In the sport of rowing, student-athletes spend hours training on land in order to go fast on the water. As a first year, Ali Zwicker similarly realized that in order to be successful in the classroom, there was a lot of work to be done outside of class time. Ali, now a fourth year on the Virginia Rowing team, explained, “Oftentimes I was unable to attend faculty office hours due to our practice schedule.”

AS A DOUBLE MAJOR in Italian and French, she has participated in one-on-one and group tutoring for her various language, physics and neuroscience courses throughout her time as a student-athlete. Participating in the tutoring options available allowed her to ask questions and better engage in class material with other students and native speakers. The extra review of challenging topics allowed her to successfully prepare for exams and papers in small and personalized settings.

As an upperclassman, Ali continues to remain involved in the Academic Affairs community. She currently serves as the President of SAAC, the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and participates in the I AM MORE workshop series, a program for student-athletes to learn about career development and networking strategies to prepare for life after competitive sport. In reflecting upon her involvement and the opportunities available, Ali said, “The services available to student-athletes through Athletics Academic Affairs are so valuable. Their commitment to excellence outside of athletics is clearly found in everything the department offers.”