Chris Lowe: Athletic performance on and off the field

University of Illinois Springfield athletes may be at home, but during remote learning they were still actively training with athletics staff and preparing for their next season. UIS Director of Strength and Conditioning Chris Lowe had played a large role in that.

“We’ve been using an online software program, and the athletes have an app on their phone that is really user friendly,” Lowe said. “Normally they would be on campus training with me, and I could make changes. We have had to be extremely creative with at-home workouts. Not every person has the luxury of a weight room and access to weights. Our staff has done a great job developing programs for at-home settings.”

Lowe said athletic staff is concentrating on more than reps and sets, they are focusing on the athlete as a whole. The app allows for connections beyond just physical workouts. It comprises overall wellness including mental, physical and emotional well-being.

Athletes had weekly challenges to learn new skills while at home, such as cooking which is tied directly into nutrition, an important part of being an athlete. Lowe said cooking proved to be motivational.

Zoom has also helped UIS athletes connect with their teammates. “It allows for that face-to-face interaction, which is great to see in coaching, it’s that human interaction you don’t get in text messages,”

Lowe said. He is impressed with the dedication UIS athletes have demonstrated at home. “They take a step every day to be champions, to reach a goal. This has not deterred them, “Lowe said. “That is a testament to them and the coaching staff.”

Lowe also said the virus has opened doors for athletic staff from throughout the Great Lakes Valley Conference to connect and learn from each other. “For the first time ever, we had a Zoom session with all of the coaches in the GLVC to learn from each other, how each one operates and how it differs from school to school. Lowe also recently attended the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association online convention. We all still want to get better in our profession and there is so much more communication than we have had in the past.”

With finals over, Lowe said athletes are on a summer schedule with no mandatory Countable Athletic Related Activity (CARA) hours. He is hopeful the fall semester will resume and with it, fall sports.

“When that comes up, we are being realistic and optimistic,” he said. “We can only control our response and that is a huge mental piece of this puzzle. I remind them of our mission statement which is to be the best version of themselves as a person.”

Jumping through hoops

Despite being one thousand miles apart, UIS Women’s Basketball Coach Casey Thousand is running drills with her team and having weekly meetings.

“Our biggest challenge is not having a post season,” she said. "We are still a new staff needing to tweak what we’re doing and how. Normally we would be in the gym doing workouts and could demonstrate in-person what we wanted them to work on to prepare for next year. Not being on the court with our team is hard.”

Spring is also when basketball recruits, who are current high school juniors, are invited to campus.

“It’s really weird right now, figuring out how we can get our offers to these kids without showing them campus. We don’t like to offer scholarships until they come to campus. We like to get to know the whole family and this time is very different because it’s all over the phone,” she said.

Thousand jokes that her phone is usually dead by noon because of so many calls she is on with recruits, coaches and her own players.

Thousand, her coaching staff and team connect on Zoom at least once a week and she monitors their workouts on a new app that all UIS athletes are using to track their progress.

“They are bored. They miss campus. They miss being around each other. We do a lot of texting and calling. When we Zoom, they are usually pretty talkative and happy to see one another,” she said.

Thousand considers herself lucky that they were able to finish their season. But she is disappointed her seniors won’t get a proper send-off.

“It’s hard, I talk to them a lot about resumes and being alumni and make sure they know we want to stay in contact with them,” she said.

Thousand feels for the spring sport athletes, who are missing their entire season.

She says one positive thing that has come out of the extreme circumstances is a connectedness between basketball coaches around the country. During the NCAA Final Four, college coaches typically connect in conferences and learn from speakers, but this year, with the cancellation of the NCAA tournament, those conferences didn’t happen.

“They didn’t happen in person, but they did happen online,” said Thousand. The NCAA moved the conference virtual. We connected on Zoom. People are just figuring out how to do it differently and stay connected. We are able to learn as a staff to make our team better.” Thousand considers the virtual platform better, as D1, D2 and D3 coaches are in regular contact with one another, instead of just for one weekend.

