Brittany Pereda graduated from Loyola Marymount with double major in Law and Business Marketing as a softball student athlete, and received her MBA from Concordia while being a graduate assistant coach for the softball team. Pereda has been on the Concordia Athletic staff since 2017 and is the Assistant Athletic Director of Operations and Development, the Senior Woman Administrator, Student- Athlete Advisory Committee Advisor and the Deputy Title IX Coordinator.

Q: How did your previous work experience help you before coming back to work at Concordia?
A: “The years between graduating from CUI with my MBA and returning in fall 2017 were full of what seemed to be very random jobs. I was trying to figure out my career path while taking jobs to pay the bills. Looking back, each job I had, no matter how significant, prepared me for this role. Each job provided its own unique experience, skillset and networking opportunities that perfectly led me to where I am today. When I was in the grind of that period of my life, I didn’t realize God was setting me up for this job.”

Q: What inspired you
to take on the role of overseeing the Student- Athlete Advisory Committee?
A: “If you know me, you know working with SAAC is my favorite part of my job. Oftentimes because of my role here at CUI my interaction with student-athletes can be centered around difficult conversations or traumatic experiences. Working with SAAC is the consistent, positive, bright light that refills my tank and reminds me what it’s all about. Plus, I just think they are the coolest.”

Q: As the Title IX coordinator, can you explain what it is?
A: “I serve the campus and our athletics department in a two- fold way. I serve as one of three Deputy Title IX Coordinators on this campus, alongside Megan BouslaughandStephanie Staley to oversee all things Title IX. Simply put, Title IX is a federal regulation prohibiting discrimination based on gender. This can include but is not limited to, sexual assault, harassment, dating violence, stalking, etc. Specifically for athletics, my Title IX role is to ensure that our male and female student-athletes have equal opportunity to participate in collegiate athletics at CUI and maintain NCAA compliance in that regard.”

Q: What are the
challenges of your Title IX position?
A: “We all know CUI is a very small campus where you see the same faces regularly. Majority of the conversations, disclosures or investigations I receive remain confidential so sometimes it can be challenging separating the human side of me and the protocol of the process. Someone might have just disclosed a life changing moment to me, and being able to balance grace and compassion with difficult questioning and justice can be a challenge.

Q: What do you love most about your positions at Concordia?
A: “The nature of my role can be heavy, emotional yet rewarding and impactful all at the same time. Even through the difficult conversations, it is very rewarding to be able to lead and serve our student-athletes. To see them succeed and be a part of their journey is the greatest joy. This is also the primary reason I teach a class or two so I can continue to engage with students and be a part of their story. I love that every day is different and slightly unpredictable as well!”

Q: What advice would you give to a college student going into their future career?
A: “Say ‘yes’ until you’re exactly where you want to be. That one relationship or that one job might just be the ticket to getting you to where you want to go. Yes, you might stretch yourself thin, get tired, but I feel like people hand-cuff themselves by overthinking opportunities, situations and relationships. It may not make sense at the moment, but as you look back on your life, everything starts to line itself up to get you exactly where you are. Also, never stop learning. Nothing is useless. Be coachable and a great listener.”

Q: Do you have any advice for women specifically who are interested in a career in athletics?
A: “There are so many opportunities in athletics and the more education we can get out there about the opportunities that exist, the better. While we have a long way to go, there are increasingly more women represented in college athletics administration and we are very fortunate to have a predominately female administration at CUI. Whether it is the SWA role (my role), or Director of Athletics, compliance, sports information, etc. there are so many incredible opportunities. I would encourage you to get curious about what opportunities exist and figure out what aligns with your skill set.”

Tags: women's athletics, Men's Athletics, Careers and Vocation

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