3C2A Student-Athletes Ally Ratto of San Joaquin Delta and Dublin Synnott of Saddleback recognized with CalHOPE Courage Award
SACRAMENTO — Two California college student-athletes, Ally Ratto, a sophomore water polo player at San Joaquin Delta College, and Dublin Synnott, a sophomore soccer player for Saddleback College, have been selected as the November 2024 recipients of the CalHOPE Courage Award.
Presented monthly since February 2022, the CalHOPE Courage Award honors student-athletes at California colleges and universities who have overcome the stress, anxiety, and mental trauma associated with personal hardships and adversity. In addition to the recognition, a donation will be made on behalf of all honorees to support on-campus mental health services.
Here’s a closer look at the inspiring personal stories of these student-athletes:
Ally Ratto, Water Polo, San Joaquin Delta College
Ally Ratto’s journey is defined by resilience, courage, and an unrelenting spirit. From her first day on campus in fall 2023, Ally was thrust into balancing the overwhelming responsibilities of caregiving, working, and excelling as a college athlete. At just 18 years old, she found herself working multiple jobs to help pay bills while taking care of her mother, who was battling breast cancer. Her mother’s condition was further complicated by severe medical issues, including sepsis, pulmonary embolisms, and heart failure, leaving Ally to shoulder these responsibilities on her own after her father and siblings left home.
Despite missing much of her summer training for water polo, Ally leaned on her coach, teammates, and the school community, who provided emotional, logistical, and financial support. Counseling became a turning point, offering Ally the tools to manage the anxiety and depression she had carried since high school.
Ally faced another devastating blow during her freshman campaign when her teammate, Kayla Crespin, was killed in a car accident just before the conference championships. The grief of losing a close friend, combined with her mother’s health struggles, felt insurmountable, yet Ally found strength in her team, who came together not only to grieve but to honor Kayla’s memory. It was then that Ally reconnected with a childhood friend on the Delta baseball team, who understood her grief as he, too, had lost a beloved teammate. Not only did he understand her grief, but he also offered to assist with her mother’s care to help her balance school, family, and water polo.
Now, a year after Kayla’s passing, Ally has grown stronger. She has been able to effectively manage her anxiety symptoms, and draws strength from her teammates, who have become a source of collective healing. With her mother one-year cancer-free, Ally continues to lead her water polo team and excel in the classroom.
“I encourage everyone to lean on their support system and remember you don’t need to go through it alone,” said Ally. “I learned that progress is not always linear; some days will be harder than others, and that’s okay. Healing is a process. Trust that you’ll get better, and you’ll get out of the dark times.”
Dublin Synnott, Soccer, Saddleback College
Dublin Synnott, a standout goalie for the Saddleback College women’s soccer team, exemplifies resilience both on and off the field. Since high school, the Mission Viejo native has navigated the challenges of anxiety and depression, a journey that became even more complex during a difficult knee injury during the 2022 season. The injury sidelined her, forcing her to redshirt, a tough adjustment for someone so deeply committed to her athletic path. Despite the setback, Dublin’s dedication never wavered. She remained a constant presence at practices and games, enthusiastically supporting her team as they captured the state title.
Determined to return stronger, Dublin tackled her recovery with a positive mindset, grit, and unwavering focus. Her comeback in the 2023 season was remarkable: she played in 16 of the team’s 22 games, contributing to an undefeated regular season. Her freshman-year performance speaks volumes about her talent, with a 13-1 record and a stellar 0.51 goals-against average. Though limited to five games in the 2024 season due to ongoing injury challenges, Dublin compiled a 3-1-1 record. The Bobcats concluded an incredible 2024 season last week, compiling an 18-3-3 record and winning the 3C2A SoCal Regionals, before losing in the semifinals of the State Championships to the eventual winners, Folsom Lake.
Balancing her athletic and mental health journeys, Dublin prioritizes therapy and personal growth while serving as a leader on the field and in the classroom. She transformed her academic performance and inspired her peers with her selflessness, compassion, and warmth. Known for her respectfulness and coachability, Dublin embodies the true spirit of a team player, always putting others before herself while navigating her own struggles.
“I had great support from my coaches and teammates that got me through my injury-plagued season,” said Dublin. “My teammates were like family and helped me in more ways than they could ever have known. I encourage everyone to reach out for help and never suffer in silence.”
About the CalHOPE Courage Award
The monthly CalHOPE Courage Award is presented by the College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA), in association with The Associated Press; CalHOPE, a Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) crisis counseling and support resource; and the Governor’s Advisory Council on Physical Fitness and Mental Well-Being.
“CalHOPE is honored to continue recognizing student-athletes statewide who have overcome challenges to perform their best as both scholars and athletes,” said Autumn Boylan, Deputy Director of the Office of Strategic Partnerships at DHCS, which oversees CalHOPE. “CalHOPE’s purpose is to build community resilience and help people recover from disasters and public health emergencies through free outreach, crisis counseling, and support services. We hope that by sharing these stories of courage, all will be inspired.”
Previous honorees this year have included: Mya Wang (lacrosse, University of California, Berkeley); Justin Watterson, (track, Long Beach State); Aaliyah Gayles (basketball, USC); and Jailen Daniel-Dalton (basketball, San Francisco State).
At the end of the school year, two of the student-athletes will be selected as the CalHOPE Courage Award winners. The previous winners were: 2024 – Cameron Nelsen (volleyball, Antelope Valley College) and Myron “MJ” Amey (basketball, San Jose State); 2023 - Anysa and Amaya Gray (soccer, University of California, Berkeley) and Nigel Wilson (basketball, Pasadena City College); and 2022 - Julia Schwayder (lacrosse, Occidental College) and Breyon Jackson (basketball, San Francisco State).
Stories about all CalHOPE Courage Award honorees since 2022 are available at CalHOPECourageAward.org and via social media (X & Instagram) at @CalHOPE_Courage.
Sports information directors at all colleges and universities in California are encouraged to nominate deserving intercollegiate student-athletes at CalHOPECourageAward.org. The honorees are selected by a panel of writers, editors, The Associated Press, and the College Sports Communicators.
ABOUT CalHOPE
CalHOPE is a multi-level campaign run by DHCS to connect people with vital mental health and wellness resources and information to help them navigate during times of crisis. CalHOPE offers critical behavioral health crisis counseling programs and uses a public health approach that is focused on strength-based strategies for building resiliency and connecting people to the support they need. CalHOPE partners with the California Governor’s Advisory Council on Physical Fitness and Mental Well-Being to promote the CalHOPE Courage Award. CalHOPE resources may be accessed by calling the program’s warm line at (833) 317-HOPE (4673), accessing the live chat feature, or visiting www.calhope.org.
College Sports Communicators: The College Sports Communicators is a 3,600-plus member national organization, comprised of the athletic communications, media relations, digital, and creative professionals throughout all levels of collegiate athletics in the United States and Canada. Founded in 1957, the organization is the second oldest management association in intercollegiate athletics. The organization's signature program is the Academic All-America program, honoring thousands of outstanding scholar-athletes annually. To learn more, visit collegesportscommunicators.com.
The Associated Press (AP): The AP is the essential global news network, delivering fast, unbiased news from every corner of the world to all media platforms and formats. Founded in 1846, The AP is the most trusted source of independent news and information. On any given day, more than half the world's population sees news from The AP. For more information, visit www.ap.org.
(Media Contact: Doug Drotman (631-462-1198 or doug@drotman-pr.com))