Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 is a federal law that states: 

"No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance."

Title IX developed out of the University of Maryland refusing to grant Bernice Sandler an interview for a tenure-track position in educational counseling - she was told she came on "too strong for a woman."

Sandler's research and advocacy combined with the work of US House Representatives Patsy Mink and Edith Green before Congress enacted Title IX of the Education Amendments Act, which President Richard Nixon signed into law on June 23, 1972.

In 1972 there were just 30,000 women participating in NCAA sports, as opposed to 170,000 men. Since the enactment of Title IX, women's participation in collegiate sports has grown exponentially to more than 200,000, much closer to 50 percent.

Additionally, Title IX is credited with decreasing the dropout rate of girls from high school and increasing the number of women who pursue higher education and complete college degrees.

There are three basic parts of Title IX as it applies to athletics: 

1. Title IX requires that women and men be provided equitable opportunities to participate in sports.
2. Title IX requires that female and male student-athletes receive athletics scholarship dollars proportional to their participation; and
3. Title IX requires the equal treatment of female and male student-athletes with regard to: equipment, travel, and support services among other categories.

As part of its year-long celebration of the 50th anniversary of Title IX, Academy of Art Athletics will spotlight coaches, staff members, as well as past and present student-athletes from its eight women's sports programs on the 23rd of each month. Stay tuned!

Beth Allen
Golf

After qualifying for the Ladies European Tour (LET) in 2009, Beth Allen went on to win on the Australian Tour and ISPS Handa Ladies European Masters both in 2015. She then became the first American to be recognized with the LET Order of Merit in 2016, adding Player of the Year honors after winning that year's Lacoste Ladies Open de France and the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open. While also serving as a director on the LET Board for two years, Allen was a major contributor toward establishing the LET as a premier professional tour in Europe with more than 30 top 10 finishes and participation in 10 British Opens.

Allen originally qualified for the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour in 2005 with a top 25 finish at the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament. She would compete through 2008 and once again joined the tour in 2017, playing until 2022 when she began as the women's golf head coach at Academy of Art. Allen would take the reins in the Fall prior to the Urban Knights' 2023 spring season which was highlighted by three different All-Tournament Team honorees.

"I remember reading an article in Sports Illustrated in the late 90's when I was in high school that was about Title IX and the impact it had on women's golf scholarships," Allen said. "I had only just started playing golf then, but as soon as I finished the article it was my mission to get an athletic scholarship to any university and have the opportunity to play on the golf team. I have no doubt that my life would be in a completely different place if it wasn't for the opportunity I had to play collegiate golf and that may have never happened if it weren't for Title IX. I am eternally grateful for those who fought for equality and proud to be involved in NCAA athletics."

A quarterfinalist in the 2004 US Women's Amateur Championship, four-time USGA event participant, and 2004 Honorable Mention All-American, Allen won five collegiate tournaments and was the 2004 Big West Conference Champion before earning her bachelor's degree in Creative Writing from Cal State Northridge.

Julia Ortega
Tennis

Coming to Academy of Art in 2019 after achieving 45 tournament victories during her high school career in her home country of Spain, Ortega became a fixture in the Urban Knights' lineup over the four years that followed.

Ortega posted increasingly better singles win totals in each of her first three seasons and would finish with an overall record of 32-14, competing across all six positions throughout her career while adding 12 doubles victories as well. She was a three-time Academic All-PacWest selection, twice an ITA Scholar-Athlete, and once the recipient of the D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award.

"What Title IX means to me is a big opportunity," Ortega said. "Since I was a little kid, I've always wanted to come to the United States, and now being able to be in San Francisco, studying, doing my degree, and also playing my favorite sport of tennis - I think it's a really big opportunity and I'm very grateful for that. Not only that, I think I'm also growing as a person because I'm surrounded by people from different countries who speak different languages, and I think I'm learning a lot from them and their traditions. It's just a really big experience and I'm very grateful for that. I am thankful to Title IX for giving me this opportunity."

Ortega is currently nearing completion of her bachelor's degree in Communications & Media Technologies.

