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Petrinec A Perfectionist In The Classroom
May 9, 2009
Higher education presents its share of classroom challenges to every student. Such challenges become even more difficult when faced with the rigors of a Division I athletic season taking place throughout most of the academic year. For Kristin Petrinec, a sophomore center on the UIC women's basketball team, the dual responsibilities of being a student and an athlete, and the often-taxing tasks that come along with such roles, are handled with seeming ease. Petrinec has maintained a perfect 4.0 grade point average as a mathematics major and psychology minor since her freshman year, all the while tackling the games, practices, travel and other commitments expected of a member of a college basketball team. For her efforts, the Bloomington, Ill. native was named the 2008-09 UIC Female Student-Athlete of the Year at the 2009 UIC Athletics Night of Champions awards banquet on April 28. "Being named Female Student-Athlete of the Year means a lot to me," said Petrinec, a humble young woman who exhibits a quiet confidence in her abilities. "I am grateful to my parents, all the staff in the Port Center and my coaches for helping me attain this honor. To see all of my hard work in the classroom paying off is motivation to keep that up." "I'm really proud of her achievements," said UIC head women's basketball coach Lisa Ryckbosch. "Kristin is a motivated, intelligent, driven student as well as an athlete. I'm proud that her hard work is paying off, and I expect her to continue to achieve great things in the future." Petrinec, a key frontcourt reserve during the last two seasons, makes her success juggling work in class and on the court look easy, but she admits such multitasking is anything but simple. "It's been a lot of hard work, especially with math," said Petrinec. "We miss classes a lot, and most of the math classes are always on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, so staying up to speed requires a lot of going in for one-on-one sessions with instructors to catch up, as well as teaching yourself out of the book. "I like math, and it did come easy in high school, but it is a lot of hard work at this level and it doesn't come as easy anymore." The key to keeping up with coursework in a successful manner while playing a basketball schedule that runs through significant portions of both the fall and spring semesters, Petrinec says, is being willing to put in extra work while utilizing the resources provided by the University and the UIC Athletic Department. "I used to just teach myself out of the book, but once you move on to accelerated classes, that becomes more difficult," said Petrinec. "I try to establish really good relationships with my teachers because we miss a lot. Most math classes have quizzes every week, so I have to make arrangements with teachers to talk to our coaches, and they'll usually send the assignments with us on the road. "Being willing to go in during office hours is also important," Petrinec continued. "Sometimes you get back from a long trip and you don't feel like going to class, but you go and then after class you have to go in for office hours to find out what you missed." Petrinec's persistent use of UIC Athletics' Port Academic Center and the campus' Math Learning Center has kept her on the right track. She admitted that she always had good study habits in high school, but in order to succeed in the transition to a new academic environment, she quickly and frequently utilized such resources that she didn't have as a prep. "I really take advantage of the Math Learning Center," Petrinec said. "I was there a lot last semester, and it really helped. The Port Center really got me on the right track my freshman year. Our coaches also help with the support structure they have set up, from study hours to Coach Lisa's Breakfast Club [a morning study session required for newcomers during their first semester and student-athletes needing to improve their grades]." A staunch supporter of concrete mathematical subjects, such as linear algebra and differential equations, and a not-so-big fan of proofs, Petrinec is not quite sure what her post-graduate future holds. While careers in actuary and teaching have crossed her mind, her attempt at a well-rounded college education has allowed her to keep her options open. No matter what Petrinec plans to pursue as a career, her intrinsic motivation to be successful has set her up nicely now and in the future. "I push myself to get better, whether it's on a jump shot or on a math equation," Petrinec stated. "It's the expectations I have of myself. I don't want to let myself down. I take pride in what I do."
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