SAINT PETER, Minn. – The Gustavus women's soccer team has built a long-standing culture of excellence, both on and off the field. Known for their tight-knit bond and involvement in the community, head coach Laura Burnett-Kurie has also made academics a priority for her team, which recorded the .
Two women's soccer seniors have certainly exemplified this, as Ellen Becken and Kirstin Poppen both excelled in prestigious internships over the summer.
Becken, an exercise physiology and psychological science double major, spent her summer as a gender equity intern at the . Becken worked on ongoing gender equity-related projects with the Tucker Center's summer research team, writing literature reviews on topics such as gender bias in women tennis coaches and creating resources on best practices to support mother coaches.
Becken credits her relationships with Health and Exercise Science professors Dr. Hayley Russell and Dr. Claire Woebke for preparing her for her internship with research methods and communication skills. Becken's experience as a student-athlete also provided her with a more personal approach to her summer work.
"Being an athlete within the world of girls and women in sport is something that gave me a unique perspective with this internship," said Becken. "I was able to provide my experiences, thoughts, and perspective on various topics throughout the summer. I hope to use my newly gained experience to make my own difference for girls and women in sports someday. "
After graduation in the spring, the Prior Lake native hopes to continue her work in sport psychology. Becken, who is passionate about working with athletes, is looking forward to using her experience at the Tucker Center and Gustavus to continue to do so. Until then, she leads the Gustavus women's soccer team in scoring, with six points through the team's first four games.
"I am extremely proud to represent Gustie Athletics, and my time as a student-athlete at Gustavus has been incredible. Everyone is beyond supportive, and I feel grateful to have the opportunity to have such a solid academic and athletic experience."
Meanwhile, Poppen, a physics major with a minor in computer science, was a part of a research experience program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Working with UIUC faculty, Poppen designed and tested components that will be used in a particle detector in Switzerland in a project titled "A New LED-Based Calibration System for the ATLAS HL-ZDC." Poppen was a part of weekly lab meetings, learned new software, experimented with electronic devices, visited national laboratories, and presented her work to other physicists.
"This internship gave me research experience for my resume and valuable mentors in the field. Gustavus has provided me with a well-rounded, liberal arts education, and I think the small class sizes and ability to create strong relationships has helped me gain confidence as a woman in physics."
Poppen is no stranger to academic prowess in her internships, as she also had the opportunity to present research from a 2023 project at Princeton University this summer. The Verona, Wis. native shared her particle physics findings at the annual meeting with 150 physicists from across the country. After graduation, she hopes to attend graduate school for physics or engineering and cites her experience as a student-athlete as a driving factor for her passion and work ethic.
"Being a student-athlete has helped me learn how to keep a healthy balance in life," commented Poppen. "My experience as an athlete at Gustavus has prepared me for my internship and the future by providing me with problem-solving and collaboration skills. On the field, I am always working with my teammates to problem-solve. When I faced obstacles in my research, I had the ability to work through them because of the work ethic and abilities I have learned through soccer."
Head coach Laura Burnett-Kurie expressed immense pride for her players and their willingness to practice their team culture on and off the field.
"We talk to our team on a daily basis about how you can become the best person you can be in all areas of your life," said Burnett-Kurie. "We instill in them the fact that they represent more than just themselves, and they take a great deal of pride in that. It's a culture that this program has built certainly in the last 12 years I've been here, but there has always been a tradition of excellence throughout all 42 years of the program's existence. The minute our recruits step foot on this campus, they are a part of that tradition.
"The passion of our athletes really shows in how they carry themselves on the field, in their extracurriculars, in their academics, and especially in their internships," continued Burnett-Kurie. "Our tradition and culture help them achieve such great things and allow them to have a lot of confidence in who they are and what they can accomplish."
Ellen Becken is an example of this, as she was able to meet and spend the summer with Dr. Nicole LaVoi '91, Director of the Tucker Center and a member of the 2022 Gustavus Athletics Hall of Fame Class. Burnett-Kurie noted that alumni connections and the college's strong support system have provided her athletes with undeniable confidence.
"The support at Gustavus allowed Poppen to step on a stage and present her research to 150 physicists with excitement and pride. Having a connection to the history of the program and alumni helps our players see women in positions of leadership that are making a difference. While we talk about our team culture every day, we also constantly tell our players that we're proud of them, because every day they do something to make us proud in all aspects of their life."
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