Although she starred on the court in high school, Jessica Bergman '91 came to Brandeis expecting to live a basketball-free existence. Now, looking back, she can't imagine her college experience without having played four years for Coach Carol Simon's Judges.

Bergman started for four years at Brandeis, helping launch the rebirth of a program that has become one of New England's best and a consistent NCAA Tournament participant under Simon. With Bergman in the lineup, Brandeis enjoyed four winning seasons, culminating with an 18-9 record in 1990-91 that included a 9-7 mark in the University Athletic Association and a New England Women's Eight title. Bergman's teammates included Hall of Famers Chris Corsac '88, Pam Vaughan '90 and Racheal Perry '92; Lara (King) Arsenault '90; and Kara Romanelli '91.

"Basketball was such an important part of my time at Brandeis," Bergman says. "I feel like we had a real hand in establishing the foundation for the team's success under Carol. That's a nice thing to be able to look back on."

A Division 1 prospect before suffering a serious knee injury as a high school sophomore in New Jersey, Bergman had no plans to play basketball at Division 3 Brandeis when she enrolled in the fall of 1987. Then she met Simon, the first-year head coach who had previously served as an assistant for the Judges.

"I told her that I had played basketball in high school and asked whether there was a tryout scheduled," Bergman says. "I showed up and started running the drills and I guess it was evident that I could play."

Simon remembers Bergman being "a hard-nosed player. She was very competitive and always gave it her all."

For Bergman, the best part of her basketball experience was working so closely with Simon, who is just six years older. "She was so excited and so committed -- that's why she has been so successful for so long," Bergman says. "Carol started when I started, so we have that special connection. Being on her first team, we all felt more responsibility for the program."

Bergman's relationship with Simon has evolved through the years -- from player/coach to friends. "We grew up together," says Simon, the winningest coach in the history of the program. "We were all young and I was learning on the job. The players on those early teams taught me the good and the bad and what you need to do to be successful."

Bergman serves as a New York-based Brandeis women's basketball social director of sorts, arranging get-togethers of Simon's former players and helping recent alumni get settled in the city. She has been as generous with her resources as her time, making gifts to the Friends of Brandeis Athletics in support of the team. A few years ago, she agreed to match -- dollar for dollar -- all the gifts from women's basketball alumni for the program.

"I feel a responsibility to support a program that has given me so much," Bergman says.

The highlight of her career came during the summer between her junior and senior years when the team traveled to Greece for a series of games. "To experience that country at that time, when it was preparing to bid to host the Olympics, was amazing," she says.

An American Studies major at Brandeis, Bergman took several economics classes with an eye on pursuing a career in finance. After graduation, JP Morgan hired her for its training program. Four years later, she moved to Credit Suisse. She now serves as a director on the fixed-income side of the financial services giant, selling corporate bonds, mortgage bonds, and money market products to large institutional buyers like MetLife, Putnam, and Fidelity.

"It's a challenging job, but I really enjoy it," Bergman says.

Bergman has noticed a preponderance of former high school and college athletes in the finance industry. Her theory on it: The same characteristics that help athletes succeed -- hard work, personal sacrifice, commitment to the team, and the ability to perform under pressure -- make for a successful financier.

"Twelve seconds left on the clock, two free throws, your team down a point -- those kinds of scenarios do appear in our business frequently," Bergman says. "We have to make split-second decisions and assess risk. It's imperative that you can work well under pressure. Every day I use the lessons I learned on the basketball court at Brandeis."