Christina Cornelius
Christina Cornelius
(photo by Chuck Isgar)
Christina Cornelius (center) with Jennifer Weiss (left), coach of the Harvard Women’s Volleyball team and Tommy Amaker (right), coach of the Harvard Men’s Basketball team
– courtesy of Cornelius family
Christina on the Harvard yard, on a recruiting trip in July 2014
(courtesy of Cornelius family)
Tony Cornelius and Christina Cornelius
– photos courtesy of Cornelius family
Windward School’s senior Girls Volleyball captain Christina Cornelius, granddaughter of legendary Soul Train creator and producer Don Cornelius, has announced her decision to attend Harvard University in 2015 and play for the Crimson. She will head to Cambridge in the footsteps of fellow Windward graduate Wesley Saunders ’11, who recently earned 2013-14 Ivy League Basketball Player of the Year accolades.
Cornelius said, “I am so excited to have the chance to attend and play for a university that has such an incredible history and offers so many world-class academic opportunities. I am thankful to all of the programs and coaches who expressed interest in me and am very appreciative for the time they took to introduce me to their schools. But I am certain that Harvard is the right fit as the best place for me to both grow academically and make contributions on the court as a student-athlete.”
Windward’s middle blocker has accumulated numerous accolades in her career with the Wildcats (currently 13-2 and undefeated in league play), most recently receiving a nomination to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-American Team for 2014. A four-year letter winner, Cornelius has also received All-CIF First Team honors, was named divisional All SoCal Team Middle Blocker of the Year, was the 2013 Alpha League MVP, and was named to the All-Tournament Team at Junior National Championships for her club squad.
As she sought to find the college that best fit her many interests – including a deep dedication to service – Cornelius found kindred spirits among the students and coaches at Harvard. As she recalls, “I was impressed by so many things when I visited the school. The players that I met were really welcoming and friendly; they also each had multiple interests that they were able to fully explore while still being a committed student-athlete. It’s so important to me to give back to the community and to help make a difference in people’s lives; for example, I am deeply involved with the Don Cornelius Foundation for Suicide Prevention. And academically, there are so many interests that I’d like to explore at the college level, from communications to marketing and beyond. For me, Harvard offers the whole package, an environment where I feel I can truly grow – as a student, an athlete, and as a citizen.”
Cornelius hopes to make valuable contributions to her future team and praised the Harvard coaching staff’s capacity to motivate players for NCAA success. She now looks forward to making the most of her remaining time at Windward. “With my college choice now made, I can now just concentrate on improving my game and working hard – both on the court and in the classroom – so that I can excel at the college level. I am so thankful to everyone that has helped me to this point in my journey – my parents and family, my coaches, club teammates, teachers, and friends. Their support has meant so much to me.”
Windward’s Girls Volleyball Head Coach and Associate Athletic Director Michelle McGuire said, “It has been such a privilege to coach Christina over the past six years and watch her develop into not only the great player that she has become but the wonderful person that she is today. She has meant so much to this program that it is hard to imagine putting a line up on the floor without her. She has proven to be a great leader both on and off the court, demonstrating sportsmanship, respect for the game and our opponents, and integrity in competition. Beyond that, her passion is evident in so many ways, whether she’s competing in a tournament, volunteering for a service learning project, or helping to mentor young players at our summer camp. Harvard is very lucky to have her and she will missed beyond words. But we look forward to watching her grow as a person and as a student-athlete in this next step of her academic journey.”
Tony Cornelius, father of Christina is proud beyond expression sharing his feeling with the Sentinel. “I’ve watched Christina grow by leaps and bounds since she was very young,” Tony shared. “Her academic achievement as well as her athletic achievement has made us all extremely proud. Being accepted to Harvard has elevated her to believe that dreams are possible. If her grandfather were still here, it would be one of his proudest moments.”
(Los Angeles Sentinel Newspaper Contributed to the Report)
