Name: Morgan DiGiulio
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Major: Psychology and English, minor in French
Team: SMU Equestrian
Organizations: Gamma Phi Beta
 
When did you start riding?
I started riding when I was five years old, when it became super clear that I wasn't going to be very good at gymnastics, which I was doing at the time. I had a friend who was taking lessons, and I convinced my mom to let me go with her.
 
Did anyone in your family ride?
My little sister used to ride, but before I started, no one in my family rode. In fact, my mom used to be scared of horses, even though she's a regular pro with them now.
 
What is your favorite childhood memory?
Probably just the general memory of spending weekends in the summer at my Nana's house, swimming in her pool with all of my cousins. She always had otter pops, and I somehow never got sunburned.
 
What has been your biggest accomplishment within your riding career?
It's a tie between my Pinto World Championship titles, and the relationship that I have with my horse, who I've owned for fourteen years. Not a lot of girls in my circuit keep their all-around show horses for as long as I have, and we have grown together as competitors in a way that I consider one of my biggest life accomplishments so far. 
 
When did you decide you wanted to ride in college?
As soon as I realized it was a possibility. It's the only sport that I have been any good at, and I'd been at it so long that I didn't see a reason to give it up just because I was going off to college.
 
How did you decide on SMU?
I went to an information session in California, and I didn't think that I was going to come, but I visited the campus and took a tour anyway, and that's what sold me. That, and the riding program.
 
What would you say your role on the team has been?
I have always tried to be the one the team can count on to do what needs doing, help who needs helping, and have a good attitude about it. I have tried to be the kind of teammate who my teammates know is always going to be on their side, doing the most that I can to make sure that everyone succeeds. I would say that's the role that I have filled.
 
Who is your favorite SMU horse?
My horse Allen is my favorite SMU horse by far, but barring my own personal bias, my other favorite SMU horse is Desi. She's a little quirky, but she's super sweet and gentle on the ground and has good heart. She's been trying so hard since day one to be the horse that we need her to be.
 
What is your favorite experience from being on the team?
I love when we spend down time together. We always have so much fun hanging out outside of the barn, and some of my favorite moments on this team have come from doing things together outside of school or athletics. They're all really cool girls.
 
What was your biggest accomplishment at SMU?
It's split between maintaining good grades even with athletics, and being in charge of my sorority's homecoming and having that be a success — it was one of the biggest projects that I have ever undertaken and I am still very proud of the results.
 
What is your biggest take away from your SMU experience as you move into the next stage of your life?
Perseverance will always pay off. There are always better things to look forward to as long as you get through the hard stuff, and because of my experiences at SMU I'll always be able to push through hard times and recognize and embrace good times.
 
What advice would you give to incoming athletes about the team and college experience?
Try not to take everything too seriously. Always put max effort into the things that matter, but find time to loosen up, have fun, and make good friends. It's all about finding the balance between the two. In the end, you're not going to want to remember the bad times, you'll want to remember all the good times, so make sure there are good times to remember!
 
What do you plan on doing when you graduate?
I'm hoping to get some work experience and then go to grad school for developmental psychology, with a professional goal to help children with developmental delays, impairments, and differences reach their full potential.
 
What will you miss the most about SMU?
The familiarity for the place that I have lived for four years, and the people. Always the people. I'm a totally different person than I was when I arrived because of the people that I met and befriended here.