SACRAMENTO –Will Bermudez, a senior second baseman for the UC Irvine baseball team, and Mya Wang, a former lacrosse player for California have been selected as recipients of the 2024-25 CalHOPE Courage Award.
 
Presented monthly since February 2022, the CalHOPE Courage Award honors student-athletes at California colleges and universities who have overcome stress, anxiety, and mental trauma associated with personal hardships and adversity. Bermudez and 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. 

Bermudez was previously honored as a monthly honoree in January 2025, as one of four Big West student-athletes recognized throughout the year. The product of Whittier, Calif., is the first league reciepient of the end-of-year award which 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.
 
Here’s a closer look at Will's inspiring personal story:
 
   Will Bermudez, Baseball, UC Irvine   
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 20^th 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 psychology 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.” 
 
   About the CalHOPE Courage Award  
The monthly CalHOPE Courage Award is presented by the College Sports Communicators 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.”
 
The other 12 honorees this year have included: Kate Cornejo (Water Polo, CSUN); Jailen Daniel-Dalton (basketball, San Francisco State – transferred to Sonoma State this spring); Alexa Edwards (volleyball, Pacific); Calel Olicia-Aramboles (football, Redlands); Henry Wilson (diving, Chapman); Madie Fahey (soccer, Cal Lutheran); Aaliyah Gayles (basketball, USC – transferred to Utah State this spring); Natalie Glenn (volleyball, Long Beach State); Eddy Marin (soccer, Santa Clara); Ally Ratto (water polo, Delta College); Dublin Synnott (soccer, Saddleback College); and Justin Watterson (track, Long Beach State).
 
The previous end of year CalHOPE Courage Award winners were: 2024 – Cameron Nelsen (volleyball, Antelope Valley College) and Myron “MJ” Amey (basketball, San Jose State); 2023 - Anysa and Amaya Gray (soccer, California) 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 & IG) 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.