Student-Athlete Impact Month Feature: Brittney Wade '17CC
2/21/2017 8:01:00 AM | General, Track and Field
Welcome to our series on Student-Athlete Impact! Throughout the month of February, you will be hearing from some of our student-athletes as they tell their stories of their time here at Columbia. Look for three more student-athlete stories during the remainder of the month.
The first two features were on:
golfer Jackie Chulya
and football player Cameron Dunn
Dear Columbia Fans,
I was in seventh grade when my soccer coach told me I should look into track because I was way better at the running part than I was at the ball-handling part—and I got the not-so-subtle hint. Throughout high school, I gradually moved from sprints to longer distances until I hit on 800 meters, which is what I specialize in now. When it came time to decide on a college, the more I learned about all the opportunities that came with Columbia, both on the Track & Field team and through the school, the clearer it was that Columbia was the right choice for me.
I've been able to grow as a middle-distance runner just as Columbia's program has grown, not only within the Ivy League, but also on a national level. One of my favorite memories from my time here is competing in the Ivy League Heptagonal Indoor Track & Field Championships during my sophomore year. We placed second, and the energy of the team was explosive. We were competing as a team as much as we were competing as individuals, and we were all supporting each other. We're looking to have another successful Heps meet this year, which we are hosting at The Armory in New York, February 25-26!
That same sense of teamwork, of pulling together, has been a part of my Columbia experience off the track as well. The Fund for Excellence—supported by gifts from alumni, parents, and friends—has provided resources that have been a major component of my academic success. I have used the tutoring program each semester since I was a first year; it's like having a coach for the classroom.
Also, as student-athletes, we have limited time to devote to career development efforts, so we make the most of the time we do have through targeted networking opportunities with former student-athletes who have been in our shoes before. My alumni mentor Susan Hendrick '07CC, a fellow mid-distance runner, has been fantastic in helping me plan for the post-graduation world. It means a lot to have so many active alumni in our corner.
As I approach graduation this May, I can't help feeling like the sky is the limit. I've been pushed to expect more from myself, and I've been supported by incredible people every step of the way. #OnlyHere could I have used Columbia's powerful alumni network to intern at Goldman Sachs and get a job offer from IBM, and have won four Ivy League titles along the way. Thank you for being a part of my journey!
Roar, Lion, Roar!
Brittney Wade, '17CC Track & Field
Note from Columbia Athletics: Read more about the opportunities to get involved with Columbia Athletics' Office of Enrichment Service here: http://www.columbiacampaignforathletics.com/#getting-involved/enrichment-services
Players Mentioned
