Double Take: Catching up with the Young Twins
August 30, 2018 | Women's Tennis, Features
IRVINE, Calif. - Once an Anteater, always an Anteater. This couldn't ring more true for identical twin sisters and UC Irvine women's tennis alumnae Hayley and Miranda Young.
The pair, who grew up in Newport Beach, began their journey at UCI as sophomores in 2008. They spent one year at Tufts University, an NCAA Division III institution in Medford, Mass., before transferring to UC Irvine for its location, academics and the chance to play tennis at the Division I level. It turned out to be one of the best decisions they could have made. Not only were they back in their hometown, but they were also given an opportunity to thrive both academically and athletically.
On the court, Hayley and Miranda helped the Anteaters make three consecutive appearances in the Big West Tournament championship match from 2009-11. As juniors, they were part of the 2010 squad that defeated top-seeded Long Beach State for the conference title and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Off the court, they both garnered multiple Big West All-Academic accolades and received national recognition as ITA Scholar-Athletes.
After graduating with bachelor degrees in chemistry and economics, respectively, Hayley and Miranda revisited the East Coast to continue their education at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business where they both earned master's degrees in management (2012). Hayley also went on to Harvard for a second master's degree in education (2013).
Hayley and Miranda spent several years working at Duke before once again moving home, and it didn't take them long to find themselves back at their alma mater. Hayley is coming up on two years as an assistant director for Entrepreneur Experiences at UCI Applied Innovation, where she has launched the startup incubator program, Wayfinder, and develops co-curricular experiential learning opportunities to train entrepreneurs, support startups, and help commercialize university technology.
Miranda has been an associate director for the Master of Finance and Business Analytics Programs within the UCI Paul Merage School of Business since January 2017. She launched the two specialized business master's programs at UC Irvine and currently oversees all areas of the student experience. In addition, both Hayley and Miranda are actively involved on the UCI Young Alumni Council.
Recently, the Young twins took some time out of their busy schedules for a Q&A session with ucirvinesports.com, talking about both their student-athlete and postgraduate experiences.
Q: What was it like being a part of the 2010 Big West championship team that advanced to the NCAA Tournament?
A: Winning the Big West in 2010 was incredibly exciting. We had a long history of finishing second to Long Beach State, who at the time had been reigning champions for something like nine years straight. The rivalry was strong. We had finished second in the regular season and it was assumed that we would suffer a similar fate. On the day of the finals, we had enormous fan support, and we could sense a renewed energy among our whole team. We won some key early matches, and the results kept coming. The sounds of the pump-up screams, shouts of encouragement to teammates across the courts, and the roar from the crowd when the final point was clinched are still vivid in our minds. It was particularly exciting because just a few minutes later, the UCI men's tennis team won their conference title as well, so we all got to receive our trophies and celebrate together in the big stadium at the famous Indian Wells Tennis Garden. It was the first and only (so far) Big West Tournament title for UCI Women's tennis, so it was a very special team and a special accomplishment.
Q: Did being a student-athlete enhance your UCI experience?
A: Absolutely. As an athlete at UCI, you belong to a special community. The camaraderie you feel among not only your own teammates, but also those across the other sports, is stronger than you will experience anywhere else on campus.
Q: How did your academic and athletic experiences at UCI help prepare you for your graduate programs and in your current careers?
A: Being a top level student-athlete instills in you a certain discipline, work ethic, and drive that is hard to replicate. Certainly, this mentality has propelled us well through our graduate studies and into our careers thus far.
Q: Describe your career paths and how you came full circle back to your alma mater.
A: Our career paths have largely been organic. We are very loyal and mission-driven people, so working at our alma mater is very fulfilling because we are able to directly impact an organization that is meaningful to us. When on the East Coast, we both worked for Duke in similar respective capacities, so when we decided to move back to Newport Beach, it was a natural transition for us to work for UCI.
Q: When did you become involved with the UCI Young Alumni Council?
A: We became involved in the UCI Young Alumni Council shortly after moving back to Orange County after living on the East Coast for five years. It is a great opportunity to stay involved, give back, and have a hand in helping shape the future of our great university.
Q: What is your best UCI memory?
A: Our best memory is probably watching the NCAA bracket reveal as a team in the Anthill Pub, seeing our name on TV slotted to play against Ole Miss in the opening round, and then having the chance to represent UC Irvine at the NCAA Division I Championships in Atlanta!
Q: Any advice for current Anteater student-athletes?
A: Enjoy the journey. You will undoubtedly endure setbacks and defeats, but the payoff of the experience is worthwhile. Soak it up while you can and feel incredibly fortunate that you get to spend so much time everyday pushing your body to its mental and physical limits while working as a team to achieve a common goal. Take advantage of the gorgeous surroundings in Irvine and Newport Beach. Represent UCI well both on and off the field, and forever as alumni.
