NOTE: This is the finale of a five-part series as we celebrate NCAA Division III Week and highlight what it means to be a student-athlete at Hope College.
By Caroline Hannema
Winning a national championship is an incredible feat and with that, junior volleyball player Jayne Kessel can't imagine a life without sports. However, she is quick to say that she is thankful to be part of a team and a community that is about so much more.
From the athletic programs to the science department, the campus and the community, Kessel has made it a priority to embrace the student-athlete life at Hope College.
Kessel saw plenty of success with her team on the court this season, but she is also no stranger to excelling in the classroom. For the second consecutive year, Kessel was awarded The Elite 89 award during the volleyball national championship. Founded by the NCAA, this award recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers.
Kessel points out that this award embodies the nature of Hope College. She comments, "I absolutely love that Hope is a school of both [academics and athletics]. I'm thankful I'm here because both are so important to me...We do them both, and we do them both well."
After graduating from Hope, Kessel plans to attend dental school and then specialize with a career in orthodontics. She knows that her athletic and academic work at Hope will pay off in the long run and is grateful for that. With a liberal arts education, Kessel acknowledges that she is able to learn in a variety of classes that challenge her academically and also prepare her to be a global citizen. Athletically, she comments that her experiences are teaching her life lessons in commitment, overcoming challenges, and performing under pressure. And, she recognizes that these are all attributes of a great dentist.
In addition to her coursework, Hope has presented Kessel with opportunities to expand her learning outside the classroom. During spring break of her sophomore year, Kessel participated in an Immersion Trip through Campus Ministries where she spent a week on a medical missions boat on the Amazon River. The boat stopped at small villages along the river to offer medical services, Vacation Bible School for kids, and team members helped paint houses. This experience for Kessel taught her about the joy of service as she learned that love has no language barrier.
Currently, Kessel is studying abroad this semester in Alicante, Spain. She reflects that this experience has provided her with ways to develop empathy and an understanding for people of another culture as she learns about global issues that she never knew existed. She is thankful for these opportunities because she knows that in the end, they will allow her to better connect with people in her community and prepare her for her career in dentistry.
DIVISION III WEEK PROFILES
Monday: Men's soccer student-athlete Toby Blom
Tuesday: Women's basketball student-athlete Angelique Gaddy
Wednesday: Track & field student-athlete Boone Marois
Thursday: Baseball student-athlete Jake Chipka
Friday: Volleyball student-athlete Jayne Kessel
