University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Staff Directory
- Title:
- Academic Counselor
ASSIGNMENT–Women's Basketball, Track & Field
- Email:
- Phone:
- 412-303-8602
Raquel “Rocky” Montalvo Perez joined the Academic Support Service for Student-Athletes staff in June 2026 as an Academic Counselor for Student-Athletes. “Rocky,” as she is known by her student-athletes, works primarily with the Women’s Basketball, Cross Country and Track Teams.
Raquel initially joined the Pitt Athletic Department in October 2022 as the Career Consultant for Student-Athletes, a role she held for four years, assisting all student-athletes and alumni with career planning and graduate school preparation while coordinating programs within the Cathy and John Pelusi Family Life Skills program.
Prior to joining Pitt, Raquel served as the Life Skills Graduate Intern for the Gonzaga Bulldogs, in Spokane, WA. During her time, she oversaw the career development for all student-athletes as well as coordinating different community building events with SAAC as their WCC Liaison. She also served as academic point person for incoming freshmen of Women’s Tennis, Volleyball, Men’s and Women’s Rowing.
Previously to Gonzaga, she served as the Graduate Assistant for the Bratzke Student-Athlete Academic Success Center at Eastern Kentucky University where she oversaw academic progress for Football and Men’s Basketball. She also assisted with the creation of the International Student-Athlete Night Recognition as well as developing a Welcome Guide for international students in conjunction with the EKU International Office and the EKU Center for Inclusive Excellence and Global Engagement. During this time, she received her Masters of Exercise & Sports Science with a concentration in Sports Administration.
A 2018 College of Business Commencement Banner Bearer and graduate of EKU, with a Bachelors of Business Administration (B.B.A.), Raquel spent four years as a student-athlete with the Women’s Tennis Team. On top of that she loved to be involved around campus and its communities, taking leadership roles in several campus organizations such as the Latino Student Association (LSA), the Student Government Association (SGA), and the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
Nationally, Raquel is a recognized member of the National Association for Academic and Student-Athlete Development Professionals (N4A) and serves in the leadership team of External Partnerships Working Group of that organization.
A native of Cochabamba, Bolivia, Raquel has one sister (Laura) who played tennis at the college level.
