Rowen Wilkinson | WKU Cross Country
 
Hometown/Current City: Knoxville, Tenn. / Bowling Green, Ky.
Undergraduate Major: International Affairs, Chinese and Spanish with a Health Science Concentration
Postgraduate Field of Study: Plans to spend capstone year in Taiwan for Chinese
 
How did playing college sports shape who you are today?
Running track and cross country has 100 percent added to my level of discipline throughout all aspects of my life. Whether that is getting up at 5 am for a workout before class, changing my diet to adapt to my increased mileage or even putting extra time away for studying when I would rather be doing anything else. Without this increased pressure, I would never have performed physically and academically at this high level.
 
What career path are you pursuing after college?
As of right now I am also in ROTC to pay for college. After I graduate and finish my capstone year, I will join the army and serve my commitment of 8 years. My goal is to go abroad and work for the army in Japan or South Korea. After I finish my time in the army, I am interested in pursuing a career in government work, working as an ambassador for the US in foreign countries.
 
Which class has been your favorite and why?
My favorite college course has been North Korean Politics. It was an incredibly interesting class that allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of the ingrained propaganda and the lives of North Korean citizens. Additionally, it was taught by my favorite professor and the way he teaches really allows me to fully understand and rationalize concepts. I wish he could teach every class I take. This class was not only interesting but will also present its own importance later in my life when I could be dealing with the politics of the East Asian region.
 
What’s the best advice you ever got from a coach or teammate?
There was a time when I was busy; I had a workout I was supposed to do late at night that I would have to do by myself. I was really struggling with motivation at the time, and I wanted to do anything but run 10 runaround the track in the cold at night by myself. I was talking to my teammate, and I told her I might not do the workout that night. She looked at me and said, “If you aren’t going to show up and put in the work, why do you even bother to show up, why do you push to stay onto the team when you aren’t going to put in 100%”. While that may sound a little harsh it is what I needed to hear in that moment. I got up and I got that workout done. Even now, when I feel a lack of motivation, or I am dreading doing something difficult, I think of what she told me and I know I must continue to show up and give 100% everyday, if not for just myself, but for my teammates.
 
What advice would you share with today’s student-athletes?
Remember that your whole life does not revolve around your sport. One of the biggest things I struggle with that I know I also need to improve on is basing too much of my self-worth on my abilities and accomplishments within my sport. Remember that you have done so much to get to this point as a college athlete, no one can say they put in more work than you. Continue to do the best you can, but do not let your abilities define you.
 
How has being a student-athlete helped you succeed in the classroom?
Being a student-athlete has allowed me to become better at time management. I have been forced to find a way to balance all my majors, ROTC, and Track. Adding these different tasks has put a lot of stress on my shoulders that I had to find a way to alleviate. That constant pressure has forced me to develop better habits that I would never have had the motivation to develop otherwise.
 
What is your best tip for balancing athletics and academics?
My best tip for this balancing act is to get a big planner. I have a large one that I take everywhere with me. I write down every task I need to accomplish for a week. Including homework, practice, workouts, and chores that I need to do around the house. Everything I need to do is written down, and when I accomplish a task, I can mark it off and get that sense of accomplishment. That is the best strategy I have found for succeeding on the academic side.