SMU equestrian seniors Sylvia de Toledo and Melissa Major have firm grips of the reins, both literally and figuratively. Whether on horseback or in the lecture hall, they are consistently embracing the meaning of "student-athlete" and have lofty aspirations for both themselves and their team.
 
The two are not your ordinary student-athletes, and their academic pedigree speaks for themselves.
 
As four-year members of the equestrian team, de Toledo and Major have maintained 3.96 and 3.88 GPAs, respectively, and have received numerous academic awards and recognitions. In 2017, de Toledo, a finance major, received the SMU Cox School of Business Most Outstanding Senior Award and was named a Distinguished Finance Major. Major, a finance and economics double major, was one of three students to earn the SMU Dedman College Economics Department Award of Excellence.
 
This is not the first time that de Toledo or Major have been recognized for their academic prowess. As juniors, both riders were selected to Cox's most prestigious honors program for finance students, the EnCap Investments and LCM Group Alternative Asset Management Program. The highly-selective program, into which admission is based on academic performance and rigor, letters of recommendations and an interview process, consists of two intensive honors-level classes focused on investment banking, private equity and hedge funds. As top students in the Alternative Asset Management Program, both were selected as seniors to the Don Jackson Fellows Program, in which they assist faculty with research and teaching activities and serve as the face of the finance department to outside constituents. In this role, they interact with board members, professional speakers, and incoming students.
 
"All the conditions necessary to contribute to a varsity team are also necessary for academic success; time management, discipline, dedication, and passion," de Toledo said. "The sport of equestrian also teaches patience. Understanding horses or new intellectual concepts often requires lots of it."
 
"Melissa and Sylvia are both great examples of what any coach looks for in a student-athlete," Head Coach Carol Gwin said. "Both of these ladies have been amazing representatives of the SMU Equestrian program. Not only do they excel in the ring and as teammates, they achieve greatness in classroom."
 
Outside of the traditional student-athlete balance, Major serves as the equestrian team's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) representative.
 
"As our SAAC representative, Melissa has dedicated many hours outside of her practice and class schedule to help enhance the total student-athlete experience at SMU," Gwin said. "She has worked very hard to make the student-athlete experience great for both her teammates and other colleagues."
 
Both Sylvia and Melissa will graduate in May with distinct honors. de Toledo, a two-time National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA) Academic All-America first team honoree, is eligible to graduate Summa Cum Laude. Major, a 2015 NCEA Academic All-America honorable mention selection and 2016 La Hacienda Academic honor roll member, will graduate Magna Cum Laude. Following graduation, both Melissa and Sylvia will head into the world of investment banking.
 
"I'll be pursuing a career in investment banking or a related field, for which the Alternative Asset Management Program has prepared me well," said Major.
 
de Toledo will work with Moelis & Company, a global independent investment bank. Following a summer internship as an Investment Banking Summer Analyst in 2016, she was offered a full-time job, which she will begin after graduation.
 
"I am eager to learn as much as possible about the inner-workings of the financial system and I look forward to being mentored by talented and accomplished individuals," de Toledo said.
 
As their senior leadership leaves Dallas and enters into the work force, they offer a piece of advice to all students who want to excel in the classroom and compete for a Division I team – use the resources that are available to you.
 
"It's definitely worthwhile and something you should pursue," Major said. "SMU has great academic resources for its student-athletes, which is invaluable in the juggling act between academics and athletics. Along with that, my teammates and coaches have been an incredible support system throughout my time at SMU, which has helped me immensely. Although you work hard as a student-athlete, it's so rewarding to build great friendships and camaraderie with your teammates and have the opportunity to continue playing the sport you love while you're in college."
 
"It is a privilege to be a student-athlete," de Toledo added. "Be aware of all the resources available to you and always be appreciative of the large group of people who support your student-athlete experience daily including your coaches, athletics staff, professors, and teammates. Figure out a planning and organization system that works for you individually, so that you can stay on task and use your time wisely. Neither your practices nor your schoolwork will be productive if you worry about one while engaged in the other."
 
Despite the balancing act between countless hours spent in the ring and classroom, these two have fully embraced what it means to be a student-athlete.
 
"As the phrase implies, you're expected to be both a student and an athlete, which comes with double the obligations of a 'regular' student," Major said. "While you are first and foremost a student, a student-athlete is fortunate to get an extra set of opportunities beyond the typical SMU experience. This student-athlete experience is something that I've fully embraced and am so grateful to have had as my own."