As for the summer, it’s still to be determined. Thousand and her staff would normally spend the summer visiting potential recruits playing AAU ball. “AAU tournaments typically happen April, May, June and July,” she said. “The April tournaments have been cancelled, but players are getting creative, they’re utilizing their home courts.
We’re all learning from this.”

“We cannot wait to get everyone back together," she said.

Leadership lived: UIS tennis player helps fellow students off the court

Kaitlyn Thornhill came to the University of Illinois Springfield to be part of the women’s tennis team. However, she quickly discovered a second passion as she was offered a chance to tutor fellow students at The Learning Hub.

Thornhill, a junior from Alpharetta, Georgia, has been playing tennis since her parents introduced her to the sport when she was 10-years-old.

“I love the sport because it's both an individual and team sport,” she said. “Being part of the tennis team has given me a lot of value in terms of creating friendships, positions of leadership and having a team to come to every single day and experience success.”

As an accountancy major, Thornhill says she’s excelled in her coursework. Her abilities were noticed by an instructor who asked if she’d consider tutoring students at The Learning Hub.

“I tutor both traditional students and student-athletes,” she said. “When I see the light bulb go off I think that is the reason I do the job. It's very rewarding to know that the information that I'm providing is helping another student succeed in my own field.”

Following graduation from UIS, Thornhill plans to earn her master’s degree in accounting and sit for the certified public accountant (CPA) exam.

“I am very glad I came to UIS,” she said. “It has given me so many opportunities. I've stepped out of my comfort zone in so many ways. I've become a leader in many programs and I have met so many people and been able to network within my own major.”

She feels her education has prepared her well for post-graduation life and says she’ll always look back fondly at her time at UIS.

“If I could do it all over again I wouldn't change a thing,” she said. “Where I've gotten to today has come from every opportunity that UIS has given me and I couldn't be more proud.”

Leadership lived: Senior helps boost school spirit as an intern for UIS Athletics

 
Nick Reynolds is helping to boost school spirit as a marketing and engagement intern for the University of Illinois Springfield Athletics Department. In that role, he promotes athletic events on social media and serves as a host for promotions during games.

“I’ve always been a big like get everyone to the game and pump them up type of guy,” he said. “In high school, I was the Blue Crew leader for our fan section and so that’s what I’m kind of trying to do here.”

Reynolds, a management major from Jerseyville, Illinois, says he’s also learning important business lessons from his UIS Athletics internship. For example, he helped to set up a $600 half-court basketball shot contest promotion.

On campus, Reynolds also co-founded the first Jewish student organization and has completed several internships in various campus departments.

“You can only learn so much in the classroom and UIS is Leadership lived because you can just go out and do it,” he said. “It’s really helped me become a leader and helped with business expertise and skills.”

Following graduation from UIS, Reynolds plans to become an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. He’s headed straight to boot camp following graduation in May.

“I now know that after the military, I will probably want to go into something like Sports Management,” he said. “I think being an athletic director or something like that would be really cool.”

Reynolds, who is graduating from UIS with his bachelor’s degree in only three years, says he’s glad he came to Springfield.

“It’s a smaller school, so I’ve just been able to fly through my degree in three years because of the small class sizes and because of great professors who know your name,” he said.

Leadership lived: Springfield native becomes a leader on the court in his hometown

As a star basketball player at Springfield’s Lanphier High School, Aundrae Williams knew he wanted to continue his career in his hometown following graduation.

Williams says when University of Illinois Springfield Head Men’s Basketball Coach Bill Walker approached him with an offer to play for the Prairie Stars he knew it was the right fit.

“I kind of already had it in the back of my head knowing I was going to come here,” he said “Just to have the opportunity to play for my hometown, have family members be able to come here and see me play when they can, it was just really and opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”

As a sophomore, Williams has become an important part of the Prairie Stars leadership on the court as a point guard directing the team’s offense.