Anahi Servin
Golf

Following a successful high school stint at San Miguel Arcangel in her home country of Paraguay, Servin joined Academy of Art in 2017, beginning what would be one of the most decorated careers in the department's history.

After being named 2018 PacWest Freshman of the Year, Servin went on to earn four WGCA All-American honors (2022, 2021, 2020, 2019), four Pacific West Conference Golfer of the Year awards (2022, 2021, 2019, 2018), four PacWest All-Tournament Team and All-PacWest First Team selections, and was five times Academic All-PacWest all before becoming the conference's first women's golf student-athlete to win the National Championship in 2022. The PacWest Athlete of the Year in her final campaign, she ended with a program record 14 tournament victories in her career (holding all other program records additionally) as well as 17 PacWest Golfer of the Week selections, a conference record across all sports.

"Title IX opened up a whole new world for me," Servin said. "I grew up in a small country in South America, where golf is barely considered a sport and even less considered a sport for females; it's still mainly dominated by men. Having the chance to leave that atmosphere helped me realize how good of a golfer I am and that I can represent my country as well as the guys did, or even better. I can't emphasize enough the wonderful experience I had in college. I loved every single moment of being a student-athlete, the responsibility that I had to carry with that too, and all the friendships from different sports and majors that I was able to have. Lastly, without Title IX, I wouldn't be a National Champion."

After her graduation from the School of Architecture in 2022, Servin began pursuing a professional golf career in Florida.

Nikki Gentile
Softball

After earning two Bay Valley Conference titles, BVC Coach of the Year honors, and a 17-0 conference record across three seasons helmming the softball program at Solano Community College, Nikki Gentile joined Academy of Art in 2020.

In Gentile's first two years at the helm of ART U, the program produced a two-time All-American and the PacWest Freshman of the Year as well as 20 academic honorees and more than 825 community service hours. Her debut campaign had the Urban Knights to achieve their highest slugging percentage (.451) to date and highest batting average (.303) since 2017 then, in 2022, Academy of Art registered its second-most triples (9) in program history.

"As a first-generation college student, my parents didn't know what road it could take," Gentile said. "Being a student-athlete and then a coach has really allowed me to embrace who I am and Title IX has allowed me that opportunity."

Gentile was a top 100 national recruit in 2010 who played three different positions at the University of Iowa. As a senior, she transferred to Coe College and finished her collegiate career by winning a conference championship, First Team All-Conference, and All-Region honors as well as leading the Iowa Athletic Conference in home runs and stolen bases.

After earning her bachelor's degree in Physical Education: Fitness Development from Coe College, Gentile completed her master's degree in Athletic Administration and Sports Management while working as a coach, instructor, and college liaison for All American Softball School out of West Sacramento.

Vashti Thomas
Track & Field

Vashti Thomas originally transferred to Academy of Art in 2011 after competing for NCAA Division I Texas A&M for two seasons. The San Jose, Calif. native from Mt. Pleasant High School would make an immediate impact, setting numerous records and even competing in the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials against future Olympic Gold Medalists such as Brittney Reese. Blazing the trail in ART U's historic 2012-13 campaign, Thomas guided the team to back-to-back NCAA DII National Championships (indoor, outdoor), a feat never before done by a program in its first year of eligibility. In addition to claiming four individual national titles (indoor long jump, 200m, outdoor long jump, 100mH), she scored 35 of the team's 59 points in indoor and 36.25 points of the team's 60 points in outdoor. Following her final NCAA Nationals appearance, Thomas competed in the 2013 World University Games and collected a gold medal for her new WUG record (12.61) in the 100m hurdles. 

An 11-time NCAA DII All-American combining indoor and outdoor, Thomas' resume was truly extensive. Over the course of her two-year ART U career, Thomas was 2012-13 PacWest Women's Athlete of the Year, 2013 PacWest co-Track Athlete of the Year, 2013 USTFCCCA High Point Athlete of the Meet (outdoor), 2013 USTFCCCA NCAA Outdoor West Region Field Athlete of the Year, 2013 USTFCCCA NCAA DII Outdoor All-Region Team (100mH, 200m, 4x100m, 4x400m, LJ, TJ), 2013 USTFCCCA NCAA DII Indoor Track Athlete of the Year, 2013 USTFCCCA High Point Athlete of the Meet (indoor), 2013 USTFCCCA NCAA DII Indoor West Region Track Athlete of the Year, 2013 USTFCCCA NCAA DII Indoor All-Region Team (60m, 60mH, 200m, LJ, TJ, 4x400m), and a three-time USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week (Indoor - Week 3, Outdoor - Week 2 & Week 7).

