Published June 21, 2025 5:26pm

Updated June 21, 2025 5:26pm

Known for her calm demeanor on the court as a player, Cha Cuñada now brings that same steady presence to the Colegio de San Juan de Letran women’s volleyball coaching staff in the NCAA.

The 25-year-old former outside spiker admitted she was never the vocal leader back in her playing years and hat’s exactly what she is using now in guiding the next generation of the Lady Knights. 

“Mostly po talaga, [ang trabaho ko sa team ay] para lang nila akong ate. Parang ako kumbaga ‘yung taga-balance sa team kasi syempre si coach ‘pag nagagalit, so parang sa akin sila nagra-rant or humihingi ng advice,” Cuñada told GMA News Online. 

“Pero at the same time, sa skills din kasi naging player din naman ako kaya tumulong-tulong din ako pagdating sa drill. Pinagkakatiwalaan din naman ako ni Coach O (Oliver Almadro) and ‘yung mga players alam ko naman na nakikinig din naman sila sa akin.”

As a silent operator, Cuñada made sure her game did the talking. 

The 5-foot-5 hitter suited up for both the indoor and beach volleyball teams for Letran from Season 94 to Season 98, a stretch that saw her leading the Lady Knights to a beach volleyball crown in Season 98 and bagging the MVP plum in the process. 

She has now transitioned to coaching, helping Letran head coach Oliver Almadro full-time since Season 99 as they look to lead the rebirth of the Lady Knights. 

Cuñada admitted that transitioning from player to coach wasn’t easy, especially since many of the players on the current roster were once her teammates, making it tricky to strike the right balance in her new role. 

“At first, mahirap kasi maraming players dito ‘yung naabutan pa akong maglaro, sina Lara, si Nathalie [Estreller], si Juday [Nitura]. So parang ang hirap, hindi ko alam kung paano ‘yung magiging approach ko sa kanila,” Cuñada, who previously had stints with Chery Tiggo and Cignal, added.

“Pero na-realize ko na hindi naman lahat kailangan idaan sa taas ng boses, nakikinig naman sila kahit ‘pag kinakausap ko lang nang maayos.”

—JKC, GMA Integrated News

Diversity In Aquatics Launches Caribbean Water Safety Program

Diversity in Aquatics this week launched a water safety program for more than 150 children on the Caribbean island of Grenada.

Celebrating World Oceans Day, the program at Grand Anse Beach was the latest activity in the organization’s goal of “addressing the critical global crisis of drowning disparities affecting communities of color.” The event included ocean swim lessons, water safety workshops and CPR training. There were opportunities for young swimmers to snorkel and get coaching in sailing techniques, and DIA helped host the area’s largest youth swim meet of the annual calendar.

The activity is an effort for the U.S.-based nonprofit to extend its network of life-saving outreach beyond the United States.

“This is about more than sun and surf—it’s about empowering Grenadian youth with skills that save lives and build community,” said Dr. Miriam Lynch, Executive Director of Diversity In Aquatics, in a press release. “Though having a close proximity to water, what we have realized is a lot of communities have a disconnect. In Grenada, a significant percentage of the island’s population does not know how to swim. For us, it was really important to bridge that gap to support the mission of teaching water safety while making a connection to the opportunities in aquatics with no borders.”

Drowning is one of the leading causes of preventable death in the United States, particularly for children. Approximately 4,000 people drown in the U.S. ever year, and the rates are highest in Black, Indigenous and low-income communities that have structural obstacles to accessing swimming education. About 300,000 people drown annually worldwide, per the World Heath Organization.

DIA’s event in Grenada included a session led by Dr. Fran Jackson, associate professor and chair in the English department at Spelman College, on the history of the transatlantic slave trade and a trauma-informed workshop on breathwork led by Thaddeus Gamory, founder of BlueMindfulness.

“There is so much potential for long-term impact and a seismic change in aquatics,“ Gamory said. “Everything starts with learning to swim and being safe in the water. We’re already contributing to it and the potential for it to grow is substantial – as a matter of fact, it’s already in motion.”

The event in Grenada expands DIA’s network of partners, which includes foundations like that Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, historically Black colleges and universities in the United States and philanthropic partners like USA Swimming and USA Water Polo. DIA is looking to broaden its impact across the Caribbean “as a global leader in culturally-responsive water safety education.”

“The tides are turning,” Dr. Lynch said. “Through education, community, and culturally rooted care, we’re ensuring that water isn’t a barrier—it’s a bridge to empowerment, health, and generational healing.”

Diversity in Aquatics is a U.S.-based nonprofit organization committed to promoting equitable access, education, and leadership in aquatic spaces. From grassroots swim lessons to institutional partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and national organizations, DIA works to eliminate racial and socioeconomic disparities in water safety, ensuring that all communities can safely and confidently experience the power of water.

— The above press release was posted by Swimming World in conjunction with Diversity in Aquatics. For press releases and advertising inquiries please contact Advertising@SwimmingWorld.com.

