Jaclyn Lam

I am a junior at UMass Amherst studying Sports Management at the Isenberg School of Management. Most of my time is devoted towards being a full time Division I student-athlete at UMass. Although being a student-athlete has limited my involvement in other activities, I always find time to explore the great outdoors.

Nature has its way of relieving my stress and nothing is more pleasing than reaching the top of a mountain to smell the fresh air and see the world from above. In life we are constantly being judged. We're told we can't do something, that we're not good enough and we are scared to do the things we fear the most. I've found that hiking up miles of mountainous terrain is challenging and exhausting, yet provides me with a sense of accomplishment when I reach the top.

I relate the journey to the top of a mountain, to my life’s journey. The obstacles, the challenges, they will always be present, but being persistent and patient will lead to success. That being said, my ultimate goal in life is to find a career that is interesting, thought provoking, and challenging enough that when I take one step forward it pushes me two steps back. This will keep me motivated and nevertheless, will remind myself that success is only a mountain top away.