The pair, who grew up in Newport Beach, began their journey at UCI as sophomores in 2008. They spent one year at Tufts University, an NCAA Division III institution in Medford, Mass., before transferring to UC Irvine for its location, academics and the chance to play tennis at the Division I level. It turned out to be one of the best decisions they could have made. Not only were they back in their hometown, but they were also given an opportunity to thrive both academically and athletically.
On the court, Hayley and Miranda helped the Anteaters make three consecutive appearances in the Big West Tournament championship match from 2009-11. As juniors, they were part of the 2010 squad that defeated top-seeded Long Beach State for the conference title and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Off the court, they both garnered multiple Big West All-Academic accolades and received national recognition as ITA Scholar-Athletes.
After graduating with bachelor degrees in chemistry and economics, respectively, Hayley and Miranda revisited the East Coast to continue their education at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business where they both earned master's degrees in management (2012). Hayley also went on to Harvard for a second master's degree in education (2013).
Hayley and Miranda spent several years working at Duke before once again moving home, and it didn't take them long to find themselves back at their alma mater. Hayley is coming up on two years as an assistant director for Entrepreneur Experiences at UCI Applied Innovation, where she has launched the startup incubator program, Wayfinder, and develops co-curricular experiential learning opportunities to train entrepreneurs, support startups, and help commercialize university technology.
Miranda has been an associate director for the Master of Finance and Business Analytics Programs within the UCI Paul Merage School of Business since January 2017. She launched the two specialized business master's programs at UC Irvine and currently oversees all areas of the student experience. In addition, both Hayley and Miranda are actively involved on the UCI Young Alumni Council.
Recently, the Young twins took some time out of their busy schedules for a Q&A session with ucirvinesports.com, talking about both their student-athlete and postgraduate experiences.
Q: What was it like being a part of the 2010 Big West championship team that advanced to the NCAA Tournament?
A: Winning the Big West in 2010 was incredibly exciting. We had a long history of finishing second to Long Beach State, who at the time had been reigning champions for something like nine years straight. The rivalry was strong. We had finished second in the regular season and it was assumed that we would suffer a similar fate. On the day of the finals, we had enormous fan support, and we could sense a renewed energy among our whole team. We won some key early matches, and the results kept coming. The sounds of the pump-up screams, shouts of encouragement to teammates across the courts, and the roar from the crowd when the final point was clinched are still vivid in our minds. It was particularly exciting because just a few minutes later, the UCI men's tennis team won their conference title as well, so we all got to receive our trophies and celebrate together in the big stadium at the famous Indian Wells Tennis Garden. It was the first and only (so far) Big West Tournament title for UCI Women's tennis, so it was a very special team and a special accomplishment.
Q: Did being a student-athlete enhance your UCI experience?
A: Absolutely. As an athlete at UCI, you belong to a special community. The camaraderie you feel among not only your own teammates, but also those across the other sports, is stronger than you will experience anywhere else on campus.
Q: How did your academic and athletic experiences at UCI help prepare you for your graduate programs and in your current careers?
A: Being a top level student-athlete instills in you a certain discipline, work ethic, and drive that is hard to replicate. Certainly, this mentality has propelled us well through our graduate studies and into our careers thus far.
Q: Describe your career paths and how you came full circle back to your alma mater.
A: Our career paths have largely been organic. We are very loyal and mission-driven people, so working at our alma mater is very fulfilling because we are able to directly impact an organization that is meaningful to us. When on the East Coast, we both worked for Duke in similar respective capacities, so when we decided to move back to Newport Beach, it was a natural transition for us to work for UCI.
Q: When did you become involved with the UCI Young Alumni Council?
A: We became involved in the UCI Young Alumni Council shortly after moving back to Orange County after living on the East Coast for five years. It is a great opportunity to stay involved, give back, and have a hand in helping shape the future of our great university.
Q: What is your best UCI memory?
A: Our best memory is probably watching the NCAA bracket reveal as a team in the Anthill Pub, seeing our name on TV slotted to play against Ole Miss in the opening round, and then having the chance to represent UC Irvine at the NCAA Division I Championships in Atlanta!
Q: Any advice for current Anteater student-athletes?
A: Enjoy the journey. You will undoubtedly endure setbacks and defeats, but the payoff of the experience is worthwhile. Soak it up while you can and feel incredibly fortunate that you get to spend so much time everyday pushing your body to its mental and physical limits while working as a team to achieve a common goal. Take advantage of the gorgeous surroundings in Irvine and Newport Beach. Represent UCI well both on and off the field, and forever as alumni.
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