The LaGrange High boys basketball team enjoyed a bounce-back season in 2024-25, and the seniors on the team were at the heart of it. Now, five of those seniors (Jalen Hardy, Jaylon Fryer, Javon Nelson, Torian Reeves, BJ Wortham) have signed to play basketball in college starting in the fall of this year.

Hardy and Fryer will be keeping the good times rolling together at South Carolina Central Christian College. Having a fellow Granger at the next level will help each other adapt to life in college.

“Jaylon committed before me, and then a couple of weeks later, I committed,” Hardy said. “We know how each other plays, so that will be a big help.”

Hardy made the tough transition from Valley High School in Alabama to LaGrange in the summer before his junior year. 

“The speed of the game is different, and it took me a little while to get used to the shot clock, which they don’t have in Alabama,” he chuckled. 

Hardy made a quick impact on the Grangers and came to LaGrange with the intent of getting better and earning a spot on a college roster, which he has been able to do.

Fryer has been on the path to college athletics since he watched his cousins play at the level in his youth. Now that Fryer has signed to the next level, he is ready to keep striving for more.

“When I stepped foot on the college campus, it felt like home. Plus, the coaches are going to let me play two sports, so that’s another major thing for me and a better opportunity than other offers,” Fryer said. 

Fryer will also be a member of the track and field team. 

Nelson will be heading north to play for Minnesota Vermillion. 

“I love the work ethic that coach (Dawson) Dickson has for his players, and I want to go there and make a name for myself,” Nelson said.

The lefty guard will have a chance to go in right away and make an impact, even if it’s a little ways from home.

Reeves had a multitude of options on the table, but has decided to play for Columbia State.

“The coaches there really sold me on how much of an impact I can make on the team there, so that just motivates me to go there and make an impact right away,” Reeves said. 

Reeves was a rim rattler for the Grangers. The high-flying dunk machine gave the LaGrange faithful and the Blue Crew a lifetime worth of memories.

“The support and fans that are here are second to none,” he said. 

A multi-sport athlete, Reeves finished third in the high jump at the 3A state meet and made numerous important plays for the football team, including a touchdown in the Final Four. 

Every team needs a leader, and LaGrange had that in point guard BJ Wortham. The recently graduated Granger will be heading to Riverland Community College. 

“This has been a dream of mine for a long time,” Wortham said. “I want to make an impact quickly, whether it’s one or two years, and then transfer to a major four-year school.”

Wortham led the Grangers with poise and confidence over the past several years and will be nearly impossible to replace for the 2025-26 season. 

Franklin & Marshall College’s incoming president believes liberal arts colleges will weather the many challenges facing higher education and continue their mission of developing well-rounded students.

“We’re in a moment in which the future of higher education has never been more important,” said Andrew Rich, whose appointment as the school’s new president was announced earlier this year.

“The liberal arts are right at the center of this and how we help prepare young people to be critical thinkers, good communicators, have the ability, resilience, the leadership skills to navigate our world,” he said. “It’s never seemed more important, and I feel like F&M does it well.”

Rich will take the helm officially as F&M’s 17th president on July 7, following the retirement of Barbara Altmann, who has led the college for seven years.

In June, Rich stepped down from his prior role as the Richard J. Henry and Susan L. Davis Dean of the Colin Powell School at the City College of New York. During his six-year tenure there, the student population grew by 40% to 4,000 students.

His ability to grow enrollment at his last job will be tested at F&M, where enrollment dropped from 2,426 in fall 2017 to 1,867 in fall 2024.

FROM APRIL: Franklin & Marshall College lays off 16 staff members

Enrollment at many colleges and universities across the country is expected to decline even further beginning in fall 2025, as a yearslong decline in birth rates begins to affect the size of the college-aged population.

One way to boost enrollment embraced by many schools has been to recruit larger numbers of international students. Today, roughly 17% of F&M’s student population is international and contributed $19.5 million to Lancaster County’s economy, according to data available through the association of international educators.

But the Trump administration’s hard stance on immigration and recent moves to restrict or screen education visa applicants has created uncertainty surrounding this large pool of potential students.

In a conversation with LNP | LancasterOnline, Rich spoke about these challenges and his hopes for F&M’s future under his leadership.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity:

Why did you throw your hat in the ring to become president of F&M?

If you go all the way back, I grew up in Newark, Delaware, which is only a little more than an hour from here. So, when I was a kid, we used to come to Lancaster, and I’ve been to Dutch Wonderland and I had a real fondness for Lancaster as a kid.

And, when I was looking at colleges, we looked at F&M … my parents actually thought a liberal arts college was a good fit for me, so F&M was the first place we looked at. I’ve always known of F&M, always admired it and really always thought it was an exceptional place.

I ended up going to the University of Richmond, which had all of the elements of a liberal arts experience.

I got intensive mentorship from faculty there. One of my professors – I was a political science major – took me under his wing, and we wrote a paper together that we published, and he let us take it to one of the major political science conferences. I also got to work on campaigns in Delaware, getting in politics and I got academic credit for it. So I felt like I got all this amazing experience thanks to going to a liberal arts college.

