Being a student-athlete is a huge commitment and Ella Warkentine goes above and beyond as a member of Brandeis' 26th-ranked women's cross country team while also taking part in Boston University's ROTC program. It hasn't stopped her from achieving the most and being successful at what she does.

Warkentine got her start in cross country in at Conestoga High School in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia. She never imagined that she would be competing at the collegiate level. With the COVID-19 pandemic impacting her junior year, when recruitment is high, she had no expectations of running. She initially ended up at Brandeis due to its academics, but her mother convinced her to contact the cross country coach about possibly walking on. Warkentine's family is also full of incredible athletes -  mother ran track for Villanova, her father participates in Iron Man Triathlons, and her younger brother is also active in ROTC at Clemson. A couple of weeks after reaching out to then-coach Sinead Evans, Ella was on the team. 

A lot of her free time is spent running 60-mile weeks and 50-mile ultra-marathons to prepare for cross country. She has been an exceptional cross country athlete, winning the team's Most Outstanding Athlete award last season while earning a spot on multiple All-Academic Teams. Warkentine views cross country as a significant part of her life because of the diligence it requires, saying, "I wouldn't have had the confidence and work ethic to accomplish everything that I do now without it." 

Warkentine decided to join ROTC because she saw a career path that allowed her to maximize all of her skills, from fitness to decision-making, and serve her country as a military officer. "That was much more attractive to me than a higher paycheck or an easier career," says Warkentine. Although Brandeis does not have an ROTC chapter, she is able to participate through Boston University's program, the closest host school to Waltham. 

In ROTC, Warkentine has been assigned Executive Officer of the Battalion, meaning she is second-in-command to the commander. Receiving the ROTC Freshman of the Year, Outstanding Cadet, and Guiliani-Sperry Warrior Awards show the dedication needed to receive leadership positions based on performance. She's learned how to persevere through tough situations and push herself, like in Pershing Rifles, an ROTC extracurricular training event she did as a sophomore. Between the late nights, high intensity, and physical training, she learned to lead and act in stressful situations which she appreciates, adding that "what matters is how you prepare yourself for challenges and whether you allow yourself to quit.

Naturally, being a member of ROTC and cross country is demanding. For Warkentine, it is the struggle of overlapping events. A typical morning for Warkentine includes traveling to ROTC practice at 5:30 a.m., going back for cross country practice at 7 a.m., and having classes and boxing practice the rest of the day. Between waking up at the crack of dawn during the week and having busy weekends, she often has back-to-back practices for cross country and ROTC in addition to classes. On top of those commitments, Ella helps lead the Japanese Language and MENA Economics clubs while triple-majoring in International and Global Studies, Psychology, and East Asian Studies. 

Her busy schedule means missing a few cross country meets or ROTC exercises throughout the year. With the ongoing government shutdown, a recent ROTC competition was postponed and now falls on the same day as cross country regionals. Nonetheless, Ella is keeping a positive mindset. She'll miss the ROTC event, but it's an opportunity for her to dedicate more time to cross country and help the Judges in their efforts to qualify for the NCAA Championships for the first time since 2018.

Ella's impact on teammates and coaches is evident, as cross country head coach Michael Schmidt praised her work ethic, adding that "her confident but relaxed attitude is a calming team presence." Over the past three years, Schmidt has seen Ella grow and appreciates her drive, communication, and organization, hailing the example she sets for her fellow athletes. Classmate Katriona Briggs described Warkentine as "hard working on the team and a good role model," further highlighting the positivity she brings everywhere she goes. 

What she does is not easy, but the people around her see the commitment she brings consistently. Warkentine continues to reach new heights and push herself through ROTC and cross country, saying, "I approach a challenge excited for the difficulty, knowing that I'll come out of the experience as a better version of myself."