MOSCOW, Idaho – This week's Vandals of the Week will highlight the academic successes of Natalie Klinker and Jurrian Hering for their continued achievements inside the classroom.
 
Klinker, a senior forward for the women's basketball team, is majoring in Animal and Veterinary Science and is a three-time Big Sky All-Academic honoree as she has maintained a 3.75 cumulative GPA.
 
"I decided to major in pre-vet because I grew up on a farm surrounded by animals." Klinker said. "We had cows and horses and I always was just really interested in it."
 
"I think time management is so important when you are an athlete. You know that you have limited amounts of time, so any time you can space out for school, you have to."
 
Hering, a sophomore sprinter for the track and field team, is pursuing a degree in Criminology and has earned a 3.88 cumulative GPA.
 
 "My favorite class that I have had so far is Criminology Theory because you have to think about why people do certain things that they do," said Hering. "I find it fascinating to theorize why people do things."
 
"Doing athletics has taught me a lot of things about the classroom. In track, when workouts become hard, you cannot stop. That extra determination and grit that I have learned from playing sports really helps in the classroom."
 
Both student-athletes were appreciative of the recognition of their efforts inside the classroom.
 
"It is pretty cool to be recognized for my work in the classroom," Hering added. "I have been trying hard for these past two years to maintain a good GPA to ultimately be set up for life after college."
 
"It means a lot. Doing well in school has always been a goal of mine since the beginning," Klinker said. "Being recognized for that hard work is pretty nice because it has been a tough four years."