麻豆传媒

 

Student athletes make the grade

Time management is the key

- November 23, 2007

Alan Shaver, vice president academic and provost, congratulations Matthew Keuken on joining 麻豆传媒's academic all-Canadians. (Nick Pearce Photo)

You want to get top marks and play on a varsity team? Then you better work on your time management.

鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to keep a good schedule,鈥 says Leanne Huck, the captain of both women鈥檚 soccer and track-and-field teams who made 麻豆传媒鈥檚 academic all-Canadian list for the third time.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 make the list during my first year,鈥 she continues. 鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 until my time-management skills improved that it happened.鈥

Ms. Huck was among 62 varsity athletes recognized for their academic accomplishments at Wednesday鈥檚 celebratory lunch held at the McInnes Room in the SUB.

To qualify as an academic all-Canadian, a student-athlete must maintain a grade point average (GPA) of 80 per cent or better over the academic year, while competing in a varsity sport. 麻豆传媒 leads the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) conference with the most academic all-Canadians and the Tigers鈥 swimming program leads 麻豆传媒鈥檚 varsity pack with 15 academic all-Canadians on its roster.

Swimmer Magda Gawlik, who just graduated with a degree in Community Design, is back at 麻豆传媒鈥檚 Faculty of Architecture and Planning, this time in the Environmental Design program. She agrees that time management is the key to achieving a great GPA: 鈥淟uckily, I think it comes naturally to me. You definitely can鈥檛 procrastinate.鈥

The aspiring architect says the trick is finding the right balance between academics and athletics.

鈥淚鈥檓 always busy 鈥 I鈥檝e just had to cutback on my normal lazing around,鈥 she says with a laugh. 鈥淏ut I really enjoy my studies and swimming. I鈥檓 passionate about both.鈥

Swimmer Matthew Keuken is in the pool working on his back stroke every day by 6 a.m. He says being an athlete makes him a better student, and vice-versa: 鈥淲hen you鈥檝e got to train every single day for five hours a day, it means you鈥檝e got to be organized. It forces you to get everything done.鈥

The commerce student was pleased to ask Bette Tetreault, his teacher for the first-year class Business Communications, to join him at lunch as a way of thanking her for her support. Mrs. Tetreault, for her part, was delighted: 鈥淚 was knocked away 鈥 I鈥檓 flattered by all measure.

鈥淚鈥檓 so impressed with the things these student-athletes can accomplish at the same time: to do so beautifully in class and still find time for athletics 鈥 I give them enormous credit.鈥

For the complete list of 麻豆传媒鈥檚 academic all-Canadians, see: Giving all you can