Becoming a Leader On and Off the Ice
At an age when most girls are begging their dads to let them get their ears pierced, Jessica Kovacevich was begging her dad to let her hit the ice. No, she didn’t want to be the next Dorothy Hamill; she wanted to be the next Wayne Gretzky.
After warming the bench for most of her life as her three brothers ate, slept and breathed hockey, Jessica’s father finally relented and let her lace up her skates at about age 10.
“I had so much drive,” Jessica remembers. “I got good really fast because I would practice constantly.”
When it was time to choose a college, Jessica was not only looking for a good hockey program, but good academic programs as well.
“I knew I wanted to do something in the medical field,” she explained. “I knew that UND had a really great medical school.”
UND’s men’s hockey tradition was strong, but the women’s hockey program was brand new. Regardless, Jessica chose UND and became the first player to sign a letter of intent in Fighting Sioux women’s hockey history.
When she arrived at UND, she knew she wanted to major in something in the medical field and was wavering between occupational therapy (OT) and physical therapy. Her freshman year, she chose OT. However, OT is not one of the easy majors some college athletes choose. Once she started the program Jessica found herself doing nothing more than skating and studying.
“I am in school from 8-3, then off to practice from 5-8, then home to study and do homework,” she explained. “Almost every weekend we were on the road and I had to bring five bags along with my computer, books and everything I needed to keep up with school work.”
“I loved being a leader for the team... I would love to be the manager of a clinic someday and this experience will help me do that. The OT program stresses leadership for a
successful career.”
Jessica Kovacevich
Senior OT Student |
Even her lunch hour consisted of 10 minutes eating time and 50 minutes studying time.
“My social life is pretty much non-existent,” she laughed.
Jessica just finished her last year on the hockey team, during which she served as captain.
“I loved being a leader for the team,” she said. “I think that leadership experience will come in useful in my career. I would love to be the manager of a clinic someday and this experience will help me do that. The OT program stresses leadership for a
successful career.”
“Leadership is an important aspect of our program,” explains Janet Jedlicka, Ph.D. (BSOT ’82), associate professor and chair of the OT program at the UND medical school. “We emphasize leadership in many of the courses, beginning the first semester the students are enrolled in the program with a personal and professional development course, where they learn effective strategies for structuring group interventions for clients, building and facilitating interdisciplinary teams and developing the skills needed for administrative positions.”
“Jessica has been extremely successful in our program,” Jedlicka continues, “based on her drive and initiative she has been a leader both in the classroom and the hockey arena.”
So, what does dad think now?
“He doesn’t regret his decision to let me play at all,” Jessica said. “Even though he works overseas, he comes to every one of my games that he can. Both my mom and dad are huge supporters.”
- Amanda Scurry
return to top
|
