Your support of the Ahearn Fund has a direct impact on the 444 Wildcat student-athletes and their coaches. Each has their own story to tell about how they expereince this impact, and AhearnFund.com will share them with you in this space each month:
What did it mean to you to be a student-athlete at K-State?
When I started playing tennis I always dreamt of becoming the best in the world. After I turned 15 I figured out that I set the bar for myself little too high, so I started looking at different possibilities. When I decided to attend Kansas State University and join the K-State family, I realized that I just received a brand new opportunity to improve as a tennis player as well as a student. Simply stated, becoming a tennis player at K-State meant being able to keep competing at highest level while pursuing a college degree. Further, I strongly believe that without the passion of K-state staff I would not have become the person and the coach I am right now.
How did you benefit from the support shown by K-State fans and members of the Ahearn Fund?
I have the benefit of being a former student-athlete at K-State, as well as current assistant coach. From both viewpoints, I would say with no hesitation that without Ahearn Fund members we would not have been able to provide our student-athletes with world-class experience. Thanks to their extensive support we are able to compete with the best teams in the conference.
What was your most memorable moment as a Wildcat?
There are a lot of great moments. As a student-athlete the most enjoyable moment for me was beating no. 1 doubles team from University of Texas. As a coach, there were some incredible moments last season. For instance beating Baylor and Texas A&M during our regular season last year, having one of our players named Big 12 Player and Freshman of the year, and also appearance in singles of the NCAA tournament.
How did being a student-athlete at K-State prepare you for life after college?
Being a part of K-State family taught me how to hold myself to higher standards. I quickly learned that all actions have consequences, and that your best one day is constantly changing. If you asked me for a list of qualities I gained while at K-State, I would have to say that accountability, time-management skills, loyalty and independent thinking would be among the top of the list.
What was the deciding factor in making K-State your college choice?
There were a few factors. Firstly, it was coach Bietau who I knew was a knowledgeable coach, and also was very honest in the recruiting process- there were no lies in our communication. I knew what was expected from me prior to signing the NLI. Then I would have to say it also was the tradition of success- not only in tennis, but also other sports- track and field especially. Lastly, I loved the idea of living in smaller city- I expected people to be friendly and very family oriented- my assumptions were definitely correct.
What have you been up to since your graduation from K-State?
As I mentioned before, after graduating with Bachelor's degree, I became a graduate assistant tennis coach at K-State- I decided to pursue Master's degree in College Student Development. After completion of the program in May 2011, I was hired on as a full time coach. I and coach Bietau constantly keep working on improving our tennis program. Once again, we would not be able to do that without the support of Ahearn Fund members. Go Cats!
