The SAAC Student-Athlete Spotlight is a weekly series that will highlight and promote senior Zag student-athletes on and off the playing field. This week's spotligh is on Jessica Mangrobang from the women's golf team.

Throughout her career at GU, Jessica has been extremely involved. She is on the Leadership Board for Gonzaga's American Society for Engineering Management club and is also a SAAC representative for her team. Jessica is majoring in engineering management with a concentration in mechanical engineering. She also has a minor in general business.

Nicknamed by her teammates "Mango" or "Mango-Ze-Tango," Jessica hopes to get into the aerospace industry, focusing on the manufacturing aspect of engineering, after graduation.
We caught up with the senior from Chula Vista, Calif., to gain some insight on her experience as a student-athlete at Gonzaga.

What is your favorite memory as a Zag?
All the times I travel to a new place with the team. The experiences are priceless, alongside the views, the people, and more.

What does it mean to be a Zag?
Having the determination to keep fighting and excelling in everything until the end.

What attracted you to Gonzaga?
The welcoming friendly community, having small class sizes that give students the opportunity to develop good relationships with their professor, and the team dynamic in how we push each other to perform our best.

Who has been most influential to you while at Gonzaga?
Coach Rickel keeps me in touch with what's important and reminds me that constant hard work and sacrifice is needed to excel in what I'm aiming to do, which is to get an engineering degree while being a full-time athlete. After a while, and learning the hard way, I started to listen and I'm grateful that I did.

What do you like most about being a student-athlete at Gonzaga?
Having the support system needed to succeed as a student-athlete, like SASS, our coaches, teammates, the Athletic Department. Everyone is willing to help you succeed. That's the type of environment Gonzaga offers.

Do you have any pre-game/match rituals and what are they?
Listening to a handful of songs on repeat. Eventually, in the middle of my round I catch myself singing it. It helps keep my attitude steady.

What would you say is the hardest part of your sport?
The mental side of golf. In golf, you are not competing against other players. You are competing with yourself and the golf course.

What do you enjoy most about playing this sport?
Scotland. I love the thought of being around fields of green grass. And it's also the home of golf, so it's a win-win.

If you could have lunch with any athlete (dead or alive), who would it be and why?
Gus Kenworthy, the Olympic freestyle skier. His love for dogs and his energy in general is great.

Who is your role model and why?
My parents. They work so hard, and they brought me up to be who I am today.

Do you have any weird talents/tricks?
I enjoy fishing. Whenever I tell people that, they are always amazed at how I can enjoy things that take a lot of patience. I mean, golf and fishing? Those take hours.

What advice do you have for prospective Gonzaga student-athletes?
Work hard, be patient, and stick with it. True effort will pay off.
 
Lastly, we asked Coach Rickel to comment on his senior student-athlete, Jessica Mangrobang. He said, "Jessica has been a leader on and off the course for all four years here at Gonzaga. She works hard at everything every day. Passionate, eager and dedicated to her studies and team, a great example of what it means to be a ZAG!"