Holle grew up in a sports family. Her dad played Longhorn football, and she followed in the footsteps of her four older sisters who all played sports. There was always a game on TV in her house. As a Longhorn fan, attending UT was a no brainer.

Holle started as an undergrad at the McCombs School of Business, working hard to balance her classes and her time on the court.

“It’s definitely difficult,” she said. “I think the most important thing is just being super proactive in your communication, making sure your professors know when you're traveling, when your games are, and then also making sure your coaches know when really important tests are and when you're going to be stressed and studying and all of those things. But there's so many resources here at UT, they really help you as much as you can.”

The long nights and exhaustion were worth it to experience the feeling of walking into a packed arena doing what she loves.

“After games little kids come up to you, and they're wearing your jersey and they want you to sign things and they're telling you that you're their favorite player,” Holle said. “I was once in their shoes. And so just being able to be in that role I think is super special, and I try to not take it for granted.”

Holle recently picked up an endorsement deal with JBL, showcasing their earbuds on her Instagram.

Being on the roster at UT means she’s gotten a lot of support building her brand as an undergrad, but the Option III program has allowed her to develop her own skills in that space, making sure she represents herself consistently across social media platforms, helping her polish up her resume and know how to present herself in an interview.

“Being able to sell yourself and being persuasive, have your elevator pitch ready on the jump, these are just really good skills to have for the future,” she said.

Moody College’s Option III programs include three focus areas: strategic communication, sports communication and communication and leadership. Students can get a certificate in one to add to their resume or choose two to earn a master’s degree.

The program has been a great option for athletes who may have a fifth year of NCAA eligibility and are looking to expand their education to gain additional skills or to help pursue careers outside of sports.

“Not everybody wants to focus on research and then go on to get their Ph.D.,” said Christie Hodge, director of graduate programs at Moody College. “There are a lot of people that want a master's degree that's going to take them to the professional world. Option III degrees allow us to offer that.”

Students in Moody College’s Option III programs come from all majors, from aspiring doctors who want to better communicate with patients or even students from other schools who may want to come to a top tier university to learn sports communication.

“They can come and get all the wonderful benefits of our program and education and do it in at a university that has an amazing sports program, and in a city that also has other sports opportunities like F1, Austin FC, minor league baseball and hockey teams,” Hodge said. “You can even come for a year to get your certificate and then decide to stick around another year for your master’s.”

Holle has a year left to go in the Option III program, and she hasn’t decided what she wants to do, but she knows she wants to combine her finance and communication degrees.

“I think I do want to stay in sports but more the business side,” Holle said. “I really like numbers, but I'm also a people person. I don't want to be behind a computer all day. So I think finding a bridge between those two would be good.”