The start of the fall quarter at the University of Washington brings packed dining halls and bright leaves changing color on every corner of campus, and students returning to their routines in the classroom. For Amanda and Hana Moll, that routine means running between business classes and pole vault practice.
The sisters, both star members of UW Track & Field and students at the Foster School of Business, are back for their senior year. Both have set multiple NCAA pole vault records, establishing themselves among the nation’s top collegiate athletes. Foster Dean Frank Hodge made sure to catch up with Amanda and Hana before their schedules got too jam-packed to welcome them back to campus and hear what they’re looking forward to in the year ahead.
Amanda and Hana Moll are seniors at the Foster School of Business and star members of UW Track and Field team, setting multiple NCAA pole vault records.
Two paths through business
Although the sisters share a sport and a school, they’ve developed different interests in business. Amanda is studying Business Administration with a concentration in marketing, while Hana is pursuing Finance. Both sisters were drawn to business for the range of opportunities it could offer, both during college and beyond.
“I wanted to study business because I saw it as a very versatile field to study, and one that would open up a lot of opportunities,” Amanda says. “I love that the skills we learn are so transferable and can apply to nearly any industry.”
For Amanda, marketing offers a chance to explore the psychology behind how people think and make decisions. A marketing project in which she and her classmates developed a plan for a new product or service was a particular highlight. She also enjoyed her international business coursework and can envision a career that brings the two fields together.
Hana was similarly drawn to Finance for its range of applications. “I really value the Foster curriculum’s ability to shape my mindset in how I see the world today,” she says.
Both sisters plan to pursue careers in sports in the near future, and they see their business education as valuable preparation for life beyond competition. Amanda points to skills in finance and personal branding that can help her navigate contracts and build her career. Hana says her coursework has given her a better understanding of how companies operate and how business shapes the world of athletics.
Foster Dean Frank Hodge welcomes UW pole vault stars Amanda and Hana Moll back to campus for their senior year. A former college basketball player at Carroll College, Hodge is affectionately known as “Coach” among students, a reflection of his leadership philosophy and his work supporting UW athletics as the university’s former Faculty Athletics Representative to the Pac-12 and NCAA.
A busy year ahead
With graduation approaching, both sisters are eager to make the most of their final year at Foster.
Amanda is enjoying her courses this fall and is looking forward to the capstone project, where she can bring together what she has learned throughout her business education. Hana is excited to explore more upper-level Finance courses and reunite with Professor Tod Bergstrom in MGMT 320 after enjoying his business law class.
Of course, their big goals for the year also extend beyond the classroom. Amanda hopes to finish her college experience on a high note academically and athletically. Hana wants to absorb as much as she can, take advantage of new opportunities, and build connections with her classmates.
Making that happen takes careful planning. Amanda loads her fall schedule with demanding courses to better manage her academic workload during the spring competition season, when the team travels regularly. A typical day can include 1.5- to 4-hour practice sessions, one or two classes, and carving out time to study in between.
“Being a student-athlete forces you to learn time management and communication because time is so limited,” Amanda says. But she sees another connection between her sport and her education. “My work ethic, which I have developed through sports, has driven a lot of my success. There are no shortcuts to success in sports, and the same goes for success in Foster.”
Hana has learned to pair that same commitment with a realistic sense of balance. “One of my biggest personal philosophies is the importance of balance,” she says. “I complete what I can given my personal limits and know it’s okay not to do everything.”
That perspective, along with support from faculty and teammates, helps her navigate the demands of training, coursework and competition.
With schedules that full, fitting in meals and sleep is an accomplishment in itself. Thankfully, the Moll sisters have learned to make time for those, too.
As Amanda and Hana enter their senior year, they have advanced business classes and another season of pole vaulting ahead of them. Here’s to a strong finish in the classroom, success in competition, and all the possibilities that come next.