By David Walter
Reporter
Entering college as a freshman is always an intimidating task for any student; entering college as a student athlete can be even more strenuous given the fact that a varsity sport demands a lot of time a student’s day.
Everyone tries to enjoy the college experience as much as possible while finding who they are and what they want to be in life. Among the many freshmen student athletes at Pacific Lutheran University are Lauryn Tsukimura, Adrian Ronquillo, and Arthur Keast.
“I think that being an incoming freshman in college can be both exciting and scary,” said Track & Field athlete Adrian Ronquillo. “For me, the PLU community eased my fears of assimilating college. Everyone was super friendly, and it wasn’t hard for me to make friends and lasting relationships.”
Freshman golfer Lauryn Tsukimura also shared the same thoughts.
“So far, I’ve really enjoyed my first year at PLU. One of the reasons I decided to come to PLU was because of the welcoming community; it has definitely lived up to my expectations,” said Tsukimura.
Freshman Track & Field athlete Arthur Keast describes coming to PLU as a great experience for him.
“I was welcomed with open arms and have met many people that I’m glad to call friends. Although the transition from high school to college can be stressful, the university gave me a warm environment that made it okay to ask for help,” said Keast.
All 3 athletes mentioned that being a student athlete can be very stressful at times.
“Being a first year student athlete is both very stressful and very fun,” said Tsukimura. “It definitely cuts down the time I have to do schoolwork, but it’s helped me manage my time better.”
“Being a student athlete is stressful at times, especially since you have less time in the day because of workouts and game days” said Adrian.
Arthur Keast also explained how tight time can be especially since he is doing extracurricular activities outside of academics and sports.
“My life balancing 2 sports as a student athlete is especially busy,” Keast said. As a person that is also in Chorale and Orchestra, time can be tight.”
Besides the time constraints of being a student athlete, they are truly enjoying their experiences at PLU so far and are excited to see what future holds.
“So far I think my first year of college has been a successful and productive one,” said Ronquillo. “In terms of the next few years, I hope to become more proficient with computer science. Next year I hope to be an RA at the STEM House in Tstad because I really want to express my eagerness for computer science, and incorporate that into the STEM community.”
Lauryn Tsukimura is also excited about what her future holds while being on the golf team.
“I’m really looking forward to continuing to play golf in college,” she said. “I can’t wait to see what other golf courses we’ll get to play at. At the end of the day, I’m a student before I’m an athlete, so I’m also looking forward to starting the nursing program next fall.”
Arthur Keast said that his freshman year of college so far has him eager to see what the future holds him now that he knows what the college experience is truly like.
“My college experience has been quite a trip,” he said. “Although there are obstacles that I have had to overcome, my freshman year so far has created many happy memories. I hope that the next three years of my life as a Lute will bring me on a journey full of wonders and surprises.”
