Bucknell Student-Athlete Enrichment partnered with the University’s Center for Career Advancement and Alumni Career Services to throw a “Senior Student-Athlete Retirement Party” in the Elaine Langone Center’s Walls Lounge last Thursday. The brand-new event allowed graduating Bison to celebrate their athletic careers while also learning how to set themselves up for success in life after Bucknell.
The event focused on three major topics: Career Success, Nutrition, and Personal Wellness. Alumni career coach Julee Bertsch, nutrition specialist Tanya Williams and registered nurse/health educator Melissa Allen each spoke at the event. Student-athletes were also able to mingle with one another, enjoy appetizers, and swap stories from their time as Bison.
“I was excited to recount my athletic experiences with friends and athletes who I don’t get to see as often as people on my field hockey team. Particularly, I wanted to hear about some of my peers’ plans for after graduation and beyond,” said field hockey senior Olivia Bush. “Since I only have a couple more weeks here as a student-athlete, I want to take advantage of the experiences and opportunities I’m presented with and learn as much as I can about how Bucknell cares for graduates through our alumni network.”
“I was hoping to meet some of my fellow senior student-athletes from other teams, as well as learn about the post-collegiate athlete experience,” said men’s track & field senior Alex Simpson. “I was especially interested in learning about nutrition and sports nutrition both for current reference during the remainder of my season and for when I graduate and continue to run and compete on my own.”
The speakers shared tips and tricks for success at future internships and jobs, addressed ways for student-athletes to properly fuel their bodies once they’re no longer on a strict training regiment, and discussed strategies to help achieve peak wellness and focus on overall wellbeing.
"Julee Bertsch gave reassuring advice to all the graduating seniors at the event when she mentioned that Bucknell's alumni network is very strong, and even students who go on to grad school often come back to Julee and ask for help networking with other Bucknell alums," Bush said. "Tanya Williams said that as we graduate and move on from the sport that we've put our time and energy in for the past four-plus years, our bodies aren't going to look the same as they did when we were Division I athletes in season, and that is OK. Our bodies were vessels to perform at the highest level, and when we enter our lives post-grad, the workouts we did are unsustainable for the rest of our lives. Finding a balance in life where we can showcase our competitive drive while maintaining a healthy lifestyle is important for a fulfilling life. I resonate with that."
"It was nice to hear from other students that were also curious and somewhat apprehensive of life after college and collegiate athletics. It was reassuring to hear from the speakers that it's OK to struggle, not save money, and just try to enjoy life when you are just starting out in the working world," said Simpson. "It was also nice to hear that it is OK to change jobs often as a young adult and it's OK to not know exactly what you want to do or where you want to be. It was altogether a calming and reassuring event."
More than 20 senior Bison student-athletes from nearly a dozen different varsity sports signed up for the new event.