CHICAGO, Ill. - Scarlet Hawk fans, it's NCAA Division III week! This year, we will be profiling different Illinois Tech student-athletes all week. Each one will give us insights on their time at Illinois Tech, some of their favorite memories, and more!
Today's spotlight is with Alysia DeSimone of women's soccer. Check out what she had to say below!
Q: What is the best part about being a Division III athlete?
A: It is really rewarding to know that you can handle the rigors of school while also being able to play the sport you love. Also, the Illinois Tech Athletic Department has a great community, and it is great to be apart of.
Q: What is your major and what are your plans and ambitions in your area of study after graduation?
A: Currently, I am working to obtain a bachelor's in chemical engineering. I hope to eventually get my PhD, but I first plan to work in the industry to create processes to save the environment in some way or another.
Q: What other clubs, positions, or activities do you have or are apart of at Illinois Tech?
A: I am involved with a few different things on campus. To start off with, I do chemistry research on Biphasic Photocatalysis for the AJA Lab group. I also work in the admissions office as a telecounselor and serve as member of the admissions office Junior Hawks Club. I am also involved with the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the Student Athletic Advisory Committee, of course the women's soccer team, and I am Vice President of the American Chemical Society Club.
Q: Do you have any pre-game rituals or superstitions you must do before every game or match?
A: The women's soccer team in general has the ritual of playing the song "Blood on the Leaves" before virtually every game in the two seasons that I have been here. My personal superstition consists of always wearing a black shin guard sleeve on my right leg and a white shin guard sleeve on my left leg. I have a full black and white set but I always wear them mixed matched.
Q: Who are some of your role models?
A: Even though its cheesy, I'd say my parents are my role models. They are the biggest influences in my life in the best ways and always push me to accomplish anything I set my mind to.
Q: What advice would you give to an incoming freshman student-athlete at Illinois Tech?
A: I would tell them to ensure they manage their time effectively. It is not easy to be a student-athlete all the time, but the feeling of winning against a challenging opponent always makes the effort worth it.
Q: What is your favorite Illinois Tech memory thus far?
A: This past season, the women's soccer team had sort of a Disney channel movie moment. After having our best season to date, we were eliminated in our conference tournament by a team that we had previously beaten by a significant amount. For about a day and a half the entire team was mopey that our season was over, but soon enough we received a call saying that the team who had beaten us was disqualified during their game against us. Their disqualification meant that we got to play another game for the finals. Even though we lost in overtime, we played a fantastic game, and completely shocked our new conference with how well our season went.