At the conclusion of her collegiate career, Thomas owned or contributed to 12 ART U records (five indoor, seven outdoor) and 11 of those still remain today. Beyond the program, Thomas is the NCAA DII record holder in the 100mH at 12.70, part of the collegiate record 4x100m shuttle hurdles relay team (52.50), second all-time in the indoor and outdoor long jump, tied for second in the outdoor 200m while third in the indoor 200m, and fifth in the 60mH, among other marks. Thomas would go on to become the first Academy of Art student-athlete to earn a place in the USTFCCCA NCAA DII Athlete Hall of Fame prior to being inducted as part of Academy of Art's first Hall of Fame class.

"I'm thankful for the opportunity to compete with and get to know many wonderful people through sports," Thomas said. "Through competing in track & field, I have been able to learn a lot of important life lessons that continue to propel my life in a positive direction."

After her graduation from the School of Illustration in 2016, Thomas applied to become a police office in San Francisco while also working on freelance illustrations in her spare time. Now a member of the San Francisco Police Department, Thomas works at Bayview Station as a school resource officer.

Sondra Stilwell
Basketball

A native of Redding, Calif., Sondra Stilwell was a team captain and All-Conference selection at Shasta Community College prior to transferring to Academy of Art in 2008. Stilwell served the starting point guard for the inaugural ART U women's basketball during the 2008-09 season and finished as the team's leader in points, assists, and steals for the second straight year in 2009-10. She remains among the program's 10 in career scoring (686 points), 3-pointers made (74), assists (233), and steals (150) while holding the top spot in career assists (4.4) and steals per game (2.8). Her .413 three-point field goal percentage in 2009-10 is still the highest in program history, she is one of two Urban Knights with two 100+ assist seasons, and her 3.5 steals per game in 2008-09 is tied for the Urban Knights' single-season record. Stilwell became the first ART U student-athlete to graduate with her bachelor's degree in Communications & Media Technologies in 2011.

Following her collegiate career, Stilwell would become an assistant coach with Academy of Art women's basketball for four seasons as well as the athletics department's compliance coordinator for two years. Highlights from her time on staff included the Urban Knights capturing two PacWest Tournament Championships (2013, 2014), making their first NCAA Tournament appearances, and contributing to the department's NCAA Team Works Community Service Competition Award in 2015.

"Growing up for me, I feel extremely privileged that I was never actually faced with the idea that I, a woman, couldn't play sports," Stilwell said. "It was a given for me and a given for my family, and eventually it got me to where I was in San Francisco playing for Academy of Art, living out the biggest opportunity of my life thus far."

Stilwell is currently pursuing a master's degree in Occupational Therapy at San Jose State.

Isaura Santos
Volleyball

Upon transferring to Academy of Art from University of Providence in 2021, Isaura Santos made an immediate impact with ART U. Her versatility quickly was on display as she ranked among the team's top three in both kills and digs per set then, shifting into the starting libero position in 2022, she led the Urban Knights in digs per set, ranking top five in the Pacific West Conference for most of the year. After achieving a career-high of 20 kills twice last year, Santos memorably broke the program's eight-year single-match record with 39 digs versus Concordia in 2022 while also tying the program's then five-set record with six service aces in that same match.

"Sports make up a huge part of who I am, as sports have been my outlet, my escape, and my safety home in terms of when I need a reminder of where to go," Santos said. "My question to women in sports is where would we be today without Title IX? How would we deal with our fears? With our ups and our downs? How would we learn the value of teamwork, leadership, and hard work all together?"

