Growing up, I was never one of those kids that was either all sports, or all academics; I loved them both and constantly strove to do my best in each of those aspects of my life. Being a strong student, while also working hard on the field to be an influential player, was never easy, and still never is, but a D3 education gives me the opportunity to continue to do both, so how could I ever complain? People look at D3 student-athletes and assume we are "less than" because we play sports for a "lower level program" against "lower level teams" compared to D1 or D2, but personally, who wouldn't want to attend a prestigious school, receive a solid education, and yet still, at the end of the day, play the sport they love? I am proud of being a D3 athlete, despite what society tells me.

As a growing individual, I need an education to thrive, succeed, and evolve, that is why I am a student before an athlete at a Division 3 school. At the same token, I love sports, competing, and representing my school to the best of my ability, and that is why I continue to play my athletics throughout my collegiate years. I want to make it clear to every level of student-athlete across the country that no matter who you are, what school you play for, or the college you attend, we are all just hungry, driven, and determined young adults trying to pursue an education at the absolutely highest level, while still having our athletic release and fun. Being a D3 athlete has no less pride, commitment, stress, pressure, pain, or challenge than any opposing Divisions or programs. Being a D3 athlete is not a title just given to any and must be earned through hard work, motivation, and dedication. Being a D3 athlete is not something to be looked down upon as “easy,” less strenuous, or paltry.

I give major props to any student, at any Division school, who takes on the challenge, chaos, and hectic lifestyle of being a student-athlete. We all wake up at times earlier than we would like to, warm up on the field when the morning chill is far from gone, and go to class sweaty. We all travel the weekends to matches, have to complete homework on a bus, and stay up long past our non-sport neighbors to finish assignments after our 8 p.m. practice. We all push our bodies to their absolute limits, train more intensely than we ever thought we could, and test our inner, and outer strength. We all face injuries, milestones, and record-breaking moments. We all cry after a hard loss, celebrate after a great win, and focus our path toward success and victory. We all go to class when we are tired as heck, make friends with our professors so that they are more likely to work with our athletic schedules, and hit the books hard. We all choose majors, graduate with degrees, and receive internships. We all network, stress over jobs, and want to achieve success in life.

So what I am a D3 athlete? At the end of the day, a student-athlete here is equally comparable to a student-athlete there. We are all just trying to pursue a four year experience full of excellence, success, fun, memories, and lessons-learned, on the field and in the classroom.

And believe me when I say, a simple and meaningless number behind the letter “D” does not, cannot, and will not define whatever your four year student-athlete experience will be.