Heritage Association Spotlight: Heliane Steden

By Aubrey Kragen on May 30, 2017 4:59 PM | No Comments

The Heritage Association Spotlight was created to profile USC student-athlete alumni who have given back to the university.

This month, we chatted with USC women's tennis alum Heliane Steden, who earned three All-American honors and two NCAA titles during her time at Troy. Steden now works as a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch and serves on USC's Board of Trustees.

In 2013, Steden, who was born in Germany but grew up in Mexico, endowed a women's tennis scholarship in her name -- the largest gift to the USC Athletic Department by a former female student-athlete in the Title IX era.

Aubrey Kragen (AK): Can you tell me a little bit about your time as a student-athlete at USC and how you think it shaped you?

Heliane Steden (HS): My experience was a little bit different than most, because I grew up in Mexico. I was born in Germany, then grew up in Mexico, and when I came to USC, I was like 'OK, I played tennis in Mexico, I was a national champion in Mexico.' I was used to winning in Mexico. But coming to USC, I didn't know anyone at the university -- maybe two people. I did not speak English that well. And everyone was so welcoming. It was an incredible experience. It was a completely different environment, but USC always just felt right. It's completely true about the Trojan Family and completely true that once you're a Trojan, you're always a Trojan.

And playing tennis was great. It was very competitive. When I came in, our freshman class was five very highly-ranked recruits, and it was definitely a battle. A battle that built a lot of character, I think, because at the end of the day, you have to work your way to the top. And it was always a supportive and positive environment.

And with academics, it shapes your character in a very positive way. And that reflects later on in your life experiences.

AK: When and how did you realize that you wanted to endow a scholarship in your name at USC?

HS: It was about four years ago -- [former USC Athletic Director] Pat Haden and [Associate Athletic Director] Scott Jacobson called me and came to New York to have lunch. Over the years, I played professional tennis after school, then I worked in L.A., then I worked in New York, so you lose touch a little bit as life goes on, and I had three children. So when Scott and Pat called me, it was such a welcome feeling to be reconnected to USC. I was incredibly happy to reconnect. And we talked a little bit about how I could be more involved. And my point was, 'What could make an impact and how could I give back?' because that scholarship that I had really shaped where my future went. And I wanted to see if I could do something like that for someone coming in that's in the same situation.

AK: So did your experience as an international student-athlete influence your decision to endow a scholarship intended for other international recruits?

HS: Yes, that was the idea, since I was an international player. It's just a great opportunity for someone to study in the United States and to get the USC education. So ideally yes, it would be shaped towards that, but at the end of the day, I trust who they recruit and I'm happy to see anyone get the opportunity that I had.

AK: How rewarding has it been to see the tennis team and the athletic department directly improve because of your donation and involvement?

HS: Very rewarding. And as time went on, two years ago I became a trustee of the university, so I've been a lot more involved. It's been incredibly exciting to see how USC is progressing literally every day. The academics are incredible, the programs that we have are incredible. Our admissions director called USC the University of the 21st Century, and I think that's absolutely true -- I think we have a cutting edge in everything. So that's been very rewarding. And giving back to tennis, having that scholarship and giving an opportunity to someone --because I know how hard it is to work on your sport, do junior tournaments, get your ranking up, do academics at the same time. It's a lot go hard work. And to be rewarded with a scholarship is quite an honor.

AK: Can you talk me through what your work on USC's Board of Trustees entails?

HS: After I got a little more involved in athletics, Max Nikias invited me to be on a leadership board. So I was on that for a year, and then he invited me to be on the Board of Trustees, which has been an incredible honor. I'm on the Investment Committee -- which falls right into my range of knowledge. It's been very exciting to be in all the meetings and to find out more about not just the athletics, but also what's going on in the rest of the university. The University Village is an incredible development. The impact that we have on the economy of Los Angeles is incredible. All the achievement and the vision that the university has is very rewarding and exciting.

AK: The scholarship that you endowed is the largest donation to the USC Athletic Department by a former female student-athlete. What does that mean to you?

HS: It was a very pleasant surprise. I also think it's an opportunity for someone else to come in and look at it the same way. I think we all got so much from the university that if we have a chance to give back, it would be a great thing.

AK: Lastly, USC just celebrated its graduating Class of 2017. What advice would you give as they take the next step in their lives?

HS: I think it's all about 'Dream big. Reach high.' If you're reaching high, at least you're trying. Set high goals. Do something that's a little bit different. Take some chances. Because at the end of the day, it's kind of the same thing as it was on the tennis court: If you keep your head down and you work hard and keep trying, it works the same way in the real world. You will reach your goals and you're going to achieve things that you never thought you would.

If you are a member of the USC student-athlete alumni community, or would like more information about the Heritage Association, please click here!

Heritage Association Spotlight: Heliane Steden

Heritage Association Spotlight: Heliane Steden

Tags:

Trojans footer

University Southern California Trojans