 |
The
Smith Student-Athlete Experience
By Joy Zazzera
Mimi Zhang is a doer to a fault. Just ask her volleyball coach,
Bonnie May. She will tell you that in the four years Mimi
has competed for her, she has perhaps taken on more than any
other student-athlete she has coached. “All that she
takes on could be seen as anyone else’s Achilles heel,
but she always manages to get everything done,” says
May.
With her days planned out in 15-minute intervals, the senior
engineering major is an example for other student-athletes
to follow in the way she handles time commitments and priorities,
being able to account for every minute of every day.
Zhang found her first two years at Smith a constant process
of learning to juggle academics and athletics. Because Zhang
planned to spend her junior year abroad in Tokyo, she was
required to complete all of her engineering courses during
those years. “I realized that while I was prepared for
the demands of academics, I was not prepared for the demands
athletics presented to me. I was forced to become organized
and work around a strict schedule. When volleyball concludes
in mid-November, squash practice begins, so there is really
no down time for me from athletics until the squash season
concludes in early March.”
With a 32-game volleyball season in the fall semester and
squash competing in a mix of 10 individual matches and team
tournaments during the winter sports season, it’s impressive
how Zhang manages to make time to satisfy the roles of president
of the Society of Engineers, representative of the Student-Athlete
Advisory Committee, and master tutor of engineering students.
The balance between academics and athletics became more manageable
during her junior and senior years. “I have found being
a student-athlete to be very important for personal growth,”
she says. “A healthy mind equals a healthy body. Athletics
force me to be healthy, and at the same time empowers me in
other areas.”
In her last semester before graduating this May, Zhang continues
to seek out new experiences, including joining the rugby club
team. “I have always wanted to try rugby. The physical
nature of the sport seems empowering to me because you have
to push your body to the limit. I feel as though once I push
past my physical capabilities, I can do anything.
“My entire college experience has been and continues
to be enhanced by becoming immersed in all that Smith has
offered me, ” says Zhang. “I think it’s
crucial to take part in as many activities as Smith has to
offer. I recommend trying as much as your time allows because
you learn so much about yourself. My decision to attend Smith
was an easy one, and one that I would make a thousand times
over.”
|
|
Mimi
Zhang ‘05