When I was trying to make a decision about where I should go to college, I sent applications to 11 other schools and visited more than 18 other campuses. The application fees and indecision drove my parents nuts. I wasn’t sure what I was looking for; I just knew I hadn’t found it yet.
I remember the first time I came to visit Fayetteville – I remember the flight, the drive to campus, the nerves … and then it clicked. I’ll never be able to explain that feeling. Arkansas just fit. It was the first campus I stepped onto, and the first program I stepped into, and knew, come Hell or high water, I was supposed to end up there.
Four years as a student-athlete has flown by, but the memories I have made here will last me a lifetime. One standout memory in my career is the moment the team found out after our 2013 season that we had made it to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in Razorback Soccer history.
We were all sitting in the team room, watching the NCAA selection show, and listening to the on-air anchor talk about all of the teams that were making history with the amount of tournament bids they had received during the lifetimes of their programs. We were all hoping we would be called next, sitting on the edges of our seats, and listening hard. Each team that was announced before us made it feel more and more like it wasn’t going to happen. And then, “Speaking of history, how about the next team – Arkansas!”
Everyone just lost it. We were all screaming, crying, and jumping up and down. A couple of the girls just bolted outside and started running laps around our field because they didn’t know what else to do. It was this really crazy moment where we beat the odds and accomplished something that a lot of people didn’t think we could.
That moment was the result of exceptional effort and belief from everyone involved. It was the product of looking at the slim chance of success, giving it our best shot and coming away with a special accomplishment. That is a lesson I will always carry with me. My experiences as a Razorback have given me the notion that “I can” — I can beat odds, I can excel, I can succeed.
Four years of balancing the demands of being a Southeastern Conference athlete and maintaining a successful academic career has definitely challenged me, but the support systems I found in Fayetteville, coupled with my stubborn determination, have enabled me to achieve far beyond my expectations.
Being surrounded by people that constantly encouraged me to pursue every opportunity that came my way made four years in Fayetteville extremely busy, and exceptionally formative. Here I have learned that there is always something bigger than the individual to fight for, and that your team’s jersey is something to be respected and valued. Here I have thrived on the support of an entire state that has cheered on our successes, and stood by us in our defeats.
In the end, it’s about the people – the teammates and friends, the professors and coaches, the athletic and academic staffs, the parents and fans. The people that knew that pairing soccer with engineering was going to be difficult, and supported me through it anyway.
I’ll always be grateful for the time I got to spend in Fayetteville. Even though that time is quickly drawing to a close, I know I’ll always be a Razorback.
WPS.
Teni will graduate this weekend with a 3.948 GPA and a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering with a minor in Spanish for business. She has been awarded a roster spot on the women’s Swedish soccer team P18 IK Fotboll Klubb, and will compete with the team this spring and fall. After playing soccer in Sweden, Teni will return to the U.S. and begin working for Eastman Chemical Company, a Fortune 500 firm, as a process improvement engineer.
