What has been your most memorable moment playing soccer at Carleton?
My most memorable moment playing soccer at Carleton was our team winning the MIAC conference this past year and being ranked as high as 15th in the nation for Division III soccer by the NCAA. As a team, we set a goal at the beginning of the season to win the conference and make the playoffs, and it was great to see our hard work pay off. We have already set the same goals for the next season, as well as the goal to win a spot in the NCAA post-season tournament. I am looking forward to making this season better than the last.
How do you balance athletics and Carleton's academic opportunities?
For me, Carleton has broadened my experiences by providing me with the opportunity to play on the varsity soccer team, conduct research with a professor, and study abroad. The coaches here know the meaning of the term “student-athlete”, and they work with their student-athletes to enable and encourage them to take lab classes, do research, and go on study abroad programs. It certainly takes some planning to pick labs and study abroad programs that do not interfere with soccer, but it is by no means difficult to play a sport and take advantage of everything else Carleton has to offer.
What do you like most about Carleton?
The thing I like most about Carleton is that it offers so many opportunities to its students. Not only does Carleton give me the chance to play on a competitive soccer team, but I am also able to do student-faculty research, travel abroad for a term, and be involved in many extra-curricular activities. On top of these activities, I also have the opportunity to receive a great education. What I like even more about Carleton is that it is possible (and encouraged) that students take advantage of as many of these opportunities that they can.
What would you say to a high school athlete considering Carleton?
While soccer should be a big part of your life at Carleton, it should by no means be the only aspect of your college experience. As a soccer player, you will not be disappointed with the high level of play at Carleton. We play in a very competitive conference, and we are a very successful team in that Conference (last year we went undefeated in the MIAC and were ranked 15th in the nation for Division III soccer). However, competing on the soccer field is not the only thing that is expected from the soccer players. We are also expected to perform well in the classroom. The coaches understand the academic demands of Carleton well, and they are always willing to work around students’ academic schedules. Also, my teammates are serious students supportive of each other in making sure that as a team we are focused not only on success on the field but also on success in the classroom. The soccer team has won the NSCAA Team Academic award the past ten years in a row, and we expect to continue this winning streak.
