Posted: Nov 27, 2023

Isabella Sierra Balances Volleyball, Sorority Life, and a Double Major

women's volleyball player wearing a red jersey jumping and swinging right arm at the ball

Isabella Sierra, a film and business major native to Washington, D.C., has created a home for herself on the Carnegie Mellon University campus. A Tri Delta sister and a member of the volleyball team, she embodies the Tartan spirit.

Sierra started playing volleyball at 12 years old, competing for her middle school before transitioning to club volleyball. "My main goal with club was to become good enough for my high school team," said Sierra whose high school was on a six straight state championship run when she entered in ninth grade. Sierra made the team and is a four-time state champion for Loudoun County High School where she was one of three girls to be selected to the All-State team in her senior year.

Sierra states that playing in this highly competitive environment made her want to play in college while also focusing on her academics. Looking all over the Northeast, she enjoyed how close she would be to home and Carnegie Mellon's highly academic and diverse studies. "We have such a large engineering program here but also an amazing arts program, something I felt that a lot of colleges couldn't offer me."

Sierra decided Carnegie Mellon was the right choice for her after seeing how friendly the team was on her visit. She said the amount of time she spends around the team helped her develop a close bond with the girls. "Everyone has the same goals and attitude, so we are really able to help each other in each aspect of our life," said Sierra.

woman wearing a red jersey holding a plaid flag around arms A Hispanic Scholarship Fund recipient and one of three girls on the volleyball team enrolled in Dietrich College, Sierra said her diversity gives her strength while also having people around her who all share the same mentality. "Having the opportunity to play for a program and the culture surrounding the team - a very focused culture - gives me such a sense of belonging," added Sierra. The team goal this year was to make it to the 2023 NCAA volleyball tournament which Sierra and the team successfully accomplished.

Sierra states that being a student-athlete opens a lot of doors for her. One resource for her is Tartan 2 Professional, a networking event for student-athletes to find internships or jobs after graduation.

Last summer, Sierra interned at the Ventura Group, a government contracting firm, where she shadowed in each department. "My favorite was project management and consulting so that's where I'm looking right now for a career," said Sierra. She also spent time fixing old cameras for the summer, not falling behind in her passion for the arts.

Sierra also credits the resources the team gives her, most notably the strength and conditioning program for the volleyball team. "Shea, our strength and conditioning coach, is a great mentor to us and creates programs for our mobility," she said.

Another resource she is excited about is the Health, Wellness, and Athletics Center which will open in the fall of 2024. "Having a space for athletes to receive help, whether it is body or mind, will be a great asset for us," said Sierra.

vertical film strip with three women posing together with words Delta Delta Delta Fall '23 Crush at the bottom The team also led her to join Tri Delta, an Alpha Tau chapter on campus. "I rushed because my senior captain during the 2022 season was a member," Sierra stated.

Along with volleyball and being a sorority sister, Sierra is part of the film major on campus. Originally looking at international relations or a professional writing major, Sierra chose film, a major Carnegie Mellon began offering in 2019, for the control she had in her classes. "I loved how the program was small enough that it gave me the freedom to take classes outside of the major that I'm passionate about," she said.

She's also very grateful for the assistance in the major. It offers equipment rentals and $650 for film majors to create their own projects. "They also have major buddies to connect people throughout the major that you may not know well otherwise," added Sierra.

Sierra loves photography, specifically film photography. She was given a dark room for her 18th birthday, which she celebrated during the pandemic. "I would go to class online and then go develop film in my basement," Sierra said. She loves calm everyday life movies, citing Little Women (2019) as an inspiration for her. "I love the way the director of photography, Yorick Le Saux, captured the world."

Sierra plans to be a business consultant in the film industry, bridging her love of photography with the strategy and skill she is acquiring with her business major.