Ballplayer and psychological science major inspires with CalHOPE Award
Will Bermudez, a redshirt-senior second baseman for the UC Irvine baseball team and psychological science major, is the recipient of the first-ever, end-of-year CalHOPE Courage Award.
A Department of Health Care Services crisis counseling and support resource, CalHOPE has co-presented Courage Awards monthly since February 2022 to student-athletes at California colleges and universities who have overcome stress, anxiety and mental trauma associated with personal hardships and adversity.
Bermudez and former Cal Berkeley lacrosse player Mya Wang were selected from among the 14 student-athletes who were honored throughout the 2024-25 school year as those whose journey best represent the spirit of the award, which is co-presented by College Sports Communicators in association with the Associated Press and the Governor’s Advisory Council on Physical Fitness and Mental Well-Being.
The award comes with a $2,000 donation made to UC Irvine to support mental health services on campus. Since the inception of the program, more than $65,000 has been donated to support on-campus mental health services for students.
A Whittier native, Bermudez in January became the second Anteater honored as a monthly CalHOPE Award recipient. The first was Jenika Davis, a women’s soccer player and now third-year criminology, law & society major, who became the first CalHOPE 2023-2024 school year recipient in September 2023.
The Encinitas native was just five games into her freshman season when she was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, inspiring the creation of the #TeamJenika campaign that found Davis a match for what became a successful blood stem cell transplant.
In light of Bermudez receiving the 2024-25 CalHOPE Courage Award, The Big West Conference, which includes UC Irvine, posted this “closer look at Bermudez’s inspiring personal story”:
Will Bermudez’s story is one of resilience, perseverance, and unyielding determination. As a first-generation college student and a standout on the UC Irvine baseball team, Will’s journey has been anything but conventional.
In May 2019, during a travel baseball game, the 17-year-old collided with a teammate while chasing a pop fly, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. Although Will quickly regained his mobility, the collision resulted in a traumatic brain injury that caused him to lose five years of memory. For more than two weeks, Will thought he was 12 years old. A few months after his injury, he suffered his first epileptic seizure. Will was diagnosed with Myoclonic Juvenile Epilepsy, leading the Air Force Academy to rescind his scholarship.
The injury took a toll on Will’s physical and mental health. In addition to extensive rehabilitation, Will leaned into his faith and the coping skills he developed in mental health counseling.
Determined to forge a path forward, he enrolled at UC Davis, quit baseball, and focused on his academics and health. Wanting to play baseball again, in 2022, he transferred to Mount San Antonio College, where he excelled, batting .343. His play caught the attention of the UC Irvine coaches, and Will transferred there in 2023 and quickly earned the starting job at second base. He batted .250 and was named a finalist for the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Rawlings Gold Glove Award. Last year, he improved at the plate, batting .301 and earning All-Big-West Second Team honors.
This season, he has been an integral part of The Big West regular-season championship squad that is ranked 20th in the nation with a record of 39-13. He started 49 games, batting .263 with 46 hits, 31 walks, 39 runs scored, and 39 runs batted in (RBI). He also continued to play Gold Glove-quality defense with just five errors in 230 chances.
Will’s experiences inspired his academic pursuits. Majoring in psychological science with a minor in sociology, he aspires to become a psychiatrist, dedicated to helping people struggling with mental health challenges—just as he learned to manage his own.
“Everyone has different battles. Mine was epilepsy,” said Will. “I want everyone to know that whatever they are going through will get better if they take it one day at a time and don’t let anything stop them from achieving their dreams.”