ESPN SportsCenter host and UCLA alumna Cari Champion moderated a panel of former UCLA student-athletes in a discussion about "The Great Pivot" and life after sports as part of espnW's Campus Conversations on Tuesday evening.

In front of nearly 100 UCLA student-athletes, Champion and alumnae Brittani (McCullough) Clark from gymnastics, Amanda (Blong) Schiff from diving, Sue Enquist from softball and Shaina Zaidi from basketball, shared stories of how they transitioned from student-athletes to professionals and gave sage advice on how to prepare themselves for life after their playing days.

Clark, a two-time NCAA champion gymnast, decided to become a nurse after getting into a car accident her freshman year and worked towards that goal almost immediately, becoming the only UCLA student-athlete in the undergraduate nursing program. Upon graduation from UCLA in 2011, she landed a job at UCLA's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and she also earned a master's degree from UCLA and just started a new job as a nurse practitioner. Clark advised the student-athletes to get in touch with what they like and enjoy in order to prepare for their future and to talk to the people around them.

Zaidi, who went from playing basketball professionally to owning her own company, Tu Me Beverage Company, affirmed Clark's sentiments. "Take advantage of all the resources here at UCLA," she said. "I mean it when I say you're in a special place, not only at this university but in LA. There are a lot of doors and a lot of opportunities around you. Build those relationships. When you meet someone, make it meaningful and share a little bit about yourself with them."

Schiff, a team co-captain and member of UCLA's 2003 Pac-12 championship team, began working for ESPN in 2009 on the production side and is now an associate manager for programming for the network. Schiff shared her story about applying for internships as a student-athlete, with her first foray in sports media coming as a result of tearing off a tab on a flyer posted at the Athletic Department for a job at NFL Network.

Enquist, who won 11 national championships as a player and coach at UCLA and now owns three businesses, shared words of wisdom with the student-athletes as they prepare to go into the workforce. "We're in a bubble here – a bubble of excellence – and when you go out into the workplace, there's so much average," she said. "This will be foreign to you, having operated at such a high level and having done it the right way. Don't let anybody shake your values of who you are. In the immediate, it may be unfair, you may not get the job, but in the long run, I promise you the game will pay you back if you continue with a high level of character and a high level of performance."