Much like UIW, many families take pride in the core values that guide their homes and communities. They raise their children with the hope that these principles will be passed down and lived out, just as they have been before. For Marissa Watters, a 2020 and 2022 UIW alumna, these values have been a constant compass, shaping the path that has led her to where she is today.
Watters grew up in a household where acts of service were part of everyday life. From a young age, she recalls her family making hundreds of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for victims of hurricanes in the Houston area. When it came time for her to attend college, the choice was easy. UIW fulfilled the values and commitment to community service that her family had instilled in her at a young age—and it’s where she began to plant her own roots for years to come.
Watters’ time at UIW began in 2017 when she arrived with a scholarship to swim on the UIW swim team. A reconstructive shoulder surgery just months before the school year started forced her to sit out the season, but it also gave her the opportunity to live the values she held dear.
Encouraged by her coaches to serve the community, Watters completed over 300 hours of service during her undergraduate years. Starting with the Silver and Black Give Back program; she served as a mentor and event coordinator for the Alamo Area Teen Suicide Prevention Coalition—a role that resonated deeply with her due to personal family experiences. She also contributed to the Harris County-Houston Sports Commission and NextPlay, continuing her work in event management and beginning her journey into strategic planning for collegiate student-athletes.
As the 2018 season began for the UIW swim and dive team, Watters was not only able to resume competing but also continued her service as president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). She swam throughout her undergraduate and graduate years, completing four years on the team. These formative years helped shape the path to the role she holds today. Her dedication to service and leadership through SAAC fueled her passion for helping others—giving students the ability to find their voice and use sports as a platform for positive change in their communities.
Today, Watters serves as the director of Student-Athlete Success at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. In fulfilling her passion for service, she now helps thousands of student-athletes discover their purpose, guiding them to create meaningful change as they walk a path similar to her own.
To past, current and future Cardinals, Watters encourages you to say YES—yes to new opportunities, friendships and experiences. She believes God opens doors we must walk through with faith. Even if we don’t know the purpose today, the answer will be revealed in time.
Through the doors she chose, Watters graduated from UIW as a two-time Outstanding Sport Management Student of the Year, MBA Student of the Year, four-time SAAC Member of the Year and recipient of the Kappa Gamma Pi St. Catherine Medal.
By seizing every opportunity, Watters has found her answers—and gratitude for the values she holds strong, her time at UIW and the people who helped her along the way.