“When you’re a point guard, you’ve pretty much got to be the coach on the court for those guys and it comes with a lot of learning,” he said. “Your IQ of the game has to be at a certain level, so that you know what play you need to call, who needs to get the ball into certain situations and once you start learning that stuff, I think the game doesn’t slow down physically, it slows down mentally. Once you learn that, everything else just opens up for you really.”

Williams, who is majoring in communication, recently had the opportunity to represent UIS at a national three day NCAA Inclusion Forum in Indianapolis. He got a chance to meet other student-athletes from around the country and learn important lessons about leadership.

“It just kind of showed me that athletes have so much more power than they realize and they’re leaders,” he said. “They may not always play all of the time, but people always seem to look up to athletes, so we’ve got to use that power for the right things.”

Following graduation from UIS, Williams hopes to continue his basketball career. He’s proud of the UIS Athletics program, which he says is growing.

“I feel (that UIS is) one of the best universities in the country and I feel like, as far as athletics, we’re on the rise,” he said. “People are starting to realize that UIS is a team that needs to be recognized when it comes to best teams in the GLVC.”

Leadership lived: UIS Tennis player “steps out of her shell” to help people in need and support international students

Tennis player Mae Flight, a global studies major, says the University of Illinois Springfield has taught her to be more outgoing and seek out leadership roles where she can make a difference.

“I’m a serious introvert, so since coming to UIS I have stepped out of that shell and I’ve put myself in a lot of leadership roles and just put myself out there to get myself comfortable with meeting new people and speaking in public,” she said.

At UIS, Flight is co-president of the Habitat for Humanity Club where she spends time helping with building projects in the Springfield community.

“I like being involved with Habitat because for me it’s a way to give back to the community, she said. “I am a very hands on person. I like to meet the people that we’re building this house for because they’re so grateful and it’s that feeling when they have smiles on their face.”

Flight also helps newly arriving international students feel at home at the University of Illinois Springfield as an International Student Ambassador and by working in the Office of International Student Services.

“We are here as liaisons in a way between domestic students and the international students,” she said. “I’m super invested in other cultures. I love learning languages.”

Flight decided to come to UIS because she was recruited to play on the UIS women’s tennis team. She started playing the game when she was only 10-years-old.

“I think tennis and even being a student-athlete in general has helped me since being in high school because it helped me become organized with my life and knowing that I did have something else besides school,” she said.

Following graduation from UIS, the Charleston, Illinois native would like to teach English as a second language to elementary school students.

Leadership lived: International student becomes a leader on and off of the course at UIS

When international student Maria Espinosa came to the University of Illinois Springfield from Colombia to play on the UIS women’s golf team, she knew she would grow as an athlete. However, she didn’t know she’d become a leader on campus.

Espinosa, a biology major, is a science peer tutor at The Learning Hub where she mentors fellow students. This past summer, she went on a study abroad trip to Ghana, West Africa where she helped to conduct important public health research.

“We did three projects within the communities,” she said. “The first project was water quality research, which I was highly involved with, since I’m a biology major.”

She encourages any student who gets the opportunity to take advantage of studying abroad.

“It definitely teaches you a lot about yourself, about other people and it pushes all of the boundaries or expectations that you have,” she said.

On the golf course, Espinosa has been a leader on her team, participating in super regionals since her freshman year. This year her goal is to help take her team to nationals.

“I’ve been playing golf since I was 7-years-old and it has been part of my life since as far as I can remember,” she said. “It’s a sport that gave me the discipline that I need in my everyday life.”

As an international student, coming to UIS from a foreign country, Espinosa says she has always felt welcome in Springfield.

“I could describe my experience at UIS as feeling like home,” she said. “Even though this is not my home country, completely different language and culture, I always felt welcomed by the community, by the university, all of the faculty and staff.”

Following graduation from UIS, she plans to earn her master’s degree in biomedical sciences with a specialization in clinical microbiology and immunology.

