Meaghan Carney ’18 says being a student-athlete at St. Olaf College really is the best of both worlds: she has the opportunity to pursue her passions academically while playing competitively in the sport she loves.

“It’s great because it’s well understood that academics come first, but we are still able to compete,” says Carney, a member of the St. Olaf women’s golf team coached by former University of Wisconsin star Katie Connelly Luckraft.

“While in Honduras I discovered how strong my passion for medicine truly is.”

While Carney loves being a member of a tight-knit varsity team that competes in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC), she also loves that it’s not the sole focus of her St. Olaf experience.

She took time as a first-year student, for example, to participate in a St. Olaf Global Brigades trip to Honduras — which, she says, was “the most incredible experience I’ve had.”

Working alongside medical professionals, St. Olaf students participating in the program brought clinics to rural communities in one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere.

“It amazed me that even though the people I met in Honduras had very little, they were some of the happiest people I have ever met. The gratitude they showed toward the physicians was remarkable,” Carney says. “While in Honduras I discovered how strong my passion for medicine truly is.”

Carney came to St. Olaf knowing she wanted to pursue a career in health care. She was drawn to the Hill by the college’s strong science and pre-health programs, as well as the ability to explore a wide range of courses and interests.

“The liberal arts education truly allows a student to become educated in every field. I love being able to go from discussing John’s Gospel in my religion course to learning about nucleophilic substitution in organic chemistry,” Carney says.

She plans to apply for medical or dental school after St. Olaf, and has volunteered at a Salvation Army Dental Clinic and worked as a nursing assistant this summer.

“Being part of different groups has enriched my experience because college is so much more than just doing well in your classes — this is the time to meet your best friends and make memories,” Carney says.