In The Balance
Academic excellence is the hallmark of the Stevens Athletics experience. In the stories that follow, four Ducks share their strategies for dual success.
Student-athletes at Stevens Institute of Technology — performing at the highest level in a wide variety of Division III sports ranging from field hockey to volleyball to swimming — are standouts in their sports, as evidenced by the long list of individual and team accolades and awards they’ve accumulated.
Over the past 10 years, Stevens’ student-athletes have also been decorated for their academic performance, earning some of the highest honors that can be bestowed on a collegiate athlete in their respective sport: NCAA Today’s Top 10; NCAA Woman of the Year Top-30; Academic All-American of the Year; and Middle Atlantic Conference Senior Scholar-Athlete.
These individual high-achievers aren’t anomalies: Academic excellence is the hallmark of the Stevens Athletics experience. In each of the past four completed semesters, the Ducks have outperformed the general student body in the classroom, according to data provided by Stevens’ Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness. In the fall 2024 semester alone, the combined cumulative grade-point average for student-athletes in Stevens’ 25 varsity programs was 3.619, compared to a 3.45 average undergraduate cumulative GPA for the general student body. The fall semester marked the 13th consecutive semester that the cohort of Stevens student-athletes achieved both an average and cumulative GPA of at least 3.50.
What makes the Stevens student-athlete so successful in the classroom, at one of the most academically rigorous institutions in the country?
“Student-athletes seem to be more prepared for success in college than their peers as they possess attributes based on their athletic experiences that translate to solid classroom performance,” says Donald Lombardi, School of Business professor and athletics faculty mentor. “They are experts at time management; the initiative to engage a professor is a natural asset and energy and enthusiasm are intrinsic to any student-athlete.”
In the stories that follow, we checked in with four current student-athletes to learn more about the challenges — and motivations — that inspire them to achieve excellence in the classroom while balancing the formidable time constraints imposed by practices, games, travel and training.
The Two-Sport Standout
Emily Smart ’25 has always been on the go for as long as she can remember.
She arrived at Stevens as a business and technology major, opting to play both field hockey and lacrosse. Smart’s dual-sport life means that she is essentially “in season” at Stevens from August when she arrives for field hockey preseason through mid-May, at the conclusion of the lacrosse postseason. Although her time is mainly split between her two sports and her coursework, Smart has also worked for the athletic department and even coached field hockey in Hoboken.
By opting to play at a Division III institution, Smart knew there would be a strong pull for excellence on the field and in the classroom. “I always had a vision of being at a place that valued high-level athletics and academics,” she says. “I believe that if your brain is not organized, how you play or how you perform in the classroom [won’t be as organized].”
Scheduling is arguably the most significant challenge a student-athlete can face. Between games and practices, travel, film review and weightlifting sessions, Smart estimates that her athletic commitments can take up to 20 hours of her week, while her academic pursuits demand roughly the same amount of time, although she is able to sneak in a little studying and complete assignments on bus trips to and from away games. Strong support from her coaches and professors has been crucial, she says. “It’s not easy all the time, which is very important for people to know. So, to have that constant support has been great.”
Smart has been a part of championship-winning teams, while also being recognized for her academics, in both sports during her time at Stevens. Among her numerous accolades, Smart is an all-conference selection in both sports and a National Field Hockey Coaches Association Scholar of Distinction. Post- Stevens, Smart plans to join the accounting and finance rotational program at Holman, a motor vehicle manufacturing company in Mount Laurel, New Jersey.
She believes that her time as a high-achieving student-athlete will easily translate into the professional world. “The first thing people usually pick out of my resume and during interviews is that I was an athlete,” she says. “While I don’t necessarily have all the professional experience, [the skills I do have to offer] are all things that can be connected to experiences on the field or within the team setting. I think it’s nice to have that in your back pocket.”
The Best of Both Worlds
Men’s Volleyball is one of the most successful athletic programs ever at Stevens — the only Stevens team to capture a national championship — and they’ve done it twice. The Ducks’ on-court success is matched by their achievements in the classroom.
Mechanical engineering major Brandon Rogers ’25 is the latest in a long line of academically gifted men’s volleyball student-athletes. On track to complete both his bachelor’s and master’s in four years, Rogers is a two-time recipient of the NCAA’s Elite 90 Award for having the highest grade-point average of all students competing at the site of the national championship. His early passion for engineering — as a child, he loved building radio-controlled cars and toying with drones — led to his current passion for academics, says the Syracuse, New York, native.