“I think coming to UIS was one of the best decisions I’ve made for my career and my personal growth,” she said.

Leadership lived: UIS baseball player Michael Rothmund enjoys breaking records and mentoring teammates

 
Michael Rothmund grew up playing baseball and watching the Chicago Cubs on television while dreaming of playing on the collegiate level or even professionally. He’s off to a good start as the first baseman for the University of Illinois Springfield Prairie Stars baseball team.

During the 2017 season, Rothmund set several UIS and NCAA records for homeruns. He led the entire NCAA (Division I, II and II) in home runs at 24 and broke the Division II single season homerun record averaging almost one home run per every two games played. He was also named the UIS Athletics Male Athlete of the Year and 1st-Team All-Great Lakes Valley Conference.

As a senior, Rothmund is considered an unofficial leader on the UIS baseball team. He enjoys mentoring the younger players and helping them to improve their game.

“Kids go to you and they look to you for answers and if they’re having a hard time on the field, struggling with hitting or fielding, they go to you,” he said. “It makes a real impact on my life knowing that I mean that much to some of the kids on the team.”

Rothmund, who grew up in Lombard, Illinois, is a communication major at UIS. He says he chose UIS because of the excellent baseball coaching staff and because he wanted to earn a University of Illinois degree.

“People say they want to go to big colleges and stuff like that,” he said. “That’s not my kind of style. I like getting to know my professors and getting to know my teammates and classmates and everything and having that personal connection with them.”

Rothmund is currently gaining professional experience by interning with Nicole Hager, who is the director of academic support services for UIS Athletics. As part of the internship, he helps with important paperwork and is planning a social media campaign to keep other student-athletes informed about important deadlines and resources available to them.

Following graduation from UIS, Rothmund says he’s considering a career in real estate or broadcasting. However, he’s hoping he can continue to play baseball.

“If there’s any chance I can keep playing baseball, I’m going to keep doing it. It’s been my goal since I was four or five years old and saw Major League Baseball players on TV and I just wanted to be that.”

Rothmund says he’ll look back on his college experience with fond memories and confidence that he made the right choice by attending the University of Illinois Springfield.

“It’s been fantastic. I wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else,” he said.

Leadership lived: Business Administration major wins award for overall excellence

As Regina Bolin puts it, “you don’t always have to be the loudest person in the room” to be a leader. Bolin, a senior business administration major at the University of Illinois Springfield, has often played the role of a behind the scenes leader, however now she’s in the spotlight.

Bolin was recently honored for her overall excellence in curricular and extracurricular activities when she was presented with the Student Laureate Award from the Lincoln Academy of Illinois. She was the only student at UIS who received the award, which was presented by Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner during a ceremony at the Old State Capitol.

“It’s really cool to be here and be able to get this award because there are so many people who could have gotten it at the University of Illinois Springfield,” she said. “I just feel so honored that my achievements have been recognized. It’s awesome.”

Bolin is vice president of the Alternative Spring Break student organization, a member of the Capital Scholars Honors Program, Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She is also on a marketing committee that gives UIS student feedback about social media and advertising.

However, she’s spent most of her time on campus as a student-athlete. Bolin played for the UIS Prairie Stars Women’s Soccer team for four years, being named to the Athletics Academic Honor Roll three times.

“I loved everyone that I got to play with and just being able to have a role on a team and getting to continue playing the sport that I loved is awesome,” she said.

Bolin, a Kansas City, Missouri native, has participating in the past three Alternative Spring Break trips, starting with New York City in 2016 where she helped feed the homeless. This year, she’s planning to go to Texas with the group to help with Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.

“Leadership is what you make out of it,” she said. “There’s always opportunities to be a leader and I think anyone could be a leader and it just depends how much effort you put into it.”

Following graduation, Bolin plans to attend graduate school and pursue a career in the business marketing field. She looks back at her experience at UIS with fond memories.

