Tucker Laurence

July 26, 2011

Tucker Laurence, Junior

From: San Martin, California

Exploring: Psychology and philosophy

Double play: Of all the schools I considered, Lewis & Clark offered the best opportunity to participate in and contribute to both academics and athletics. A lot of schools would have made me choose between baseball and football, but as a pitcher and a quarterback, I didn’t want to give up either sport. Here, I can play on both teams and still focus on my education.

Teamwork: Being on two teams forces you to learn how to manage your time extremely well; when you have two hours to do three hours’ worth of homework, you don’t really have a choice. Fortunately, there’s always a teammate I can study with. Last year we had two Neely scholars—recipients of Lewis & Clark’s highest academic merit award—on the baseball team. Considering that only a few Neely Scholarships are awarded each year, that says a lot about our team.

One on one: Last summer I got to participate in an NCAA athletic development conference in Florida. Compared to most of the 400 student athletes there, I felt like I was having a very different college experience. I heard a lot of stories about huge class sizes and a lack of familiarity with professors. By contrast, all of my professors know me, and some are close friends. It’s very personal. I don’t think I could do it the other way.

Coming out swinging: After college, I hope to work in athletics and education. Lewis & Clark is preparing me for that. My psychology major is teaching me a lot about dealing with people, and my philosophy minor is developing my critical-thinking and problem-solving skills. Whether I become a teacher and coach or a college athletics administrator, everything I’ve learned here will come into play.