Lessons Learned From Tennis

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It is 1:30 AM, Thursday morning; I have finally completed the mid-term project for my Data Structures and Algorithms class. I close my laptop, remove the contact lenses from my eyes and place them in the lens container, turn off the bedroom light, and go to bed.

“BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP, BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!” The time is now 5:00 AM. Struggling to open my eyes, I blindly search for the snooze button on my alarm clock. As soon as I hit the snooze button, I hear Caitlin yelling, “Get up Aki! Let’s go! Coach is going to kill us if we are late!” My friend, Caitlin, who was also my roommate and doubles partner had managed to awaken me with her loud warnings to get ready for our 5:30 AM Thursday training session. Thinking back now, I am convinced that the definition of teamwork can only be accurately portrayed at 5:00 AM. Sleep-deprived, mentally and physically exhausted, I walk with Caitlin to the UMKC Sweeney Athletic Center and join the Women’s Tennis Team for an intense training session. I had officially started my day. My schedule for the rest of the day included Computer Science classes, a 3 hour long tennis practice, and several hours of homework before bedtime. Grueling days, such as the one described above, were the norm throughout my college years. My commitment to tennis was a continuous challenge; however, I played because the sport gave me friendship, success, failure, and above all structure in my life. Tennis has been instrumental in shaping who I am today.

Born in Hyderabad, India and raised in Irvine, California, I had the opportunity to experience two distinct cultures. In the Indian culture girls are expected to excel in academics and groom themselves into eventually becoming “marriageable” mater...

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...ning hours to complete my school work. Coffee and time were precious commodities for me in college. Although managing my overwhelming number of commitments proved to be challenging, I am grateful for the structure and discipline that tennis had instilled in me during my college years. Tennis has also given me the opportunity to be part of a team with a common goal. While pushing each other in practices and matches, my teammates and I had developed a strong sense of camaraderie both on and off the court.

I am grateful for my relationship to tennis and the life the sport has given me. The unique blend of lessons learned from tennis, my family, my culture, and the various situations and people I have encountered have shaped who I am today. I hope to share these lessons and my unique experiences with the student body of Northwestern University and the EECS group.

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