“I’ve met a lot of great people, I’ve been able to learn a lot while I’ve been there too,” she said. “There’s just a lot of opportunities at UIS that I’ve been glad to be a part of and I think the school has been a really good fit for me.”

Leadership lived: UIS women’s soccer player gets involved on and off the field

   
Jasmin Lisowski has been playing soccer since she was in kindergarten. Now, she’s living her dream playing NCAA Division II women’s soccer at the University of Illinois Springfield, while majoring in social work and psychology.

“My favorite part about playing soccer at UIS is that fact that I can be a student and be dedicated to my studies, as well as be part of a soccer team, which isn’t the case at every university,” she said. “I love the team so much, we bond so well together and I love spending time with them all of the time.”

On the UIS women’s soccer team, Lisowski has taken on an unofficial leadership role, helping to mentor new players. She admits that she wasn’t always a vocal member of the team, but says UIS helped her step up and become a leader.

“My freshman year coming in, I wasn’t as vocal as I am now,” she said. “I’m very vocal on the field now. I like talking to the younger players and tell them what they need to work on or what they did well and just guiding them in that way.”

On campus, Lisowski is part of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), the Alpha Lambda Delta Honors Society, the Capital Scholars Honors Program and the Psi Chi National Honor Society in psychology. She also traveled to the Florida Gulf Coast in March 2017 to volunteer with the Alternative Spring Break Program.

Most recently, Lisowski completed a study abroad trip to Malta and Rome in May 2017. As a student-athlete, she says it can be hard to travel during the summer months. However, she arranged her schedule so she could take part in the trip.

“It was an amazing experience. I was so excited to be able to do that,” she said.

Following graduation from UIS, Lisowski plans to earn her master’s degree and become a counselor or social worker in an emergency room.

Lisowski says she is glad that she chose UIS because she enjoys being part of a growing campus that is part of the University of Illinois System. She has also enjoyed the positive student-athlete experience and recommends UIS to others interested in playing sports.

“We just had an ID camp here last weekend and a lot of the parents asked us if we would have changed anything. I definitely would not have changed anything about my experience. I’m so glad I chose UIS.”

Leadership lived: Transfer student takes full advantage of all UIS has to offer

 
Garrad Straube transferred to the University of Illinois Springfield to be part of the men’s cross country and track and field teams. The criminology and criminal justice major has taken full advantage of all that UIS has to offer and is currently completing an internship at the Illinois State Police Academy.

On campus, Straube works as a student ambassador for UIS Admissions where he gives prospective students and parents campus tours. He is also the treasurer for the Tau Sigma National Honor Society chapter at UIS, a member of Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Straube started his career as a runner while attending Quincy High School. He ran at a junior college before transferring to UIS where he is now a leader on the team. He enjoys mentoring younger students on the team and helping them grow.

“Being a team captain for the cross country team has just been phenomenal,” he said. “It’s hard to say you’re a team captain when you’re with a bunch of guys who invest as much as you are, but being a team captain, being a leader, on the cross country team, being able to bring them along has been just awesome.”

As an intern at the Illinois State Police Academy, Straube completes administrative tasks and has also been able to ride along with troopers on the ground and in the air. He’s also interned with the SWAT team and other departments within the state police.

Following graduation from UIS, Straube would like to become a police officer and hopes to work for the Illinois State Police.

“I think in law enforcement you can’t be afraid to do the right thing,” he said. “That’s kind of my emphasis that I want to do the right thing. I want to be a pillar in the community and I want to be a person that people can say ‘yeah, he’s a good cop or a good person’. That’s my goal.”

As a UIS student ambassador, Straube says it’s often his job to “sell” UIS to prospective students and parents. He says that’s an easy job.

“I came here my junior year and I’ve been able to find my own home within UIS. I love it here,” he said. “It’s so easy to sell a school where they invest in you as much as you invest in them.”

Leadership lived: Basketball player overcomes adversity on and off the court

University of Illinois Springfield men’s basketball player Zach Steinberg says he’s learned that leadership is not about age, but how you overcome adversity.

