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.

Jessy Page (Sr., Clermont, Fla.)
Sport: Women's Track & Field
Major: Nursing (3.34 GPA)

Why did you choose to major in nursing?
JP – "Both of my parents are in the medical field. My dad is a physician's assistant, my mom is a respiratory therapist, my step mom is a neonatal nurse and my step dad is a CRNA (certified registered nurse anesthetist), so I grew up around the medical field. I tried to go away from getting into nursing as a major just because of that, but when I came in was when they had just started the program and I took it as a sign."

What do you hope to do after graduating from The Citadel?
JP – "I want to be an ICU or (emergency room) nurse for a little while, and then I want to get my doctorate and become a CRNA (certified registered nurse anesthetist) or a PA (physician's assistant) or MP (nursing director). I definitely want to further my education."

Outside of your classes, what are you doing to prepare for your career?
JP – "My mentor is the chief anesthesiologist at MUSC, so he is helping me set up some more job shadows. I already did a few with a couple of CRNAs because that's one of my end goals, but I haven't done any shadowing specifically for ICU or ER nursing, I've focused more on the advanced degrees and career paths."

Do you hold rank in the Corps? What are your responsibilities associated with that role?
JP – "I am the track and field team captain. Communication is definitely big in my role, so getting the information from our coaches and making sure everyone gets the word, and everyone is doing the right thing at all times because that's a reflection of the entire team."

Talk a little more about juggling all of your responsibilities within the Corps, with the track and field team, and your class schedule.
JP – "A couple of weeks ago we traveled to VMI for the entire weekend, but the following Monday I had my first clinical of the semester. We got back to school late, around 2 a.m., but I needed to make sure I got some sleep before I went to do my clinical. Something as simple as not getting enough sleep can make things a lot tougher for a nursing major. But I just have this last semester to make it through, so it'll be alright."

What would you say is the most difficult part of being a cadet student-athlete?
JP – "It's just a little bit more to handle, but honestly I think we're so used to having athletics and everything that comes along with that on top of our cadet responsibilities, everything that we have to do. So, just adding on another thing is difficult, but we can do it because we are all about time management at The Citadel and as cadet student-athletes."

What is one thing that will stick with you down the road about your time at The Citadel?
JP – "My favorite part of so far is centered around this older gentleman that I was taking care of. I had him for two clinical days over two weeks, and when it was my time to go and I was saying my good byes, he told me he never received care like this. He said, 'I think you're going to be a great nurse. You've taken care of me more than anyone else has.' I'm never going to forget that and I think that's what really made me realize I'd made the right decision."


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