Throughout the fall semester, the City University of New York Athletic Conference will spotlight campus administrators, who go above and beyond for our student-athletes to ensure they have a positive and successful collegiate experience.
When working in NCAA Division III athletics, administrators are known to wear many different hats. This can be said about
Catherine "Cat" Alves, Deputy Director of Athletics, Recreation and Intramurals at John Jay College.
Alves is involved in many different facets of the department, but most importantly managing the department's budget planning, which spans from capital facility projects to personnel, revenue generation and fundraising.
Like most college campuses across the country, the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on athletic departments financially. But while campuses crunch numbers to figure out a solution, what Alves keeps in the front of her mind are the John Jay student-athletes.
"The biggest thing is, I really miss our students," said Alves. "I miss getting to see them and check-in with them. We already miss them during the summer but especially now with everything going on."
Alves joined the Bloodhounds' staff in 2013 and has seen her role increase over the years. She was an Associate Director for two years before being elevated to Senior Associate Director in 2015 to her current role today. Alves' ascension is a byproduct of working with a great group of students, faculty and staff.
"I think back to my first interview for the role, and John Jay has always been a special place to me," said Alves. "I had an inside look from my time at Hunter. I would visit and there's just something special about the students. I feel that way about every CUNY student – they are tough, they persevere, they're smart and resourceful - but what's different about John Jay students is they go to school to do something good in the world; they have purpose."
Alves isn't a stranger to the City University of New York Athletic Conference, landing her first position in college athletics at Hostos Community College as the Director of Academic Support & Compliance from 2011-13. During her time with the Caimans, she oversaw student-athlete eligibility, roster management, reinstatement, and rules interpretations. She also directed the academic support program, improving program retention rates. Alves believes her time at Hostos served her well in her position today.
"Hostos was amazing! The campus community really makes you feel like family," commented Alves. "I think it's a really important base as an athletics administrator to have some compliance and academics support under your belt, so I'm really glad I got that experience early."
A native New Yorker, Alves is a 2009 graduate from the Macaulay Honors College at Hunter. Macaulay Honors College at CUNY is a highly selective college where New York's most promising students receive the financial and academic support to realize their leadership potential and graduate debt-free.
While Alves excelled in the classroom, she also was a four-year student athlete for the Hawks' softball program. Alves was voted a CUNYAC All-Star in all four seasons, earning CUNYAC Player of the Year honors in her senior campaign. She helped the Hawks reach the CUNYAC Championship in each of her four seasons, highlighted by a pair of conference titles in 2006 and 2008.
In addition, she was a member of the Hawks' Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, serving as SAAC President from 2007-09.
"I'm so happy I went to Hunter for a number of reasons," said Alves. "I had my teammates, the entire athletics department and members of other teams that are still my friends to this day and will forever be. It was a great experience and it helps me relate really well with our students now."
But despite all of her success on the field, Alves' recalls another accomplishment as her proudest moment, being crowned CUNYAC's Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
"I had one major goal in my senior year and that was to be the Scholar-Athlete of the Year," said Alves. "To me that was really important because it combined the academic work I was doing with the athletics part of it. It culminated all the various areas of my life that I worked so hard at."
With her experience as a student-athlete and administrator, Alves believes accountability is important to the success of a student-athlete.
"To me, it boils down to accountability," said Alves. "I think you have to be honest with yourself and be truthful with your teammates and coaches – about your goals as well as your growth areas. Also, it's important to seek out and take advantage of resources. John Jay has such an enormous amount of resources for students, ranging from financial help to career help."
Perhaps Alves' biggest joy of working in college athletics is seeing the student-athletes grow into their own upon graduation.
"My favorite days are when student-athletes come back to visit. They tell me what they're up to and it's really nice to hear them take their careers step-by-step and follow through on some of the dreams they've had."
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