He’s faced many challenges not only on the basketball court, but at home. At the age of 11 his father passed away from colon cancer.

“It really taught me and my brother how to grow up fast,” he said. “It was a devastating experience upon the whole family, but it made us all closer and it really taught me to have to be my own man.”

Now he’s living his dream of playing college basketball and pursuing a bachelor’s degree in accountancy. He’s also a member of the UIS Student Athlete Advisory Committee, the University Bible Fellowship and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

As part of the men’s basketball team, he regularly volunteers in the community visiting sick children at local hospitals and making appearances at elementary schools.

“I think it’s important to give back because we’re given such a great opportunity playing a sport here,” said Steinberg.

“The kids look up and they want to have the same opportunity we have and to share our abilities with them and telling our story can really help them for the future,” he said.

Following graduation from UIS, Steinberg hopes to continue his basketball career and eventually become an accountant.

“I think (UIS is) everything I wanted it to be and more, honestly,” he said. “Coming into UIS, I knew we’d make connections outside of the school and I knew I’d have great experiences, but I didn’t know it would be this awesome.”

Leadership lived: UIS volleyball player represents student-athletes on a national level

 
University of Illinois Springfield volleyball player Ashley Beaton, a senior psychology major, represents NCAA Division II athletes on a national level as the student representative for the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC).

“It’s honestly been surreal. There’s been a lot of people I’ve gotten to network with and who have helped my leadership, personality and professionalism grow,” said Beaton.

Beaton applied for the position after being a member of the UIS Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). She current serves as vice president of UIS SAAC and previously served as president. She is also a member of the UIS Intercollegiate Athletic Committee, which is part of the UIS Campus Senate and made up of student-athletes, faculty and staff.

As part of her national NCAA leadership role, Beaton has attended the NCAA Convention and has been spotlighted in several Division II videos as part of the “Make it Yours” campaign.

“I’ve went to the NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis and just got overloads of information that I can take back and use in volleyball, in real life and use to apply to SAAC to make NCAA Division II even better,” said Beaton.

Beaton says she chose UIS because of the growing opportunities for student-athletes. She’s proud to be part of a thriving Prairie Stars program.

“I remember coming on campus here for the first time and I just had a feeling like, you know this feels like home, but what really drew me in was the potential that UIS had,” she said. “I heard that all of the sports teams were starting to take off.”

She has learned about leadership through her NCAA role and as a volleyball team captain.

“I would consider myself more of a lead by example type of leader,” she said. “I really try to encompass everything that our coach brings us into. I really take it and try to run with it.”

Following graduation from UIS, Beaton plans to earn a master’s degree in psychology and hopes to one day work at the NCAA’s Sports Science Institute, which researches student-athlete health and mental health.

“Coming in here I was a little bit shy, I was underdeveloped and just all of the experience I’ve had to go through has just taken me through the roof,” said Beaton. “It’s been amazing to say the least.”

Leadership lived: Cross Country runner finds home at UIS

 

Eli Cook has always wanted to attend the University of Illinois Springfield. However, it wasn’t until the school added a cross country program that he decided to transfer.

“I’ve always thought UIS would be my dream school, if I could only run there,” he said. “Once they announced the program I was elated.”

The sophomore accountancy major from Rochester laced up his shoes for the Prairie Stars for the first time during a home meet on September 11, 2015.

As the only runner on the team with previous college experience, he’s found himself stepping up to help lead the team.

“A lot of people don’t think a sophomore could have a leadership role, but especially on a new team, I was able to kind of assume a leadership position and be able to help steer the team in the right direction,” he said.

Cook has been running since he was in junior high and recently won the Lincoln Presidential Half Marathon in Springfield. It was the first half marathon he’s ever run.

“It was actually supposed to be kind of a training run. Coach said we had to run 14 miles that day anyway, so Ethan Bluhm and I kind of hopped in the half marathon,” he said.

