While juggling may not be their official sport, many collegiate student-athletes quickly become proficient at it to manage their dual responsibilities. On October 7, San José State University’s Lucas College of Business (LCoB) hosted its Student-Athlete Mixer, an annual event devoted to uniting student-athletes pursuing a degree in business to dig deeper into what it means to effectively balance academics and athletics, while also preparing for what comes next.
Reka Kovacs, ’23 Communication, ’24 MBA, Lead Generative AI Analyst at NVIDIA and former NCAA Division I swimmer & team captain, shares insights on balancing routines. Photo by Jiya Jogia.
With help from panelists consisting of former Spartan athletes, Reka Kovacs, ’23 Communication, ’24 MBA, and Chase Williams, ’23 Business, along with Egbe-Etu Etu, assistant professor of business analytics and a former college track and field and soccer athlete, attendees were treated to an authentic and often humorous dialogue. Moderator Matthew Faulkner, associate professor of finance, uncovered the raw reality of assimilation when he asked about the hardest part of leaving their sport behind and transitioning into the next stage of their career.
“I think the hardest for me was just trying to find structure,” Kovacs said. As a swimmer, her days had been regimented, and she says she felt she had lost her community, especially the close bonds she’d had with teammates.
Chase Williams, ’23 Business, Financial Advisor, Advocate for Generational Wealth, and Former NFL Athlete, shares how being an athlete shaped his identity. Photo by Jiya Jogia.
For Williams, the hardest part was losing his identity, which is something he is still navigating. “You spend five, 10, 15, 20 years playing your sport, and you pour your all into it — you pour your all from the moment that you’re little to the point when you’re an adult, and the minute that you are no longer that, it’s a dark place that sometimes people can enter.”
He added that the difficulty lies in trying to figure out who you are outside of your sport, and discovering what opportunities you can seek to understand who you are as a person.
According to student-athlete Tessa Kresmer, Management Information Systems, ‘27, what she liked most about the event “was that the conversation on stage seemed very natural and the answers and advice shared was honest and real.”
Faulkner went on to ask the opposite question, inquiring about what was easiest for them as they left their sport, and Kovacs and Etu were on the same page admitting they definitely did not miss early morning training sessions. Etu also observed how he has taken some of the principles he learned while competing, and reapplied them elsewhere.
Students engaging with the panelists. Photo by Jiya Jogia.
“For example, when I am preparing for teaching or my research, and all of those different things, because I already have that mindset of endurance, perseverance, to just keep pushing…and I do it in the correct way, [it] will get the result,” Etu explained.
Prior to the fireside chat, student-athletes took advantage of the lively meet and greet, and a collaborative game of bingo, which facilitated quick introductions. The evening concluded with a dedicated and casual networking session with refreshments that followed the dynamic panel discussion and Q&A.
“The whole event was very inspiring, and also it was great to connect with other athletes,” Bence Kristok, ‘29 Business Administration, shared. “I liked the networking part the most, where we could talk to the guest attendees, because I got answers to my questions and now I have a little idea about where to start my career.”
Student-athletes majoring in business network outside the Student Union Theater. Photo by Jiya Jogia.
Thank you to our student attendees, panelists and faculty for participating in this important event.
To stay current on our unique offerings to students, such as the annual LCoB Student-Athlete Mixer, as well as events for the broader SJSU community, please visit our events calendar for details.