Science, medicine and tennis weren’t the only components of Kelsey (Singer) Smith’s ’12 collegiate career at The University of Olivet.
But they were definitely the most important.
“I owe much of my success to my experiences at The University of Olivet,” Smith said. “Because Olivet was such a small and welcoming school, I was able to become actively involved in both academics and sports. As a biology major, I got to spend an extensive amount of time in classes with science faculty who were all very approachable and dedicated to helping students in any way possible. It was at The University of Olivet, with much credit to the amazing professors, that my passion for science and medicine flourished.”
Smith, 24, majored in biology with a pre-medical concentration while at Olivet. But it wasn’t all about academics for this Brooklyn, Mich., native.
“When I was not in the classroom, playing varsity tennis kept me busy,” Smith said. “I enjoyed being able to play a sport that I was passionate about all throughout college. I was able to play with awesome teammates and will have fond memories of tennis matches and our spring break trips I will never forget.”
Mary Anne McMullen, former head women’s coach and current executive assistant to the provost, coached Smith in tennis from 2009 to 2012. Smith played tennis collegiately from 2008 to 2012, where she accrued more than 30 wins in singles play.
McMullen specifically remembers Smith’s adeptness to being a leader.
“Kelsey is just an outstanding human being and I loved having her on my teams,” McMullen said. “Kelsey was every coach’s dream student-athlete – she was an exceptional 4.0 student in the classroom and a huge asset to the tennis team. As the team captain for three years, she knew how to make my job easier by being a true leader on and off the courts.”
During the summer between her sophomore and junior year at Olivet, Smith began researching medical schools as a potential option post-graduation.
“I came across an early acceptance program at the University of Toledo,” she said. “It was during my junior year that I was accepted into this program known as MedStart. After I graduated from The University of Olivet, I began medical school at the University of Toledo College of Medicine. I truly feel that my experience at The University of Olivet helped prepare me for the challenges of medical school. My time at Olivet helped me build strong time management, organizational and leadership skills that were and still are paramount to my success in medical school.”
Currently, Smith is in her fourth year at medical school, but it won’t be her last stop. She also plans to pursue a neurology residency in 2016.