When Kyle Montaperto stepped foot on Grounds four years ago, he had one objective in mind — win a national title for Virginia wrestling. But as he grew accustomed to the University, his goals expanded drastically. Through his experience as a “Lawnie,” president of the Student-Athlete Advocacy Committee, co-founder of Athletes in Medicine and more, Montaperto now reflects on the impact he has made on the University — and in turn, the impact that this community has made on him.
“I came here as a wrestler … [but] coming to U.Va. has absolutely changed so [many] of my priorities, values and expectations of myself,” Montaperto said. “I’ve got a curiosity now about the world that I did not have.”
Montaperto credited joining SAAC for helping open his eyes to the leverage the University’s student self-governance gives undergraduates to make change. Initially joining in his second year, Montaperto was later elected an administrative officer before assuming the role of president last April.
Montaperto said he began his presidential term amid a tumultuous and evolving college athletics landscape. Changes to revenue sharing across the NCAA and modifications to the University specifically — namely, the closure of the student-athlete dining hall — created uncertainty among the student-athlete community.
In cultivating solutions and taking on long-term projects, Montaperto has guided student-athletes through these experiences while working to foster community across teams. While he did not know what to expect entering his term, he said that his leadership was shaped by his goal of leaving the University better than he found it.
“It’s cool to be able to make things a little better … [SAAC] never felt like work,” Montaperto said. “I’ve developed into somebody that’s not just going to sit around and passively go through my life … I think we should always be trying to leave places better than how we found them.”
Under his leadership, SAAC accomplished its mission of providing more opportunities to unite the greater athlete community, hosting events including the Hoos Choice Awards this April, volunteering opportunities at the Ronald McDonald House and other events for student-athletes to spend time together outside of their respective sports.
Montaperto’s work with the SAAC has also reflected his overarching desire to break down the “athlete bubble,” encouraging athletes to get involved on Grounds beyond their team in pursuit of the full University experience.
“[Athletes] shouldn't just be athletes,” Montaperto said. “[There's] so many clubs here, so many interesting things to do here. I know everybody is more than just an athlete, right? More than just their sport.”
According to Montaperto, this distance between the “athlete bubble” and the rest of the student body is not merely figurative, but physical. Over a mile lies between Jefferson Park Avenue — where most Virginia wrestlers live — and the University’s Lawn, representing the larger divide between the two that Montaperto has sought to change.
Montaperto is one of three student-athletes living on the Lawn, joined by volleyball’s senior defensive specialist Kate Johnson and football’s senior linebacker Logan Kotter. For many student-athletes at the University, their experience can be singularly defined by the relationships built with teammates and other athletes — something Montaperto believes is harmful for both those involved in athletics and those who are not. While his efforts as SAAC president have guided the mission to bridge these groups, his positioning as a Lawn resident has also allowed for more organic connections between the communities.
“My teammates — who are about as far into the bubble of athletics as you can be — now they're around when they're coming to hang out over [on the Lawn],” Montaperto said. “They're around my non-athlete friends … I think a big thing that I've been able to do, or made an effort to do besides just [introducing] these people, is share what U.Va. is about to my teammates.”
Last year, just one student-athlete resided on the Lawn — lacrosse player Tommy McNeal. Montaperto credited McNeal as part of the reason he considered living on the Lawn in the first place. As two pre-medicine athletes, the duo helped co-found Athletes in Medicine with former UT Dallas baseball player Isaiah Swann in 2022.
AiM provides support to pre-health student-athletes through mentorship, shadowing and professional development opportunities. Primarily, the club brings in alumni who now work in the medical field after being athletes at the University. One of these is Matt Snyder, Class of 2013 wrestling alumnus and former Lawn resident who is now pediatric geneticist at U.Va. Health. In connecting through AiM, Snyder also helped inspire Montaperto’s application for the Lawn. Snyder coincidentally wrestled in the same weight class as Montaperto and happened to live in the same Lawn room as McNeal.
Montaperto’s desire to leave communities better than when he arrived will carry on past his undergraduate career. A hopeful pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon, he will be applying to medical schools this summer and looking to work in a hospital in the meantime. But with his passion for cardiology, Montaperto has already contributed to U.Va. Health's Heart Family Fund — a fund that provides financial assistance with food, gas and lodging to families with children at the Children’s Heart Center.
In what he described as having the “biggest impact” on the local community out of all of his involvements, Montaperto fundraised $5,689.88 for the fund by running in the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal 100-mile ultramarathon in 2024.
Montaperto said he first heard of the fund in his first year, from the doctor who tested his heart during the medical screening the University requires for athletes. His father, who has run ultramarathon races of the sort before, further motivated him to go through with it.
“All the athletes have to get their hearts tested, and I was talking to the doctor who was testing my heart,” Montaperto said. “A lot of times people can't afford this care … it's not just the procedures that are the problem … People are driving hours to come here … they're getting a hotel, and they're having to pay for food … a lot of people can't afford that. So I saw that, was talking about that with the doctor, and [he was] just like, you know, ‘They got this fund here.’”
His original goal was to run 100 miles, but an injury ultimately stopped him 30 miles short of that goal. Montaperto said that missing the final stretch of the race was “the lowest I’ve ever been in my entire life” — and not necessarily because the running stopped, but because he would have raised an additional $3,000-4,000 for the fund. In typical Montaperto zeal, he said he plans to try the race again to fundraise in April 2027.
Despite his jam-packed schedule with commitments and aspirations abound, Montaperto said he still makes time for other hobbies. He said he has looked to learn more and delve into new hobbies, inspired by McNeal’s advice to strive to represent Lawn residents well — as academically curious, intellectual students. Particularly, Montaperto said he has made more time to read during his year as a Lawnie.
“What [Tommy] said was ‘You live in the Academical Village — you should do academical things,’” Montaperto said. “That’s not wasting away in front of the television, but reading and learning about things that you haven't learned about before.”
Another pastime has been hacky sacking with friends on the Lawn — a lighthearted relief from his other more serious involvements.
“I get back from class and [will] just see my buddies playing with the hacky sack in front of my room, and then I’ll hop in,” Montaperto said. “We’re trying to get good enough to be able to compete with the U.Va. sacks club. But we’ve got a long ways to go.”
Through his time at the University, Kyle Montaperto has carved a unique path guided by a desire to leave the University better than when he arrived. It is a path that blends athletics, academics and altruism in a desire to improve the student-athlete community — and some hacky sack here and there.
As Montaperto looks ahead, whether to another attempt at his 100-mile goal or to his future in medicine, his commitment to connection and the betterment of his community is likely to remain at the heart of whatever comes next. Currently, he is particularly looking forward to moving back in with his roommate’s dog, Moose.
“At U.Va., we have such a unique opportunity … to actually, as students, make changes and improve things and do something for people,” Montaperto said. “I have found that it’s very fulfilling … you should always have a positive impact on every single space that you’re in.”
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