Milagros "Milly" Peña has always loved basketball, going back to her playing days as a shared point guard in high school and college. As a former scholar-athlete, her experiences with teamwork, discipline and determination have extended far beyond the hardwood.

Now as a professor of Sociology and Ethnic Studies, and the Dean of the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, Peña no longer has time to play basketball. But she still admires how women’s sports have evolved.

“I think what is so important about the sport is that it reinforces that as women...being assertive and being self-confident is a good thing,” Peña said. “Women are discouraged from showing those kinds of elements, but in sports, it’s actually encouraged. It’s important that you be assertive and not second guess because half a second could mean you miss the ball...In some ways, it’s still a struggle for women. You see on the news the way women get described when they are confident and assertive.”

Growing up in different areas of New York, including Washington Heights, Hell’s Kitchen, Long Island City and Manhattan, Peña played basketball recreationally before joining the St. Michael’s High School team, where she played for four years and received a team sportsmanship award.

“I really liked the comradery and the sense that you belonged with a group of people,” Peña said. “The playing was the fun part, but the other part, where you had a group of young women who played with you, you felt a sense of sisterhood with them.”

Peña’s love for basketball continued after high school and into college, where she played one year of basketball for Iona College, a private Catholic school in New Rochelle, New York. Peña learned discipline and time management as a scholar-athlete but ultimately decided to stop playing and focus on her academics by junior year. 

Peña believes the lessons she’s learned in basketball have made her a better leader.

“[Basketball] really required all of us to pull together, and I really like that concept. It is one that really drives me in the way that I work here... because I never really focus on myself. We have a team here and everyone has talents and some perspective or contribution to make to our team effort and our leadership here in the college.” 

Peña’s team approach is appreciated by her CHASS “team,” including Nelda Thomas, Financial Assistant in the CHASS Dean’s Office.

“The things that you learn from sports [like] discipline, hard work, not cutting corners, being a team player, they all factor into success in life,” Thomas said. “People that are successful, those are the things they carry with them. I know those things [Dean Peña] learned in basketball have made her into the person she is today.” 

Thomas also knows basketball. Her five children all played basketball, including Matthew Thomas who starred at King High School in Riverside and at San Diego State. Matthew also helped recruit Los Angeles Clippers all-star player Kawhi Leonard to San Diego State and remains a close friend with Leonard to this day.  Five of Thomas’s seven grandchildren also play basketball and all five of her children, her husband, Gerald, and her son-in-law serve as CIF-certified basketball referees. 

“You get to play with all kinds of diverse people who come from different backgrounds,” Thomas said. “When you play, it teaches you how to get along and to see things from other peoples’ perspectives. It teaches you to be tolerant of everybody.”

Peña acknowledged the positive influence on women’s basketball by former Los Angeles Lakers player Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, before they were killed in a helicopter crash in January. 

“We’ve learned a lot about what [Kobe] did to mentor his daughters, to support them, and how much time he gave as a parent,” Peña said. “I think those are the things that are the highlights for an athlete...[of] his stature. [Gianna] represents what has evolved in women’s basketball. Generations of women are now aspiring to reach the upper echelons of a sport that marginalized us for a long time.” 

Basketball is never far from Peña’s thoughts and she remains a supporter of UCR athletics. Peña invites CHASS staff and faculty to join her for CHASS College Night at 5 pm on Thursday, Feb. 27, featuring the UCR women’s basketball team, who will compete against the Cal State Fullerton Titans.

“There’s an opportunity for staff, faculty and all of us here in CHASS to support,” Peña said. “More than anything, it’s for us to come together and have some fun.”

Admission is $10 and includes reserved seating, dinner, Coaches “Chalk Talk,” access to the Champions Club, and snacks and beverages throughout the game. To purchase tickets, contact Tracy Avery at tracy.avery@ucr.edu

FEATURED PHOTO. Photo courtesy of Milagros Peña.
Milagros Peña, center, raises both hands to block a shot during a high school basketball game.