Vols in Full Swing
Student athletes synchronize their pace for success in class and on the river.
Women’s rowing team member Mykayla Fluster is a criminology and criminal justice senior whose studies have brought her perspectives from both the Department of Sociology and the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience. In her role as a coxswain, she thrives on her team’s collaborative nature: their collective drive to win and their ability to work together to achieve their goals.
She chose the University of Tennessee to see a different part of the country and to add the storied Volunteer spirit to her life experience.
“Being from Connecticut, I didn’t really want to stay in the north, I wanted to experience other places,” said Fluster. “Tennessee is an amazing school and area to experience that. The College of Arts and Sciences was always spoken highly of, making it more intriguing. Plus, Tennessee is built on sports, and I was happy and excited to be given the opportunity to join it.”
She plans a career in law enforcement, though UT did not yet have a criminology concentration when she first started. Through the flexible and interdisciplinary structure of the College of Arts and Science, however, she built her own personalized path towards her goals through a double major in psychology and sociology.
“I stuck to psychology because I enjoyed it in high school and wanted to get into the minds of criminals,” said Fluster. “When the criminology concentration came about, I added sociology too.”
She found that her participation on the rowing team enhanced her academic studies by increasing her interactions with her professors as she managed her time between oars and textbooks.
“It set me up in the long run to build relationships with them and encouraged me to ask for support and help when needed,” said Fluster. “My studies have positively impacted my athletic experiences because, in reverse, it has taught me to build relationships with people I have never met but also encourages supporting and working with others.”
Her team position as a coxswain bolsters this interactive, collaborative approach, helping build skills that will serve her in any future endeavor.
“I step up into more of a leadership role, taking command of the crew and steering the boat the straightest and fastest line down the course,” said Fluster.
The many resources available to UT students have helped her steer the course into senior year and meet her professional goals of going into law enforcement.
“My advisors helped me secure an internship with a local department in Connecticut that offered me a full-time position when I graduate,” said Fluster. “Career fairs set up through the Thornton Center have allowed me to speak to other officers, federal and local, which have put me in the best position to find work after graduation.”
She cites Professor of Psychology Michael Olson as a faculty member who understood her dedication and the balance of athletics and academics she has maintained.
“He was always willing to help me when I had questions and was willing to work around my rowing schedule in order to make up work or exams,” said Fluster. “He made learning fun and understandable.”
Like a rowing team cutting across the water in full swing, her synchronized academic and athletic engagement has helped ignite Fluster’s aspirations for success.
“What I appreciate most about pursuing my degree at UT is the dedication that all of the professors have in wanting to see me reach my goals and succeed,” she said. “It truly made me want to work harder and do it for myself too.”
By Randall Brown
Select photos courtesy of UT Athletics
