Student athlete Caroline Valle, 20, started playing golf competitively at age 6 and was the first in her family to attend college.
Like many others, she chose Whittier College because it was close to home and had a reputation for academic and athletic success. As early as last summer, the private liberal arts college boasted 21 NCAA sports teams.
But then in the fall parents and students began hearing rumors about impending cuts to several sports programs. They were told that the programs were safe.
