Cynthia Barboza Wilkes, 2023
She was the Gatorade National High School Player of the Year from Long Beach Wilson HS in 2003-04 & 2004-05, and the #1 HS recruit in the country when she signed at Stanford as the ‘Volleyball Magazine’ HS Player of the Year. She played for the USA Youth Team that won the gold medal at the 2002 NORCECA event and was voted as the best serve-receiver. She won a bronze medal at the 2003 Pan-American Games, and was an alternate for the 2004 USA Olympic Team. After tearing her ACL as a freshman, she led Stanford to three straight NCAA title matches in 2006, ‘07, & ’08, earning NCAA All-American and twice All-Tournament honors. She was the 2008 Pac-10 Scholar-Athlete of the Year. She started in the 2007 Pan-American Games that won the bronze medal, and was again an alternate for the 2008 USA Olympic Team. She played with the USA National Team through 2011, finishing with another bronze at the 2011 Pan-American Games. She continued playing internationally before retiring after 2014. She recently completed her Ph.D. in Public Policy & Management as a USC Research Assistant for the USC Center for Social Innovation. She is a mother of three young children.