Sharpening her craft having been on the call for ART U soccer, basketball, and baseball games in her career, Santos will pursue her goal of becoming a sports broadcaster after obtaining her degree in Communications & Media Technologies from Academy of Art.

Bethany Mitchell
Softball

Emerging from her hometown of Lake Stevens, Wash. as a four-year varsity letter winner in softball at Lake Stevens High School, Bethany Mitchell started her collegiate career with Academy of Art in the fall prior to her first competitive season in 2019.

Twice an Academic All-PacWest honoree while studying Graphic Design since that time, Mitchell's athletic highlights have included All-PacWest Second Team honors in 2021, tying the program's longest stretch with a run scored in 10 consecutive games (Mar. 27 - Apr. 12, 2021), and numerous spectacular plays which have included 11 outfield assists in her career. Off the field, she recently became the president of ART U's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and the first Urban Knight ever to be selected as the president of SAAC at the Pacific West Conference level.

"Title IX gives me the opportunity to be the first female collegiate student-athlete in my family," Mitchell said. "Looking at the numbers from 1972, having female athletics in the NCAA almost triple really resonates with me because growing up people always said, 'You play like a girl' or 'You throw like a girl.' You're right, I do, and I'm proud of it."

In addition to already pairing her graphic design experience with nutrition and building her brand within the CrossFit community through social media, Mitchell continues to pursue her future goal of joining the USA Olympic Weightlifting Team.

Jenny Bergren
Cross Country

Originally from Orinda, Calif., Jenny Bergren completed her undergrad at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo before starting her master's degree in Interior Architecture & Design while helping pioneer Academy of Art's national success in cross country in 2012.

Bergren's first and only cross country season with ART U was truly historic. She led the Urban Knights in all seven races, set 5k and 6k records that still stand today, was crowned Pacific West Conference individual champion, placed sixth and NCAA Division II West Regionals, and, in the inaugural year of Academy of Art's eligibility to compete in the postseason, she ultimately became the athletics department's first All-American with an inspiring 15th place finish at NCAA Nationals.

"Now, after some time removed from the competitive collegiate sports scene, it's easy to see how much of an impact competing on a team and Title IX has had on my life," Bergren said. "Not only did I graduate with lifelong friends, but I can see the ripple effect of the experience trickle into everyday decisions I make at work and in personal matters. The challenges that came from training and competition, the friends you made as teammates, all the hard-earned successes and everything in between were a really special environment to be part of - and I feel lucky to have been a part of all of it."

Making good use of her master's degree since graduating in 2015, Bergren has steadily progressed to her current role as a project engineer for Fortis Construction Inc., an employee-owned general contractor headquartered in Portland, Oregon that collaborates with clients around the world.

Breann Robinson
Volleyball

After serving as a graduate assistant with the volleyball program at her alma mater, San Jose State, Breann Robinson's coaching skills were further polished at volleyball clubs like Rage Westside and Omni en route to her joining Academy of Art in 2021.

In her debut season as an assistant coach with ART U, Robinson helped guide the Urban Knights through their first full slate of matches since 2019. Highlights from the campaign included the program's single-season records in both kills (12.81) and assists per set (12.03) as well as numerous All-PacWest Team postseason honors.

"Personally my life would not be the same without Title IX," Robinson said. "My experience as a student-athlete changed my life exponentially and provided me with opportunities that not every woman has, so being in a position to now give that opportunity to others is huge to me. Fifty years isn't that long of a time to be in place, so I appreciate the momentum that it has caught on and look forward to more growth in that area for student-athletes."

En route to earning her bachelor's degree in Communications Studies in 2018, Robinson enjoyed a memorable career playing indoor and outdoor volleyball at San Jose State. A multi-year team captain, she closed her career as the team's primary setter in 2017, collecting 1,105 assists in 29 matches and finishing ranked fifth in program history with 2,656 career assists.

Robinson secured First Team All-Mountain West honors in 2017, a silver medal as a member of the Mountain West All-Star Team at the Global Challenge Tournament in Croatia, and was recognized for her academic success as a Mountain West Scholar-Athlete in addition to being selected as Academic All-Conference. Following her graduation, Robinson finished a master's degree in Sport Management from SJSU as well.