“I knew I’d place well, but half way through I realized I could win it if I really applied myself, so I had to focus, dig deep a little bit.”

The win helped to shine a spotlight on the UIS Cross Country program, which Cook says has a bright future.

“We’ve got some growing pains, but we’ve got a lot of improvement coming,” he said. “Look out in the next 5 years, we’ll be a really competitive program in our conference.”

Cook is also active in groups, such as the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), and represents the men’s cross country team on the UIS Student Athlete Advisory Committee.

He’s currently interning at Northwestern Mutual in Springfield and hopes to become a financial representative following graduate school.

Leadership lived: Cheerleading captain helps boost school spirit

 

Katie Selway has been a cheerleader nearly all of her life. Now, she’s helping to spread school spirit at the University of Illinois Springfield.

The social work major is captain of the Prairie Stars cheerleading team and president of the Blue Crew, a fan section made up of students who attend home athletic events. She’s also a student orientation leader, a member of the Social Work Club and the Capital Scholars Honors Program.

Selway cheered throughout high school in Jacksonville, but didn’t try out for the UIS team until her sophomore year. As captain, she’s helped to build the team into what it has become today.

“Our team has transformed so much this year,” she said. “Our team is completely different this year and it’s amazing being able to be the captain of this team.”

Being captain involves a lot of behind the scenes work, including fundraising and coordinating the team schedule. However, she knows being on the sidelines makes a difference in how student-athletes perform.

“I know I’d love to have students behind me whenever I perform,” she said. “Having that support system behind you makes you a better athlete in general.”

She’s learned many life lessons at UIS, both in the classroom and on the court.

“UIS has taught me that one thing leads to another,” said Selway. “My job led to connections I’m making around campus with faculty, which is leading me into a career I might want to do.”

Following graduation, Selway plans to start graduate school and earn her master’s degree in social work.

Leadership lived: Student-athlete winning in the classroom and on the course

Rebbecca Ramirez of Springfield has been playing golf ever since her father bought her a pair of clubs at a garage sale. Now, as a member of the Prairie Stars golf team, she’s played in 11 tournaments and has a stroke average of 82.91.

“I started playing golf when I was 12 years old,” she said. “We were just testing it out to see what I could do.”

At the University of Illinois Springfield, Ramirez is majoring in psychology and using what she learns in the classroom to help her on the course. She likes golf because the sport has helped her grow as a person and a leader.

“I just like the pressure that golf puts upon me because it makes me a better individual,” she said. “It’s just kind of like a life lesson it has taught me.”

Ramirez admits balancing her time on the course and in the classroom can sometimes be a challenge, but she’s found ways to manage her time and succeed. She was recently named to the Great Lakes Valley Conference’s Academic All-GLVC list for 2014-15.

“School does come first, even though golf is always on my mind,” she said.

After she graduates from UIS, she plans on earning her Professional Golfers' Association of America (PGA) certification and start coaching others in the sport she loves.

She’ll look back at her time spent at UIS and the lessons she learned fondly.

“In one word, I would say that UIS it’s been awesome,” she said.

UIS Director of Athletics Kim Pate named a Woman of Influence

University of Illinois Springfield Director of Athletics Kim Pate has been named one of the five Security Bank and Springfield Business Journal Women of Influence as announced by the SBJ. She will be honored during a reception on Tuesday, May 12, 2015.

The 12th annual program honors local women for their contributions to the Springfield area community. Winners are selected by their peers through submitted nominations.

“These women are significant for their valuable contributions in making Springfield an outstanding community,” said the Springfield Business Journal. “All have made important contributions to the community at large.”

Pate became Director of Athletics at UIS in 2011. Now in her fourth year, she oversees eleven varsity sports at UIS, a member of NCAA Division II and the Great Lakes Valley Conference.

Prior to her current position, she served three and a half years as Director of Athletics overseeing eighteen varsity sports at Brevard College, a member of NCAA Division II and the South Atlantic Conference.

