Student Tracklete

Shavonna Hinton

After several weeks of trying to avoid this topic, I’ve finally realized it was inevitable that I was eventually going to have to write about it. Ever since I’ve been in middle school I’ve always been known as the “tracklete”. I was hoping I might be able to shake this title once I got to college but sadly, I haven’t.  I’m not saying I don’t love the sport I just feel as if there’s so much more to me as a person but everyone always gets hung up on  the fact that I run track. However, being in college I’ve learned to embrace my role as a student athlete.

From my first day at Bing I was already at an advantage socially considering that my roommate was also a runner, which made the bonding process a little easier. Not to mention the fact that I would also be instantly connected to a group of 90 plus people all just by being on the team. I’ve grown to respect and admire many of my teammates for the hard work they put in on and off the track. Whenever I’ve had any questions about academics or finding a balance in college I could turn to someone who had gone through similar experiences and who could guide me through it all. I know it’s a cliché but my team is like a family. For the most part we are a pretty tight unit and we look out for each other. We celebrate each other’s victories and help each other out when someone might be down.

When I tell people I’m an athlete they’re usually very impressed with the fact that I’ve chosen to make a huge commitment aside from being just a student. Additionally, I hear you earn big points with job recruiters because of all the life skills you learn to develop as a student athlete.  All in all, being a student athlete is a badge of honor at Bing and I’m proud that I get to represent this college every week when I step out on that line to race.