As a varsity basketball player, I am often asked how my participation in athletics benefits and shapes my experience as a Wellesley student. In many ways, my experience is similar to that of non-athletes who, like athletes, have too many things to do and too few hours in the day to do them all. But there are other times when my Wellesley experience is very different from non-athletes. Throughout the year, I have practices, games, or off-season training sessions six days per week. As a student-athlete, I must physically and mentally meet the demands of my coaches and teammates. At the same time, I must also meet the demands of my professors, which all Wellesley students know can be a major challenge at times. Although student-athletes at Wellesley face unique circumstances, we also have the opportunity to learn many valuable skills and lessons that benefit us athletically, academically, and professionally.
This summer, I had the privilege of participating in Wellesley’s Lumpkin Summer Institute for Service-Learning. For my Lumpkin fellowship, I interned at Boston Community Capital (BCC), which is a hybrid nonprofit organization and community development financial institution, located in the Boston neighborhood of Roxbury. I was responsible for conducting a summer-long research project that culminated in a written report and presentation for the BCC staff. On a daily basis, I was also responsible for updating files, completing short-term research assignments, preparing for BCC’s audit, and editing the strategic plan. Although my job at BCC might not seem directly related to athletics, I know that the skills and values that I have gained as a student-athlete allowed me to be a more effective summer fellow at BCC.
As a student-athlete, I understand the importance of teamwork both on and off the basketball court. At BCC, I had to find my place on a well-established team. Each staff member at BCC has a specific role that allows the organization to function properly and effectively. Although during the first few days of my internship it was overwhelming to try to establish my place within the BCC team, I feel that my knowledge of how to be a respectful, hardworking teammate allowed me to quickly create a role for myself as a BCC staff member. I was also willing to do any tasks that my co-workers needed completed because I understand that in order for a team to succeed, everyone needs to contribute.
One important skill that I have learned as a student-athlete that greatly benefited me during my internship is time management. As a varsity athlete at Wellesley, I am constantly juggling a busy schedule and trying to balance my commitments to my classes, the basketball team, my job, and other extracurricular activities. This busy schedule rarely gives me the chance to procrastinate, so I have learned how to efficiently produce quality work in a limited amount of time. While working at BCC, I used my ability to work quickly to complete many different tasks, often much faster than my supervisor expected. Because I could complete high quality work in a short time frame, my supervisor was able to regularly assign me additional tasks, which allowed me to be involved in a large number of projects and increased the experience I was able to take away from this opportunity.
Even though my time management abilities helped me to be a more effective intern, my work ethic as a student-athlete was the most valuable asset I brought to my internship at BCC. Despite being a team sport, success in basketball relies heavily on the work ethic and motivation of every individual team member. Since beginning my sports career at the age of five, coaches have emphasized the importance of hard work and self-motivation. While at BCC, I was able to apply the lessons I have learned about work ethic to the tasks that I completed. Whenever I was assigned a project, I made sure that I did it to the best of my abilities. When one task was done, I always asked if there was something else I could do. I wanted the staff at BCC to know that I was ready and willing to do anything that they asked of me. I wanted to keep busy during my 10-week internship and to do as much as I possibly could that would positively benefit BCC.
As I now reflect on my summer participation in Lumpkin, I know that many of the important lessons and values I have learned from athletics greatly benefited my internship experience. However, I also know that my experiences this summer will positively benefit the final two years of my athletic career at Wellesley. I feel that working at BCC taught me how to be more confident when speaking with my supervisor and other professionals, both within and outside of BCC. The confidence that I have gained will help me to be a more effective basketball player, teammate, and leader. I will feel more comfortable talking about issues with my teammates and coaches, and I will be able to more effectively present my opinions and ideas. My internship also reaffirmed my belief in the importance of hard work, perseverance, and dedication, and I know that I will continue to work hard and do the best that I can both on and off the basketball court.
– Meghan Sargent ’15