MOSCOW, Idaho – This week's Vandals of the Week will focus on sophomore
Cassidy Jones and graduate student
Ben Doucette for their continued excellence in the classroom. After adjusting to a new schooling format, Jones and Doucette achieved 4.0 GPA's for their fall semester.
Jones, a management and human resources major on the swim team, has recorded a 4.0 GPA in all three semesters at Idaho.
"I definitely prefer to learn in person," Jones added. "Being online, I kept a schedule, checked it every day, and made sure I did not miss any deadlines. Once I was able to balance and keep everything in order, it was a lot easier to swallow."
Doucette, a track and field runner pursuing a graduate degree in education,
"The biggest lesson from athletics translating into the classroom is perseverance and discipline," said Doucette. "There are a lot of times where you are not motivated. People who are motivated are probably not going to see the same success rate as someone who is disciplined."
Jones and Doucette are grateful for their academic recognition and understand the importance of being a student-athlete.
"It means a lot," said Doucette. "At the end of the day, my education is why I do athletics. My education is what I am really here to do. I am glad I have a career that I am passionate about, and I am glad that was provided for me because of my athletics."
"It is a huge honor, I really appreciate it," Jones added. "I obviously work really hard in the pool, but ultimately, I am here to get a degree and pursue my education in the classroom. It is really nice to recognized for my hard work in that as well."
Doucette plans to be a secondary social studies teacher as well as a track coach at either the high school or middle school level. Jones is undecided for her plans after Idaho but is looking forward to seeing where her studies take her in the future.
