For anyone seeking the ideal student-athlete \u2014 someone who excels in sports, the classroom and the community \u2014it\u2019s difficult to find a better example than Katie Landes \u201917.<\/p>\n
Now a graduate student in diplomacy and international relations, as an undergrad Landes performed well as captain of the women\u2019s soccer team and was a superstar away from it. In addition to graduating with a perfect 4.0 GPA, the history major who also pursued a minor in Spanish participated in the Student Athletic Advisory Committee and Seton Hall\u2019s Leadership Academy, and worked with One Love, a foundation that combats violence in relationships.<\/p>\n
In the words of her history professor Sara Fieldston, \u201cKatie is a rare gem.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Stony Point, New York, native lived in the Netherlands with her family from the age of 9 months to 5 years old, and always loved learning about the world around her. Both of her parents, Gary and Suzy Landes, work for the United Nations.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was lucky enough to grow up in a house that was very accepting, and we\u2019re all very curious about different cultures,\u201d says Landes, who has four older siblings. \u201cWe don\u2019t have typical dining room conversations in our family. … They\u2019re not diplomats, but that\u2019s what gave me an exposure in this field and they\u2019ve been helpful in guiding me along with it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Landes was the top student in her class at North Rockland High School and a star soccer player, leading her team to the state title game. Her academic and athletic prowess led her to Seton Hall, where she developed into a starter and, ultimately, became the team captain.<\/p>\n
As someone who \u201ctried to lead with a great work ethic,\u201d Landes did her best. She was among the Pirates\u2019leaders in minutes played each of her final two seasons, and her efforts in both the midfield and the back helped the team to achieve seven shutouts during her three seasons as a starter.<\/p>\n
Logging so many minutes and playing in the BIG EAST, one of the best conferences in the country, helped give Landes great perspective. She appreciated knowing \u201cI\u2019m playing against some of the best competition in the country, playing against girls who are nationally ranked players. That drives me as a player.\u201d<\/p>\n
As a student, she is driven by a love of the past, which helped make her a standout in her major. She always enjoyed history and \u201cin college that only grew. I learned things I never learned in a generic history class before, and I love learning about new things, new people, experiencing new things, and seeing how history has really explained who we are.\u201d<\/p>\n
Professor Fieldston \u2014 who taught Landes in the history of New York City and in a class about America since 1945 \u2014 says that in addition to her enthusiasm and preparation, Landes \u201calways did the reading and was able to engage with it in a really meaningful way. She\u2019s also a really strong writer.\u201d<\/p>\n
For a long time, Landes believed she would become a lawyer, but the wide-open possibilities offered from a graduate degree in international relations and diplomacy attracted her to that specialty. Landes hopes to land an overseas internship in Geneva or The Hague, and says she eventually might follow her parents to the United Nations. But she\u2019s also looking at a possible internship as an analyst with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, noting, \u201cAnalysis is one of my strong points. I love reading, digesting the words on the page and synthesizing them in my own words.\u201d<\/p>\n
She doesn\u2019t know where in the world those skills will take her. \u201cFrankly, whatever she puts her mind to she\u2019ll be good at,\u201d Fieldston says. \u201cWhatever career she chooses, she\u2019s going to do really well, because of who she is.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shawn Fury is an author in New York City.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" For anyone seeking the ideal student-athlete \u2014 someone who excels in sports, the classroom and the community \u2014it\u2019s difficult to find a better example than Katie Landes \u201917.<\/p>\n