USC's Angela Kulikov Wins Arthur Ashe Jr. Leadership and Sportsmanship Award

LOS ANGELES—Recent graduate and All-American Angela Kulikov has won the Southwest Region Arthur Ashe Jr. Leadership and Sportsmanship Award. 
 
This prestigious award, which dates back to 1982, is presented to men's and women's student-athletes who have exhibited outstanding sportsmanship and leadership, as well as scholastic, extracurricular and tennis achievements in ways that embody the legacy of tennis icon and humanitarian Arthur Ashe Jr.
 
Kulikov was involved in a wide variety of philanthropic and humanitarian efforts while a student-athlete at USC. During her sophomore year, she created an Instagram account called @TheQBChick. This account featured videos of Kulikov playing football, a passion of hers as she also coached her little brother's football team. After her videos began to go viral and even gained publicity in national outlets like the Los Angeles Times, she began to receive messages from young female athletes showing appreciation for her breaking barriers. 
 
"I started to realize how much representation matters, and what an opportunity I had to inspire female participation in sport," said Kulikov.
 
Since creating this Instagram account, Kulikov has been an inspiration to female athletes and a voice for gender equity in sports. 
 
Mental health is another important pillar in Kulikov's platform. She partnered with the mental health organization, Talk About Depression to share her own personal experiences with mental health in the world of athletics. Additionally, she was a prominent part of USC Athletics' Mental Health Awareness Week where she shared her story with the hopes of destigmatizing discussions around mental health and talking about the benefits of therapy. 
 
"More than anything, college tennis provided me with opportunities to lean about myself, as well as the platform to share with others what I have learned," said Kulikov. "Tennis has evolved from a game that provided me with opportunities to grow, to a vehicle that will allow me to help others to do so."

Kulikov graduated with a bachelor's degree in cognitive science with a minor in sports media industries and a master's in applied psychology. On the court, she recorded a 53-35 overall singles record and a 70-36 overall doubles record. Kulikov was a semifinalist in the 2019 NCAA Doubles Tournament and was named an All-American that same year.