Athletic Educators.

Athletes, College Tennis, Empowering, Connecting, Athletic Educator, Mentor, Tennis, NCAA

  • Founder & Tennis Educator | LinkedIn | Website

    Tennis has been a part of his life for +20 years from playing at the local park districts around Chicago to playing for the University of Illinois-Chicago Division 1 Men's Tennis team.

    Before entering university, he was ranked top 10 in doubles and top 50 in singles in the USTA-Midwest section. In high school, he finished 4th in doubles at the IHSA State Championships and received honors including all-conference, all-state, and all-American.

    If interested in connecting, he can speak directly to the importance of making thoughtful decisions during the recruiting process, what it’s like to be a collegiate athlete, managing academics and athletics, the U.S. college education system, and transitioning out of college.

    Since graduating, he has become an Operational Director, Tennis Advocate and Coach, and Real Estate Professional, continuing to play tennis at every opportunity.

NCAA Athlete, D1 Athlete, Tennis, College Tennis, Empowering

  • Tennis Educator | LinkedIn

    Mitch Granger is a former D1 Student-Athlete and current nationally ranked platform tennis player. In high school, Mitch was ranked in the top 10 in his recruiting class and was awarded a scholarship to play tennis at Western Illinois University. He would later finish his career at the University of Illinois-Chicago.

    Mitch can speak personally to the struggles of being overlooked in the recruiting process, scholarship negotiation, redshirting, the transfer process, and life post-college as an athlete. Mitch loves working with tennis players, of course, but has a broad range of experiences and is open to working with any young athlete is interested in the above topics, as well as, the general recruiting, athletic, and student experience.

    Today, Mitch is a Financial Advisor, avid reader/writer, and has continued his athletic career through the sport of platform tennis where he has been ranked as high as #9 in the country.

Athletes, College Tennis, Empowering, Connecting, Athletic Educator, Mentor, Tennis, NCAA, D1

  • Tennis Educator | LinkedIn

    Kathryn is a former D1 Student-Athlete. She was a top 10 nationally ranked junior in the UK, county champion and part of the winning u18 national club league team. At the University of Illinois-Chicago she played NCAAs and played number 1 singles and doubles.

    Kathryn can provide personal insights into the international recruiting process, living in the U.S. as a student-athlete from the U.K., the differences between the U.K. and U.S. education systems, and career paths outside of sports after college.

    Today, Kathryn is still an avid club player, and enjoys playing socially with her husband. She is an in house legal counsel for a trading company, where she has worked in the Chicago and London offices.  

  • Tennis Educator | LinkedIn

    Mandela attended Waubonsie Valley High School in Aurora, Illinois, where he set a school record with 89 wins. He was a two-time state qualifier and won both a conference and sectional championship. His outstanding performance earned him the title of Aurora Beacon News Boy’s Tennis Athlete of the Year.

    His exceptional performance secured him a Division 1 tennis scholarship. At Western Illinois University, Mandela’s dedication and skill both on and off the court were recognized with several accolades, including being named to the Academic All-Summit League. His consistent performance and leadership were instrumental in his team’s successes throughout his college career.

    Mandela’s journey from high school to college tennis showcases his commitment, talent, and passion for the sport. He played at the top levels, holding the positions of number 1 doubles and number 2 singles at WIU.

    Currently, Mandela is leveraging his competitive spirit and strategic thinking in his role in Enterprise Sales at Microsoft. He focuses on Generative AI and Modern Work tools, helping businesses innovate and thrive in the digital age.

  • Tennis Educator | LinkedIn

    Pelle is a former D1 Student-athlete tennis player from Stockholm, Sweden. As a junior, he ranked amont the top 15 players in Sweden and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Swedish Championship. He also competed in ITF events. During his NCAA career at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Pelle competed at the #1 spot in both singles and doubles. Pelle graduated with a 3.79 GPA and with a degree in Economics and Psychology.

    Fluent in both Swedish and English, Pelle offers valuable insight into how the NCAA recruiting process works within Sweden. Additionally, he can assist with questions about U.S. visas and post-graduation work opportunities (via obtaining OPT - Optional Practical Training). Pelle can also give insight into the student-athlete life, and how to best succeed with academics and sports.

    Currently, Pelle continues to compete in tennis and is set to begin postgraduate studies this fall at the University of Bath in England. There, he will again be a student-athlete, pursuing a degree in Financial Mathematics and Data Science while competing for the university's tennis team.

Mexico City Tennis, College Tennis, Visa, Redshirting, NCAA

  • Tennis Educator | LinkedIn

    Alvaro grew up in Mexico playing competitive tennis his whole life before joining the University of Illinois-Chicago Division 1 Men's Tennis team.

    As a native Spanish speaker, Alvaro can provide feedback and advice on various topics, including selecting the right university, the redshirting process, preparing for college while living outside the U.S., transitioning to post-graduation life, and navigating the H-1B visa process for international students.

    Today, Alvaro is a Sales Performance Manager in Chicago, specializing in data-driven transformations. He holds a bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering and has experience in project management and commercial due diligence.

Costa Rica, Davis Cup Costa Rica Tennis, NCAA Tennis, San Jose Tennis,

  • Tennis Educator | LinkedIn

    Maurizio Feoli is a former Division 1 tennis student-athlete who played all four years at the University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC) on an athletic scholarship from 2011 to 2015.

    Before attending UIC, he was the #1 junior player in Costa Rica and achieved an ITF Juniors career-high ranking of 447. He also represented Costa Rica in the Davis Cup for two years, competing in Trinidad & Tobago and Bolivia.

    If you're interested in connecting with Maurizio, he can offer personal insights into the international student-athlete recruitment process, NCAA international student-athlete eligibility, scholarship negotiation, and life after college as an athlete.

    Today, Maurizio is a Civil Engineer leader with 8+ years of experience managing infrastructure projects for governments, regulatory agencies, and private clients in aviation and transportation. He enjoys staying in shape and loves traveling.

College Tennis, Connecting, Athletic Educator, Mentor, Tennis, NCAA

  • Tennis Educator | LinkedIn

    Chris is a former D1 Student-Athlete. He was a top 20 nationally ranked junior in the U.K., county champion and competed in ITF junior events internationally. At the University of Illinois-Chicago he played number 1 singles and doubles and graduated with a 4.0 GPA.

    Chris can provide personal insight into the international recruiting process including what to look for on a recruiting trip, as well as living in the U.S. as a student-athlete from the U.K., and balancing athletics with academics.

    Today, Chris is still an avid club player, but also enjoys branching out to other sports including football, golf and running. He is a Senior Investment Associate in London specializing in hedge funds, liquid diversifiers, and alternative credit within the Specialist Portfolio Solutions team, and he is a CFA Charterholder