En Garde – Cornell Fencer Angelica Gangemi '16

A Lindsay Lohan movie changed Angelica Gangemi’s life.

The Cornell senior was just 6 1/2 years old and she saw The Parent Trap, the 1998 remake of the 1961 film in which “twin” sisters (both played by Lohan) are separated at birth but reunite at a summer camp. The film features a fencing scene, and after seeing that, Gangemi was hooked.

She joined the Staten Island Fencing Club, but she was so young that her father also joined.

“After a month, he decided that I was fine on my own and that his muscles were sore,” says Gangemi. “But I kept going. I began competing when I was 9 and it just took off from there.”

Gangemi began taking lessons with Susan Monardo (left) at the Staten Island Fencing Academy. She was so young at the time that her father, Daniel, (right) took lessons with her.

From there, fencing has taken Gangemi to competitions across the country, and as far away as South Korea this past summer for the World University Games. It also helped bring her to Cornell University. Gangemi had two main criteria when looking at colleges. She knew she wanted to be part of a Division I fencing team, and the Old Bridge, N.J. native wanted to be close to home.

This past summer, Gangemi was selected to represent the United States at the World University Games, held in Gwangju, South Korea, where she finished 43rd overall in the women’s foil competition. Cornell head fencing coach Iryna Dolgikh (top left) was also selected to travel as a member of the U.S. coaching staff.

“When I came to Cornell on my official visit there was just an overwhelming feeling that this was where I was supposed to be,” explains Gangemi. “I was walking up Ho Plaza and I heard the Cornell Chimes playing from McGraw Tower … It was an overwhelming feeling that I needed to be here.”

At Cornell, Gangemi has been one of the Big Red's most proficient foil fencers, participating in three consecutive NCAA tournaments and winning more than 75 percent of her overall bouts. She is well respected in the fencing community for her excellence in technical and tactical knowledge, physical endurance, character and sportsmanship.

Beyond the physical, fencing has taken Gangemi on an emotional journey as well. Claiming that she lacked confidence when she was younger, Gangemi credits the mental aspect of fencing – having to strategize and outsmart your opponent – with giving her more self-assurance. This is something she’s continued to foster during her time on East Hill.

“Being a Cornellian has helped me grow in so many areas,” says Gangemi. “I’ve come out of my shell. Being on this campus has helped me find my voice.”

Gangemi has used that voice to take a leadership role as the co-president of Student Athlete Advisory Committee. She is also a member of the Red Key Society, Cornell's honor society for varsity athletes, and serves as the club's Big Brother Big Sister Chair. Gangemi is also involved in Big Red Buddies, serving as a weekly volunteer in one of the toddler classrooms at the Cornell Child Care Center. She is also a mentor for the Cornell Filipino Association and a member of the Big Red Leadership Institute.

Despite her busy schedule, Gangemi finds time to regularly volunteer as a Big Red Buddy at the Cornell Child Care Center.

As if her fencing and extracurricular activities weren’t enough to keep her busy, Gangemi is also an outstanding student, carrying a 3.74 grade point average while majoring in Spanish with a minor in Latin American Studies. She is also the lead undergraduate research assistant in the Cornell Infant Studies Lab, where she investigates the relationship between spatial language exposure and the development of spatial skills in children.

Gangemi has already been accepted to Rutgers New Jersey Medical School for matriculation in fall 2016 and intends to specialize in either pediatrics or anesthesiology.

“In high school, I figured out that I wanted to go into medicine because it merged all my passions,” says Gangemi. “It made sense. I love science. I love community service, which is so gratifying because you’re helping others. And making an impact is really what I want to do, and all of that comes together in medicine.”

With the end goal being medical school, Gangemi chose a bit of a different path than most by majoring in Spanish, but while shadowing a surgeon she saw how practical a second language can be when it comes to connecting with patients.

“I was volunteering in a hospital in the pediatric ICU, and one day the resident couldn’t communicate with this one patient’s mom because she only spoke Spanish. But then the pediatric surgeon walked in and started speaking Spanish to her and she immediately opened up and was able to feel reassured. Ultimately my goal as a doctor is to connect with the patients, and having the ability to communicate with them in a native language if they’re a Spanish speaker and bridging that connection is really important.”

Connecting with patients is one of the main reasons Gangemi chose Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. The school shares her philosophy that you can provide a high quality of care while also being a humanistic and approachable doctor.

With medical school on the horizon, Gangemi is approaching her last few months in Ithaca as a time to take in all that Cornell and the community has to offer.

“It’s been a new experience to be on campus but not have to worry or stress about getting into med school. I have more free time to explore all the cool communities on the campus and walk the gorges. I even went to Fuertes Observatory for the first time. Part of college is experiencing life, and now there are all these new things that I’ve been able to do this year.

“There is so much opportunity on this campus and getting a chance to really experience it all has been amazing.”

Created By
Cornell Athletics
Appreciate

Made with Adobe Slate

Make your words and images move.

Get Slate

Report Abuse

If you feel that this video content violates the Adobe Terms of Use, you may report this content by filling out this quick form.

To report a Copyright Violation, please follow Section 17 in the Terms of Use.