Under her leadership, UIS athletics and has seen the program grow both athletically and academically. She helped boost the STARS Club to record numbers in the second and third year of its existence. UIS student-athletes have posted their highest grade-point average under her watch and recorded the most community service hours since joining the Stars.

Pate began her life in intercollegiate athletics at Brevard as a four-year starter on the softball team. She was a two-time NAIA Academic All-American. Pate graduated Summa Cum Laude from Brevard, earning a bachelor’s degree in Business & Organizational Leadership. She earned her master’s Degree in Business Administration from Western Carolina University.

Leadership lived: UIS tennis player stays busy on and off the court

Faith Hook has been playing tennis since she was 13-years-old. Her love of the game brought her to the University of Illinois Springfield to play for the Prairie Stars.

“Being a part of the tennis team, it’s a lot of time management, but it’s so much fun. I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” she said.

Hook is also busy off the court as a member of the Mock Trial team and Model United Nations. She volunteers with the Illinois Innocence Project and hopes to attend law school after she graduates from UIS.

“At the Innocence Project, we get cases from inmates and we’ll evaluate them, ask them for transcripts and associate back and forth,” said Hook. “I’ll come up with a case evaluation and present it during our meetings.”

Working with the Innocence Project and recently attending the National Model United Nations Conference in New York City have given her valuable hands on experience. During the conference, UIS students represented Bosnia and Herzegovina in mock debates on the United Nations floor.

“It’s just been an experience and something that will definitely help me in the long run and I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life,” she said.

The sociology and anthropology major credits UIS with helping her succeed and giving her the opportunity to be involved in so many activities.

“UIS is really good with not scheduling things over other things, so you can become involved in more than one group,” she said.

Leadership lived: Volleyball player learns lessons on the court

As a volleyball player at the University of Illinois Springfield, Carly Wesolowski has learned a lot about leadership on and off the court. The communication major chose UIS because of the personalized academic programs and the chance to play volleyball at an NCAA Division II school.

“I am so blessed to be able to be a student-athlete,” she said. “Not a lot of people get the opportunity and it’s really nice that I’m able to come to a great school that will give me a great degree, let me play my sport, and have those volunteering and leadership opportunities.”

At UIS, Wesolowski is also a member of the Capital Scholars Honors Program and often gives back to the Springfield community by volunteering.

On the court, she has learned many lessons about leadership from her coaches and team captains.

“We’re all kind of leaders,” she said. “We all have our spark of leadership either in practice or in games. We all have good feedback to each other.”

Wesolowski has a close relationship with her teammates, jokingly comparing them to a sorority, who is always supportive of their members.

Being a part of a team has taught her how to work as a group and how to work with people.

“We get along great, but there are definitely problems that arise and it’s taught me you have to talk to people, you have to get their side of the story, and work your problems out.”

Following graduation from UIS, Wesolowski plans to work in public relations for a university or athletic program.

Leadership lived: Soccer player finds perfect fit on and off the field

Manuel Gomez, a business administration and global studies major, chose the University of Illinois Springfield because of the personalized attention he receives on and off the field.

The UIS Prairie Stars men’s soccer player is a first generation college student who’s passionate about the environment. He’s a recycling advocate who is currently doing research on Hispanics and the environment.

After he graduates from UIS, he’d like to earn his master’s degree in environmental studies and eventually work for the Environmental Protection Agency.

“I picked UIS because of the size of the campus. It’s really small, which provides a one-on-one connection with my professors,” said Gomez.

Gomez has been playing soccer since he was 5 or 6 years old. For the past three years, the Collinsville, Illinois native has been a forward on the men’s soccer team. It’s taught him many lessons about leadership.

“Time management is one of the many things I learned here at UIS and just (to) be ready for everything, said Gomez.

Gomez is busy on campus, also serving as an International Student Ambassador and a member of the Organization of Latin American Students (OLAS).

“I feel like the atmosphere is good for me. It’s a great atmosphere overall (at UIS),” said Gomez.