Zach and Malerie Cates are both UWF Alumnus and Argo fans. Malarie earned her Bachelor of Arts while Zach earned his Bachelors of Science, later also earning his Bachelors of Science in Nursing. Zach is currently impacting the community by serving as ECMO specialist, Open Heart Recovery Nurse at Baptist Hospital, and is a frontline worker during the Covid-19 pandemic. The use of ECMO, Extracorporal Membrane
Oxygenation, which provides temporary support for patients with severe conditions, has been vital during the pandemic. Zach is a former student-athlete for the Baseball team, where he led the team to many victories. Zach and Malerie believe in the impact of giving back and supporting the University. The pair were married in 2019, and enjoy being active with their dogs. Zach often participates in alumni events with his former teammates. He recently won the Horton Open golf tournament in May with his fellow Argo Alumni, Philip Ebert. Malerie is the Director of Marketing and Public relations for the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation.
We are so proud of our Argo alums, Zach and Malerie. They are making an impact within UWF Athletics and their community. Thank you so much, Zach and Malerie. Go Argos!
Why do you give to UWF Athletics?
As a former student-athlete, I experienced the direct impact of donors and support to the program. I want to give back what UWF has given to me; leadership, integrity and accountability.
Why do you continue to give?
I continue to support Argonaut Athletics because I take pride in UWF's reputation and mission of building champions for life.
What impact do you think your donations have on the UWF Athletic Department?
My donations directly impact the growth and continued success of Argonaut Athletics by supporting coaching staff as well as upgraded facilities and training equipment.
What makes you passionate about UWF Athletics?
I am passionate about UWF Athletics because I am a former student-athlete and played baseball from 2008-2010.
As a former student-athlete, what impact did funding have on your time at UWF?
Funding directly impacted my time at UWF by receiving an athletic scholarship to help pay for a portion of my undergraduate degree. Funding also contributed to the baseball team's equipment and top of the line facilities.
Anything else you'd like to add?
I met my beautiful wife Malerie at UWF our senior year in an Outdoor Leisure class. We both are Alumni and really love the campus of UWF. The Outdoor Leisure class allowed us to explore the entire campus while earning our degrees. GO ARGOS!
