The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/641955
INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS Student Athlete Of The Month Senior Gymnast Lindsay Williams Growing up in Northville, Mich., senior gymnast Lindsay Williams always felt at home at Michigan. Her upbringing was rooted in strong academics and that trend has continued at U‑M. She's a two‑time Academic All‑Big Ten member and a three‑time U‑M Athletic Academic Achievement award winner. The earth and environmental studies major explained where it all started. "I always grew up really liking school and science, and wanting to do well," she said. "My parents put a ton of emphasis on school being the most important thing no matter what. Their message was always that if you don't do well in school you wouldn't be able to participate in the sport you love, and that just made sense to me. "When I started my recruiting process, we wanted to make sure that I was at a place that was great academically and athletically. My dad got his MBA at U‑M and my aunt got her undergraduate degree here. "I came to gymnastics meets at Michi‑ gan when I was a little girl and growing up near here just made it the best of both worlds." Williams is nearing the end of her un‑ dergraduate career and has been busy during her four years, but when she's not in the gym or in the classroom she's found time to add to her experience at Michigan. "Every year our team does the Buddy Walk with the National Down Syndrome Society in Ann Arbor," she said. "We help do some organizational things at the event. We help pass out food and water and just help with anything that they need. "I went on a weeklong trip to the Upper Peninsula to study rocks in the field and travel around a little bit. This summer to finish out my degree, I'm going to spend a month in Wyoming doing a geology field course in the Grand Tetons and Yellow‑ stone. I'm really excited for that trip." With her senior year coming to an end, Williams is forced to look toward the future. She has already begun her post‑undergraduate planning and has a pretty good idea of what she wants to do. Michigan has always been home and may continue to be for years to come. "I'm planning on going to grad school and starting with a master's degree," she Williams is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten member and a three-time U-M Athletic Academic Achievement award winner. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS