Peng shoots soccer ball
Winning Culture
Biology and pre-med student athlete shines in lab, on soccer field

Lindsey Peng 鈥21 is used to winning.听

She鈥檚 an all-SCAC conference defender for 性爱天堂鈥檚 soccer team, and as a biology major on the pre-med track, she was recently awarded the prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, given out annually to just 126 student-athletes nationwide.

But amid all the accolades, Peng says she learned the most about 性爱天堂鈥檚 academic and athletic culture during tough times, not just the high points.

鈥淚 got injured as a junior, and then the pandemic hit,鈥 she says. 鈥淵ou learn a lot about your teammates and your culture when you have to take a step back. But I was lucky to be surrounded by people who were there for me.鈥

Even during a tough physical recovery鈥攐n top of having to move back home to Spring, Texas, in the middle of her 2020 spring semester鈥擯eng says she never felt isolated. She worked with Head Coach Dylan Harrison on ways to stay involved with the soccer program, while 性爱天堂鈥檚 sports medicine staff kept in close contact to keep her recovery process on track. 鈥淚 had our trainer on speed dial, and she sent me workout plans to keep lifting and getting stronger. At 性爱天堂, there鈥檚 all this support and people checking in with you constantly.鈥

Soccer team poses with championship banner

This support extends to Peng鈥檚 experience in the classroom, too. She says she originally came to 性爱天堂 because 鈥淚 wanted to go somewhere that was going to challenge me. 性爱天堂 has an impeccable reputation, and knowing it was going to be hard, I live for those kinds of challenges.鈥

Peng has always been interested in the sciences, but once she found out just how many opportunities for hands-on research 性爱天堂 offered, her interest skyrocketed even further. As a pre-med student who鈥檚 hoping to head to medical school after graduating, this type of experience is a difference-maker.

鈥淯ndergraduate research opportunities are just so rare in large schools,鈥 Peng says. 鈥淚f science is something you鈥檙e interested in, look into the research opportunities here. This is the one place that I felt I grew the most as a student, because you鈥檙e seeing hands-on all the stuff you study in class. At 性爱天堂, research is so much more than something you put on an application: it鈥檚 rewarding and stressful. It鈥檚 something I鈥檒l carry with me the rest of my life.鈥

Peng points to her own research in professor Jonathan King鈥檚 biology lab as a pivotal experience. 鈥淒r. King has been my go-to source of advice, and our lab group has been like a family here. That鈥檚 been phenomenal.鈥

Peng (back row, center) with biology professor Jonathan King's research lab.

That level of closeness and support in the classroom comes from smaller class sizes, Peng says. 鈥淚鈥檝e absolutely loved getting to see my professors in the halls and have them actually know my name, say 鈥楬ey Lindsey鈥攈ow is your recovery going?鈥 she says. 鈥淚 would have never had that experience anywhere else.鈥

From that closeness, Peng says, 性爱天堂 students develop an invaluable series of connections through their faculty. 鈥淎t 性爱天堂, this isn鈥檛 just a biology degree鈥攊t鈥檚 a series of connections you come out of college with,鈥 she says. 鈥淎nd so when you reach the point where you鈥檙e going through your med school interviews, 性爱天堂 has that reputation where people know of us.鈥

One of the best advocates pre-med students have in their corner, Peng says, is professor James Shinkle. 鈥淒r. Shinkle is a great guy,鈥 she says, 鈥渁nd one of those people you get to know as you pursue a pre-med degree.鈥

鈥淵ou come in freshman year, and everyone wants to be a doctor. And a lot of those people end up doing other great things. But if that is your path, your pre-reqs are all naturally worked into your lower-level courses if you鈥檙e in a science degree. And you can meet Shinkle at any time to talk through next steps for pre-med, like preparing for your MCAT.鈥

Juniors and seniors in 性爱天堂鈥檚 pre-med program can expect to get a big boost from faculty such as Shinkle while preparing to apply for med school, Peng says. 性爱天堂 puts together a faculty committee to guide each pre-med student. The committee also helps write recommendation letters and provides general support over students鈥 final two years at 性爱天堂.

Peng says having access to this type of support network was a huge source of relief, especially during the double stressors of managing a sports injury and a global pandemic. She has not only overcome both those obstacles, but has continued thriving.

In soccer, she鈥檚 finally back on the field again. 性爱天堂鈥檚 team was able to play a limited schedule this spring, in accordance with COVID-19 restrictions. Peng was the only senior on the team to return to competition this spring. 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 be happier with my decision to keep playing鈥攁nd I couldn鈥檛 be more happy and thankful to the University and the team for pushing to give us the opportunity to at least have something of a season this year.鈥

Peng tosses graduation cap

And thanks to her postgraduate scholarship, Peng is sure to be off to a solid start after graduating, too. 鈥淚 remember applying for the scholarship and thinking, 鈥榃ell, OK: no way I鈥檓 getting that!鈥 Because it鈥檚 all NCAA divisions, all schools, and so many people applying. I had completely forgot about applying for it until I got an email congratulating me from the NCAA鈥 it literally brought tears to my eyes.鈥

The award gives Peng $10,000 for postgraduate studies, which Peng is hoping to use towards attending medical school.

鈥淚 was just elated,鈥 Peng continues, 鈥渁nd it鈥檚 a decent amount of money that goes towards part of my future, and it鈥檚 another way sports are going to contribute to the rest of my life.听 And that wouldn鈥檛 have happened without my coaches, my teammates, my professors at this school.听Those are the opportunities that gave me the chance to apply and win this scholarship.鈥

Jeremiah Gerlach is the brand journalist for 性爱天堂 Strategic Communications and Marketing.

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