CHARLESTON, SC – The average cadet student-athlete at The Citadel is anything but average. They're members of the South Carolina Corps of Cadets. They go to class. They compete against the best the Southern Conference has to offer.

And for some, that's not enough. Many cadet student-athletes take an even less traveled path by majoring in unique or tough fields of study. Some come from unique backgrounds that make the already difficult even more so.

The Citadel Department of Athletics wants to recognize some of those cadet student-athletes who are not just succeeding in competition, but are doing so at a high level while overcoming some of the toughest obstacles.

Kate Manzione (Jr., Newbury Park, Calif.)
Sport: Women's Soccer
Major: Nursing (3.24 GPA)

Why did you choose to major in nursing?
KM – "I have always been interested in taking care of people, and anatomy has always interested me. I thought about becoming a doctor, and I was even pre-med/biology my first year, but then I really thought about it. Nursing is so unique in that you are taking care of people; whereas, a doctor is more focused on medicine and treating symptoms. The nurse is more hands-on, and the person who rehabilitates and focuses on the patient and their care."

What do you hope to do after graduating from The Citadel?
KM – "I want to either work in the ICU or become a cardiac catheterization nurse."

Outside of your classes, what are you doing to prepare for your career?
KM – "I haven't figured all of that out quite yet. I am currently looking for a summer internship back home with one of the hospitals in California."

Do you hold rank in the Corps? What are your responsibilities associated with that role?
KM – "I am a squad sergeant. I make sure that the cadets in my squad are in line, and I check in with them to make sure that if they need something, they have it. I also make sure they are where they need to be. I'm basically accountable for around 10 people, and I report to my platoon sergeant and platoon leader."

Talk a little more about juggling all of your responsibilities within the Corps, with the soccer team, and your class schedule.
KM – "It's hard. Scheduling all of my nursing classes and clinicals around soccer practice is very hard because our program is so small. At the same time, because it is so small, we get very personalized, direct contact with those who help us with our schedules as well as our professors. There are a bunch of cadet student-athletes in the nursing program right now, so if we can't make a clinical day, it's a huge thing to miss, but they are so understanding with everything that we are going through that we can just reschedule it and they're not mad and we don't get penalized."

What would you say is the most difficult part of being a cadet student-athlete?
KM – "All of the travel can be really tough. For example, last semester I was in season and I had clinicals on Mondays. That requires us to pre-plan, so I had to be in the hospital on Sunday night, but I sometimes was getting back from a trip on some Sunday nights. So, I would have to go into the hospital or make sure I took care of everything before I left. Scheduling around classes, labs, clinicals, practices and games, and just making sure that you get everything that you need to done. Time management is huge, but as a student-athlete, I have learned to do that so well. I feel confident that I will be able to continue that into my career."

What is one thing that will stick with you down the road about your time at The Citadel?
KM – "There have already been so many moments. In my major, the junior class is such a small class and we really are a family within a family. We are unstoppable together. Having that close-knit group within our major has really been awesome and I will never forget them. We have done it all together, gone through everything together. I love how close we are as a major, and how close my team is."


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