While faculty and underclassmen will no doubt miss all the seniors of the 2007 graduating class, there are three seniors that deserve special recognition for their achievements in and out of the classroom.
In the hierarchy of social labeling, these seniors – Phil Roy, Stephanie Kliethermes and David Quinlan – should be placed in the category of “go-getters” for their outstanding personal successes and contributions to the Lawrence community.
Roy, a government major set to graduate in June, has had a prolific career at Lawrence. He is a prime example of a student utilizing the many opportunities open to students, and he has used them to his advantage.
Some of his resume builders include associate sports editor of The Lawrentian, oral communications tutor, captain of the tennis team for the last two years, member of the presidential cabinet of LUCC, LU Symphonic Band, member of the LU Percussion Ensemble, and co-founder of the LU Hip-Hop Lab.
I also know that Phil finds the time to make his own variety of beats for rappers in the area. Phil, honestly, I think that its time that you got a life.
The tennis team obviously caught a stroke of bad luck this year, which is why they didn’t win conference and failed to make it to the national championship.
“Being a part of an athletic program going through a transitional phase is a challenging, yet rewarding experience,” Roy commented.
“During my tennis career here at Lawrence, I was asked to play a variety of roles as the makeup of the team changed from year to year. This year was especially tough, since I was diagnosed with a long-term hand injury, but will probably go down as being the most rewarding.”
Roy said, “The friendships with players and my coach will surely be a part of my after-Lawrence life, as will the many lessons that a collegiate sport such as tennis teaches you.”
These lessons will help Phil in the future, as his plans include working for a mortgage firm in Chicago, and then attending the University of Chicago to pursue a master’s degree in international relations.
Listen up slackers: You need to follow around Stephanie Kliethermes for a while to learn how to be successful. Don’t actually do it, just read this article and let her accomplishments guilt you and motivate you to work harder at whatever you do.
She carries a 3.67 GPA, which has earned her Academic All-Conference for all her sports – volleyball, basketball, and indoor and outdoor track – since her sophomore year.
She was track captain for two years and an MVP field athlete her freshman and sophomore year, and she won the Viking award her junior year. This is just for track, mind you.
For volleyball, Kliethermes was captain for two years, defensive MVP from her sophomore year on, and is third on career digs list and digs/game average. She also just recently won the Ruth Bateman award and the Marion Read award, all which mean she’s pretty good.
Kliethermes had some poignant words about what her career at Lawrence means to her. “Looking back on my four years here as a student-athlete, I can’t even begin to tell you how influential and memorable this experience has been.”
A double major in English and math, Kliethermes plans to attend the University of Iowa next year for grad school. She will study biostatistics and will remain involved in athletics, and she eventually wants to do clinical trials on athletes.
David Quinlan is a hometown kid from Appleton and is a three-sport athlete in his own right, competing in cross-country and both indoor and outdoor track.
David is fast. He won several races this year in the 800 and was usually at the front of the pack. “When people see me race they see something happen, they see someone want more than to settle for second,” Quinlan said.
“Although I have not won every race, each race is motivation for me to work harder to be the best.”
Quinlan carries this winning attitude with him in the classroom as well. He is a biology major who would like to go to chiropractic school, but he will be around for one more year at Lawrence.
Next year he will help coach the cross-country team and the longer distances for the track team, hoping to “instill the desire to not settle for his or her spot on the team or in the conference, but to fight for a better one.”
These three seniors have enjoyed rich careers at Lawrence and have likewise enriched the Lawrence community.
We thank them for the time that they have spent here and all that they have done, and wish them the best of luck for the future.
Three great seniors depart
