Mya Hooten Reflects on Gymnastics and Carlson School Journey

Collaboration, perseverance, and a desire to be always learning has carried Mya Hooten to the 2024 NCAA Gymnastics Championships.

The current Carlson School master’s student has found these values reflected in her classes, too. 

“In gymnastics we set these high goals for the season, and on those hard days, you just have to think about what will happen at the end if you keep pushing,” Hooten says. “I’m not only thinking about myself, but I’m thinking about my team. And that also goes for schooling here at Carlson. I’m not only doing it for myself, like my group projects and the assignments, I’m doing it for my team. So, I just keep pushing through.” 

Hooten’s hard work as a Gopher student-athlete has paid off. This year marks her third appearance in the NCAA Championships, where she’ll be competing as an individual on vault. Already this year she has three Perfect 10s on floor, bringing her career total to nine, and she claimed Big Ten Championships on floor, vault, and uneven bars, as well a First Team All-Big Ten selection.

This is the culmination of a career filled with accolades. Among the highlights: NCAA Championships First Team All-American on floor (2021, 2022); NCAA Championships Second Team All-American on vault (2021, 2022); WCGA First Team All-American on floor (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024); WCGA First Team All-American on vault (2024).

Alongside her successful gymnastics career, Hooten keeps a strong focus on her schoolwork. Following her bachelor’s degree in Business and Marketing Education from the UMN’s College of Education and Human Development, she’s pursuing a Master’s in Human Resources and Industrial Relations at the Carlson School.

“What motivates me is probably my family,” Hooten says. “I have three younger sisters, and I just want to be a great role model for them. Also, the little girls in the stands, I want to be a great role model for them so they know that they can do anything they put their mind to.” She added that she is inspired by her teammates and coaches as well.

After graduating from Carlson, Hooten hopes to bring the lessons she’s learned from gymnastics into her future career.

“A lot goes on behind the scenes in gymnastics,” she says. “There’s a lot of hard work, discipline, your attitude, integrity, and your passion for the sport. I think I can carry all of those things into my future career path because if I am really passionate about something, I’m going to do anything to be the best at it.”