DIII Week Student-Athlete Profile: Hannah Flesch, Field Hockey
As part of NCAA Division III Week, Wellesley Athletics will feature daily profiles that will provide an opportunity to meet our outstanding Division III student-athletes. Each profile will touch on multiple aspects of the student-athlete experience, including: on and off the field accomplishments, leadership and community involvement and what being a Division III student-athlete means to them. Our first profile focuses on senior Hannah Flesch, a native of Rockville, Maryland and a four-year member of the Wellesley field hockey programs.
What Academic Accomplishment are you most proud of during your time at Wellesley?
"This past fall, I wrote a final research paper for a 300-level seminar about the relationship between war, violence and gender inequality. At 20 pages, it was the longest academic paper I had ever written, but it was also one of the most fascinating areas of research that I have ever studied. In addition to submitting it for my class (The Politics of Global Inequality), I'll be discussing it with military and civilian leaders next week at the annual U.S. Naval Academy Foreign Affairs Conference where this year's topic is Women and Security. The direct link between my nomination to represent Wellesley at the conference and the work that I completed at the end of last semester exemplifies the many opportunities to make connections from the classroom to the real world."
What Athletic Accomplishment are you most proud of during your time at Wellesley?
"Scoring the game winning goal in overtime in our 2014 NEWMAC championship game against Mount Holyoke. After a tight game in regulation, we became back-to-back conference champions within the first few minutes of overtime in front of a huge crowd. It was also a particularly memorable moment for me because I had broken my finger with a few minutes left in regulation. I didn't know how bad it was at the time, but like the rest of my teammates, all I could think about was getting down to their end, drawing a corner and scoring in the man-up situation. That's exactly the way we planned to win and despite how tired (or injured) we were, we were able to execute it."
What Leadership and/or Community Involvement projects have you been involved with?
"I've been really lucky to have gone on two Alternative Break service trips sponsored by the Center for Work and Service. The first trip was at the Mid-Atlantic Border Collie Rescue in Maryland and the other was at Big Cypress National Preserve in Southwestern Florida. These week long trips were great opportunities to use my break from school to volunteer with local communities while also getting the chance to meet and work with other Wellesley students. I was also a Student Leader in the Athlete Mentor Program this year, where I helped welcome first-year athletes to Wellesley and ease their transition into intercollegiate athletics."
What has your experience as a Wellesley student-athlete meant to you?
"Passion. Being a Wellesley student-athlete allows you to discover what is most important to you-both in the classroom and in your daily life. It not only teaches you how to perform your best everyday, but also what drives you to do so. For me, my experience as a Wellesley student-athlete has been about my passion for the game of field hockey, for my teammates, and for someday helping people confront inequality, climate change and other issues that I most deeply care about."
Hannah and the Blue Field Hockey team celebrate Halloween every year with Halloween practice! "Here's the picture of everyone in costume from this year with some celebrity appearances."