The College of Wooster's Willow Hernishin and Janaki Jagannathan were named to College Sports Communicators' Academic All-District® Team, as announced by the organization on Tuesday afternoon.
Hernishin joined Wooster's women's tennis team this season and contributed as a regular in the lineup at fifth and sixth singles and third doubles. The junior downed Agnes Scott College's Trinavy Le 6-0, 6-2 on the team's spring break trip to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. In doubles, Hernishin won 6-2 over Agnes Scott's Le and Feliz Pearson and 6-4 over Ripon College's Ella Clark and Allison Pavlovec.
The communication studies and German studies major is an intern for the College's marketing and communications team. During the fall semester, Hernishin studied abroad in Germany, and she is a peer tutor within the German department. On campus, Hernishin is a member of the campus chapters of Delta Phi Alpha and Lamda Pi Eta, which are the National German Honor Society and National Communication Association Honor Society. She is the club soccer team's co-president and is part of the ultimate frisbee team. Back home, Hernishin works at Flora Park Garden Center and is a volunteer instructor at Tang Soo Do Karate College, where she is a fourth-degree black belt.
Jagannathan was Wooster's top player this season, posting a 12-11 mark, which included an 8-8 ledger at first singles. In doubles, Jagannathan went 8-13, including 7-9 in the first flight. The senior made a run at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association regional tournament, reaching the semifinals of the consolation bracket. Jagannathan beat Denison University's Elizabeth Hoo 6-4, 4-6, 1-0 (3), Adrian College's Claire Earley 6-1, 6-1, and DePauw University's Valerie Doherty 6-2, 6-3 before falling to John Carroll University's Evelyn Deren 3-6, 6-2, 0-1 (7). Jagannathan won her 100th collegiate match, taking a 6-1, 6-0 decision at No. 1 singles against Ripon College. The 2022 North Coast Athletic Conference Newcomer of the Year's 57 singles wins are second all-time, trailing just the 65 Kirsten Patton tallied from 1985-88. Jagannathan's 45 doubles wins are the sixth-most in program history. She earned seven All-NCAC honors as a Fighting Scot.
Jagannathan's Independent Study focused on how race ties to sibling rivalry and its links to resilience, motivation, self-esteem, and depression. The psychology major's sophomore research analyzed the return of Korean adoptees from the United States to South Korea and how neo-colonial relations between the two countries sustained transnational adoption for six decades. Elsewhere, Jagannathan served as vice president for Mind Matters on campus. The student organization advocates for and educates the campus community about mental health and available resources on campus. Jagannathan works closely with the wellness center and local community organizations to plan and organize events, guest panels, self-care workshops, support groups, and destressing events. She was the president and events coordinator for the South Asia committee, where the group plans events and educates students and the larger community on local customs. Jagannatan was a peer tutor for psychology and worked in the Academic Resource Center as a teaching assistant and a peer mentor for academic advising.
In 2023, Jagannathan was a group counselor for the Cleveland Clinic's summer treatment program. There, she collaborated with other counselors and doctors to help children and families manage ADHD symptoms. Jagannathan utilized therapy techniques, such as token economy and positive reinforcement, to create individualized treatment programs for 8- and 9-year-olds. Jagannathan gained further experience in the psychology field as a crisis support specialist at the Counseling Center of Wayne and Holmes Counties. As a crisis support specialist, Jagannathan accompanied crisis therapists on assessment and welfare checks and conducted outreach calls to clients who have been safely discharged from psychiatric hospitals.
The three-time CSC Academic All-District® qualifier is set to pursue a master's in mental health counseling from Boston College's Lynch School of Education with the aspirations of becoming a licensed mental health counselor.
Each college or university with a CSC membership may submit up to four Academic All-District® honorees for women's tennis. Each nominee must have at least a 3.50 cumulative GPA, be at least a sophomore in academic standing, and be in the lineup for at least 70 percent of matches that have a team score.
