The Virginia Polo board is excited to announce the four newest additions: Demi Hajimihalis, Cristina Fernandez, Ashley Hart, and Molly Muedeking. The polo club was an important part in their formative college years. Now with professional skills and life experience these alumni are coming back to be a part of governing the club and planning the future to ensure other students can enjoy and benefit from their years at Virginia Polo as they did.
Learn more about the new Virginia Polo board members below and read in their own words why they have chosen to serve the board.
Demitra Hajimihalis Class of 2020
Currently Andrew Baldwin’s right hand woman at CORE Real Estate, Demi will soon be moving back to Maryland to join forces with her father Gus at the helm of Ace Sportswear.
“I am so proud to be on the Board of a program that gave so much to me. I just want to give back and provide the students with the amazing experiences, responsibilities, and opportunities that VA Polo has provided me. It is truly a family and home away from home. I’d love to help the students capitalize on connections off and on the field and with esteemed alumni. VA Polo creates such a well-rounded environment to learn horsemanship, sportsmanship, competitive team skills, leadership, and all while keeping up with academics. I just want to give back to a program that has given me so much.
Ace Sportswear is a company my father started and has donated all of the polo wraps and various tournament prizes. I am now joining forces with my dad at Ace Sportswear to keep VA Polo looking sharp!”
Cristina Fernandez Class of 2009
As Communications Manager at the USPA, Cristina’s continuous involvement in polo and expertise on communications will be valuable additions to our board.
“From competitive intercollegiate player to passionate alumna—I look forward to taking on a new role with Virginia Polo and being more closely involved in the overarching work that takes place behind the scenes. I am thrilled to be joining mentors, friends and former teammates in a common cause and giving back to the community that has and continues to be a significant part of my life.
Virginia Polo’s recruitment, scholarship opportunities, and support while pursuing the sport I love lay the foundation for my career in polo. The confidence I gained from managing a large barn and captaining a team through adversity to a national championship title, showcased my potential and set me up for success as I pursued a career in the industry. Later, when I returned as an assistant coach I expanded my skillset as a mentor, developing my teaching style. Today, in my position at the United States Polo Association my experiences at Virginia Polo shape all of my communication around the sport. Not only the competition, but the lifelong friends (human and equine) and endless memories, that involve not only the triumph (such as the six round OT penalty shootout win at Regionals) but the hilarious mishaps along the way as we all gained real world experience from some of the hardest of life’s lessons.
Virginia Polo is iconic in the sport due in large part to the efforts of the Board and alumni over the decades and I am honored to join the ranks.”
Ashley Hart Class of 2012
As an attorney at Flora Pettit in Charlottesville working alongside former board chairman Nancy Schlichting, Ashley will bring a wealth of legal knowledge to our board.
“Since graduating from UVA, I went to law school at Washington & Lee and then worked for 6 years at a firm in Harrisonburg. I moved back to Charlottesville in December and continue to practice law here, focusing on commercial litigation, as well as real estate and intellectual property litigation.
I played at VA Polo all four years at UVA, serving as the club team captain in my third and fourth years. I'm excited to be on the Board to give back to an organization that brought me some of my closest friendships, taught me leadership and responsibility, and gave me incredible opportunities to grow my horsemanship. While in college, I loved being able to head to the barn and spend a few hours in a beautiful setting, caring for horses, and playing on a team. I look forward to helping grow these opportunities for current UVA students.”
Molly Muedeking, DVM Class of 2008
As an experienced equine vet Molly has continued her involvement with I/I polo through work at her alma mater Garrison Forest and serves as a vet for USPA tournaments. Her knowledge of horse health and wellness within I/I programs and leadership skills make her a valuable addition to our board.
Molly is currently working with all types of animals on the British Virgin Island Tortola. She is excited to become more involved with Virginia Polo by serving on the board. From her days as VA Polo’s assistant coach to her time as a popular intern at Blue Ridge Equine Clinic (vet practice that covers VA Polo), Molly has been involved with the VA Polo program repeatedly since graduating from UVA. More recently she returned to volunteer during our Alumni Chiropractic Day in March. She has also worked with the polo team and ponies at her alma mater Garrison Forest School up until her departure for Tortola.
She brings with her a passion for I/I polo, in-depth knowledge of I/I pony management, and a history of being a valued vet and role model.
There’s no greater proof of an organizations’ success than the desire of its alumni to stay involved after graduating. We thank each one of these ladies for their devotion to Virginia Polo and their eagerness to give back to the program.
If you are interested in getting to know any of the new board members better, please reach out to them on LinkedIn or Facebook, they are here to support the program, students, and alumni alike.