Balancing volleyball with a very rigorous course load (18 to 21 credits a semester) has required Rogers to maintain a high level of focus away from the court. “Having sometimes up to seven classes, on top of volleyball and any other extracurriculars, the key for me is identifying which activities are going to take longer than others and then figuring where they can fit in,” he says. “Efficiently using the weekends is another huge element, which sometimes leads to busy days between volleyball and then spending Sunday on school work.”
Rogers says his teammates and the team culture created by head coach Dan Buehring have been critical to him completing two degrees in four years. “We all have pretty high
ambitions for ourselves in the classroom so just being surrounded by other like-minded individuals really pushing themselves academically is nice,” he says.
Rogers has also made time to socialize with his teammates, noting that embracing the many opportunities Hoboken has to offer, as well as having New York City across the river, has helped him de-stress. He and his teammates have particularly enjoyed catching concerts, plays and Brooklyn Nets basketball games. There’s also one unexpected activity. “Guys enjoy thrifting,” he says with a smile. At 6'4", Rogers isn’t always able to find things that fit, but did happily discover an old Syracuse University football jersey, an homage to his beloved hometown.
Landing the Dream Internship
Kai Wong ’25 traces her ability to succeed academically back to early in her swimming career. “From club to high school and now onto college, each team I was on implemented what it means to be a student-athlete and beyond,” she says.
The mechanical engineering major believes that her main “job” as a student-athlete is to learn, whether from coaches, professors or teammates. Among the skills she’s gleaned as a student-athlete: compartmentalizing coursework and the facets of her swimming schedule, prioritizing tasks as they need to be completed, managing her time and catering her communication style towards better collaboration with others.
“I think every semester poses new challenges,” she reflects. “There are some that have heavier workloads, some that require more mental resilience, and some that are more project-based, especially when you get into junior and senior years.”
A multiple-time all-conference swimmer, Wong’s weekly athletic schedule consists of three days with morning weightlifting sessions and afternoon swims. There are also a pair of days with “double swims” as she refers to them, with morning and afternoon sessions in the pool, along with dry-land training (exercises and workouts done outside the water). Saturdays are left for meet days, or intense swimming and weightlifting sessions, and Sundays the team typically has off. Wong gives herself 30-minute windows between all of this swimming activity to clear her mind before focusing on academics. Her time in the pool is a true escape from her classes, she says.
Most swim practices are co-ed, allowing for a really tight bond throughout the swim program. “I consider my teammates some of my closest friends and my biggest support group,” she says. “They are the only ones on campus that understand the grind of your specific sport and also the amount of work that needs to go into your classes.”
Wong’s academic focus lies in the intersections of engineering, visual arts and sports. This led to a dream internship with NBC Sports at the 2024 Paris Olympics, when she set up and monitored the live stream for multiple events. “It was a unique opportunity and experience and it is what my studies have been preparing me for [over] the past four years,” she says.
Living Out the Model
Business and technology major Jack Spellman ’25 has developed into one of the top shot blockers in NCAA history, with close to 350 career blocks. He is also believed to be one of just seven players in Division III history with 1,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 300 blocks.
Spellman’s focus on the court has also impacted his studies off of it. “It’s interesting because during our season, I actually find myself doing better academically than when I’m out of season,” he says, citing time management and scheduling as key factors. “I know when I have to study; I know when I have to complete assignments because I have practice at night and when that schedule is set; I know what I have to do and it just gets done.”
Spellman acknowledges that the culture and winning mindset instilled by head coach Bobby Hurley and staff are underlying factors in helping him and his teammates reach their goals. “Our coaches know how to win and they know what it takes to win, in both basketball and academics,” he says. “We’ve had great leadership over the years and that extends to what we do off the court as well.” That leadership and camaraderie doesn’t end at graduation. As with most sports at Stevens, alumni team members engage with current players — and those connections can have long-term benefits for students, from a needed support system to professional advice.
“There’s a large network of people who are still around; they always check in on how we’re doing and they’re always willing to help,” says Spellman. “I think that close relationship with the alumni is very important because when you see alumni [being present] and checking in with you, you know that they’ll have your back and help you if they can — especially when you’re getting ready to leave Stevens and getting into the working world.”
Recently, Spellman was named a finalist for the prestigious Jostens Trophy, which names the top male and female basketball players in Division III based on basketball ability, academic prowess and community service.
When he looks back on his experience at Stevens, Spellman believes he lived out the Division III model. “Part of being a DIII athlete, and that’s why I like DIII so much, is you’re really a student and an athlete. To succeed in both those areas is very rewarding, and I certainly think I’ve been able to do that these past four years.”
– Charles O’Brien