Dear Panther Family,

Each year during the holiday season, our offices grow quiet for a few days. This pause always affords me valuable time to reflect on the first half of the year in Panther Athletics and to think about all that I am grateful for.

First and foremost, I am grateful for our student-athletes. Their time, effort, and passion devoted to their sports, academic coursework, and leadership inspire us daily. Panther student-athletes are among the hardest-working students at UWM, and they continue to achieve at the highest levels both academically and athletically.

I am also thankful for my teammates — our coaches and staff. Their unwavering support of our student-athletes and their commitment to our core values of Education, Excellence, Leadership, Inclusion, Integrity, and Pride make Panther Athletics what it is today.

Finally, I am truly appreciative of you. Your support, passion, and pride for Panther Athletics is felt every day. As you know, excellence is not created by one act but by what you repeatedly do. Whether you cheer on the Panthers by purchasing tickets and attending games, or contributing to the Panther Excellence Fund, or providing internships or full-time job opportunities to our student-athletes after graduation, your impact provides a lifetime of opportunities to our 300+ student-athletes. Because you consistently show your passion and pride, you are directly impacting our student-athletes and programs in ways that contribute to the excellence we achieve daily, weekly, and yearly.

From all of us at Panther Athletics, we wish you a joyful holiday season and a new year filled with pride, success, and Panther spirit.

With gratitude,
Amanda Braun
Director of Athletics