Virginia Polo is graduating eight players this year. Despite a disappointing end to the season and semester, these eight are moving on to big things! Congratulations to Maddie Briggs, Maria Curtichs Blasco, Jack Dunlap, Bill Igou, Julia Payne, and Madeleine Wallach from the Club team; Antonio Mendes de Almeida from Men's Varsity; and Demitra Hajimihalis from Women's Varsity!
Maddie Briggs
Major: Architecture, Art History, and minor in Media Studies
VA Polo memories: I joined the Club Team my first year. It was always fun when we would do mixed Club and Varsity games because of the higher pace and friendly competition.
Favorite ponies: Lilly and Macaca
Maria Curtichs Blasco
Major: McIntire School of Commerce and minor in Psychology
What’s next? I will be going into consulting in January, but until then I will be traveling and volunteering in the US (if possible, due to COVID-19).
VA Polo memories: I started riding when I was three but show jumped until coming to UVA and starting polo in our Boot Camp!
Favorite ponies: Teddy and Chunky
Jack Dunlap
Major: Foreign Affairs
What’s next? Joining the Peace Corps in Senegal
VA Polo memories: I started in our Boot Camp program. I love that almost anyone with a little riding experience can join the club team and enjoy VA Polo.
Julia Payne
Degree: Master of Public Policy
What’s next? Hoping to end up in the DC area doing policy research.
VA Polo memories: I did Boot Camp spring semester of my first year and have played as much as possible since then. I love how welcoming the VA Polo barn is! Some of my favorite memories are our Friday afternoon scrimmages.
Favorite ponies: Chunky and Pipa
Madeleine Wallach
Major: Media Studies and Studio Art (Photography concentration)
What’s next? After graduation I will likely be working for Destination Polo in Middleburg, VA for the summer. I was supposed to be working as a wrangler at a ranch in Wyoming, but unfortunately the ranch closed for the summer due to COVID-19 so they moved our job offers to the summer of 2021. I am hoping to go to grad school for photojournalism at some point in the future as well.
VA Polo memories: I joined Boot Camp the first semester of my first year and have been on the Club Team ever since. Some of my favorite memories from VA Polo are traveling to VT and W&L for matches and cheering on the Varsity Teams during the Friday night lights games!
Favorite ponies: Rebel, Juanita, and Lilly
Antonio Mendes de Almeida
Major: Systems Engineering and Economics
What’s next? I’ll be working in a structuring role at JP Morgan in New York.
VA Polo memories: Favorite memories from polo have to be the hard fought practices we always held. The competitive spirit fostered within the team is super strong and that is apparent when we play other schools. I made great friends during my time at UVA polo and being able to still be in touch with them is something I very much cherish. I especially enjoyed our trips to Cornell and Santa Barbara!
Favorite ponies: Federico, Valentina, and Tapa
Demitra Christina Hajimihalis
Major: Music and minor in Philosophy
What’s next? I I have officially moved to Charlottesville, and have accepted a position as Manager of Operations at CORE Real Estate and Development, LLC, and CORE Polo.
VA Polo memories: Since I arrived in 2017, Virginia Polo has been a home away from home for me. Between tournaments, playing with and against friends, dinner at the Beh house, the King’s Valentine’s Day event, and simply being surrounded by horses and friends all the time is just the most amazing feeling. I love working with the other teams as well to get to know all members and teaching always helps to reinforce fundamentals. Virginia Polo has been the place where I found some of my best friends, both 2 and 4-legged.
Favorite ponies: Whiskey, Magnolia, Seven, Allie, but pretty much all of them!