Being a student-athlete is hard, especially at The University of Texas, where you’re expected to excel not only in your sport but academically as well. There are many stereotypes that come with being a student-athlete, some good and some bad, but at the end of the day we all have the same thing in common: We’re trying to get through the day, every day. Some people can manage to give their all in their sport, some can manage to give their all in their classes, but trying to give 100% of yourself in two different things comes with a lot of weight and stress. The most important thing we all have to do is find balance, and no one tells you how to do that — you have to figure it out on your own. One thing I personally do is meditate. Before practice, I set aside 15 minutes in the morning to do just that, to breathe, because, believe it or not, throughout the days you can forget to do that with the weight of everything surrounding you. 

Pace is a government freshman from Duncanville, Texas. She currently plays for the UT Division I women’s soccer team.