Blue Jays
 
If you could spend the day with one person (past or present), who would it be and why?: Aldous Huxley. I've read some of his books and I just think he'd be a fascinating person to pick the brain of.
 
Podcast or book that I recommend to other student-athletes and why: The Fatal Shore -- it's the history of Australia's founding and it is simply incredible.