My first teaching job after I finished at Yale was at Wake Forest University, which is also a liberal arts college and in many respects over the last 22 years, on and off, what I’ve done at City College was try to bring the very best of the liberal arts to a different kind of institution.

How do you expect public service to influence or be part of your role here as president to F&M?

[Andrew Rich was awarded the Daily Point of Light Award in 2024. Recipients of the award are recognized for making a significant impact in their communities through volunteer service.]

Higher education is public service. Part of what you’re doing in education, and particularly in higher education, is shaping the next generation of folks who are going to make a difference in our world.

And one of the things that is striking to me about F&M that I really love is the history, (founded by) Benjamin Franklin and John Marshall, where it’s always had public service and civic engagements as an essential part of the project.

To me, what we do in the liberal arts, and particularly what I hope and believe we do here, is train folks for the careers of the future and train them for citizenship and how to be engaged in whatever it is they know needs to happen in the communities where they live. So that mission is the mission I feel like I’ve been serving in different ways all the way through my career.

READ: Lancaster County colleges, universities brace for looming dropoff in prospective students

What are your thoughts on the climate facing higher education today?

Some important questions are getting asked on all different sides of the political spectrum about what we do at colleges and universities, and I think it’s creating a moment in which all of us who are involved in this project are thinking hard about why what we do matters.

For me, it’s felt like it’s never more important to be involved in this work and to do it as a leader. … If you want to understand why this country has been so successful over the last two centuries, one place you have to look at is our higher education institutions. Colleges and universities have been the engine of innovation, they’ve been the engine of economic progress. They’ve been the engine of new knowledge.

And they are the ways that young people from all different backgrounds can equip themselves to do well for themselves, for their families, for their communities and for our society. (We’re in a) complicated political moment, but one that’s very exciting, it seems to me, for what higher education has to offer. …

I’m attracted to F&M because from what I can see it’s an institution that is thriving on many, many fronts and has all the kind of DNA of what we want higher education institutions to be doing in this country.

What is your view on the role of diversity, equity inclusion practices in higher education?

My general point of view is that higher education should be for all people. … You want everybody to have the opportunity to take advantage of what it is colleges and universities have to offer in our society. And you also want colleges and universities to be a place where all lived experiences can be represented and where all points of view can be represented.

One of the things that I think is exciting about colleges and important about colleges is that you can bring people from different lived experiences, different backgrounds, different belief systems together and they don’t have to persuade each other. They probably won’t. But they can have civil discussion and constructive dialogue about the things they disagree on in ways that can make it possible for our democracy to succeed. That’s kind of exciting. It works best when everybody gets to be a part of it.

How do you plan to support F&M’s international students or what is your message to these students in the current political climate?

My message is we love them. I mean, honestly, they are welcome here. They are embraced. They are an integral part of the fabric of Franklin & Marshall and of this community, and Lancaster itself is a community that is global in its reach, a place where refugees are welcome, where people from all different backgrounds, nationalities can come.

F&M is a stronger institution because it’s a global institution, and I know the college is doing everything in its power to serve and support our international students and we’re going to do everything we can to make sure they have every system of support that they need to be successful.

What does that look like?

Certainly it is making sure we’re in direct touch with every single one of them in one-on-one conversations to see what their status is in terms of getting their visas approved. If you have a visa, you’re set. If you don’t, you may still be able to find a path to getting one. We’re working with them.

We’re certainly monitoring what comes out of Washington closely and making some contingency plans that if there are students who can’t get to campus, that we’ll make sure that they continue their education at F&M in some kind of remote fashion until we can get them here.

What are your goals and strategies in terms of growing enrollment at F&M?

We would love to have more students, and I think there’s a pathway to doing it. The value proposition of F&M is extremely compelling, and once I get here, it’ll be one of my top priorities to figure out who and how: Who’s going to be part of the project and how we’re going to work together to make it happen quickly.

Why should students choose a liberal arts college today?

Liberal arts colleges are essential. They have been for a long time. They’re even more essential right now because when you think about what’s at the heart of what we have to offer, the ways we have prepare students to be critical thinkers, capable communicators, folks who are able to kind of navigate across disciplines and across ways of thinking – that’s what we need in our society right now.

(Members of) this generation need to have resilience, they need to have leadership skills, they need to have the kind of ways of thinking to be able to navigate that and that’s exactly what a liberal arts education does.

And, in a moment in which there’s also questions about how we can serve and support our democracy, a liberal arts college has so much to offer about how you can look at history, philosophy, how you can look cross-nationally and how you can really prepare yourself intellectually and … succeed as a citizen. That’s an important part of what liberal arts has to offer.

Once you get started, what are the first things you want to do here?

The thing I want to do most is get to know everybody. It’s a tremendous community. I already feel very fortunate how kind folks have been to begin to help me understand the different areas of work.

Right out of the gate, I’m excited to get to know our faculty, our staff. I’m very excited to get to know the leaders and the people in Lancaster and how we are working as a community partner in ways that we can be even more helpful to that project.

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