The CMS-ence of Georgia Scherer

CLAREMONT, Calif. - Senior Georgia Scherer of the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's cross country team has made two recent trips to San Diego in the span of two months, one to compete for the Athenas in the UCSD Triton Invitational in October, and the other to present her research at the American Chemical Society's national conference in August.

Scherer emerged last year as one of the top seven runners for the Athenas, enabling her the chance to compete at both the NCAA West Regionals and the NCAA Division III Championships. She was one of five scorers for CMS at the SCIAC Championships last year to help the Athenas to the league title, finishing 11th overall, and earned a 14th place finish at the NCAA West Regionals. 



Her efforts helped CMS continue its run of dominance, with nine straight SCIAC titles to the program's credit, as well as 11 straight team invitations to nationals. She is hoping to cap off her career as a senior with her fourth straight SCIAC title, helping the Athenas sweep the decade of the 2010s, but she knows the task will be challenging, as Pomona-Pitzer is currently ahead of CMS in the regional and national rankings. 

"Winning a fourth SCIAC title would just be a great way to cap off my senior year," Scherer said. "I think this year especially we have some significant competition in the SCIAC, so just because we won for three years in the past doesn't mean we are going to win again, and I think everyone on the Athenas knows that and is working hard right now."

Scherer, a biochemistry major, has also maximized her education at Claremont McKenna, earning experience in both business and science. She stayed on campus this summer working under the guidance of one of her former professors, Ethan Van Arnam, on isolating antifungal defense molecules from bacterial symbionts of North American Trachymyrmex ants. The research led to Scherer and Van Arnam traveling to present their paper at the American Chemical Society's national conference at the San Diego Convention Center. She has also served as a teaching assistant in chemistry lab sessions on campus and worked in the Athenaeum. 

In her previous summers, Scherer built the business side of her resume, interning with Ironwood Capital Management and assisting in their fund operations, and with TMC Financing assisting in their accounting department. On the side, she also served as the co-owner and co-founder of Galaxy Robotics Summer Camp in Berkeley for five years beginning in high school, which she started with five teammates to teach robotics to young students.   

Finding time to compete and succeed in sports around a full academic slate is always a challenge, but Scherer feels that being a part of the cross country and track and field programs over the last three years has enhanced her time at Claremont McKenna in many ways. 

"Being an Athena has been a really central part of my college experience," Scherer said. "I think my decision to join the team my freshman year was one of the best decisions I've made in college because I've been able to meet so many incredible people who have shaped me to become a better person. Having a really dedicated group of amazing people that you see every day is inevitably going to be enhancing your college experience."

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