For junior Kasey White, athletics at Piedmont University have not followed a straight path, but they have always been grounded in heart.
White, a nursing major from across the country, began her time at Piedmont as a two-sport athlete, competing on both the women’s soccer and softball teams during her freshman year. Juggling early morning lifts, practices and games for two teams while adjusting to college life was not easy.
“It was pretty tiring,” White said. “I was on the move from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. as I had hitting, weights, PT, soccer practice and then softball practice. It was hard to find time for school, but I just had to really prioritize it.”
The schedule demanded discipline and time management beyond what most freshmen face. “I had to learn good time management,” she said simply, a skill that would become essential as her journey unfolded.
By her sophomore year, White had made the difficult decision to step away from softball and focus solely on soccer. Heading into her junior year, she was not planning to return to either team. Nursing school had become her top priority.
“I was planning on just doing nursing school because I thought that it would be too much for me,” she said. “I wanted to focus on my career.”
Still, something tugged at her. And so did her teammates. “I love the team so much and my roommates finally convinced me to come back,” White said. “I missed the game and the environment.”
Coming back to the field after a year away was no easy task. “At first it was hard. I had to do a lot of catching up and knocking off the dust,” she said. “But I was just happy to be back in it. I was excited to be able to be around the girls again and make new friends with the new girls.”
White credits the support of her teammates and coaches for helping her through transitions both on and off the field.
“My coaches and teammates are amazing,” she said. “It is such a blessing to be able to lean on them. Especially since my family is on the other side of the country, they have really adopted the role and taken me in.”
This season’s team has felt especially meaningful to her. “This year’s team is truly a family,” she said. “There is no drama or jealousy. Everyone truly loves the player next to them. There are no cliques or groups, and we all have a great connection that you can feel on and off the field.”
Off the field, White has been immersed in one of Piedmont’s most demanding majors.
“Nursing is extremely hard,” she said. “It is about prioritizing and time management. We have to miss a lot of practice for clinicals, and we are not allowed to miss tests for games. I really try to stay ahead of things. I drink a LOT of caffeine to be able to function because I get barely any sleep.”
Despite the long days, there has never been a moment she wanted to give up entirely. “All the time,” she laughed when asked if she ever questioned if she could manage both. “I still question it, especially with conference and finals being at the same time. I would probably make higher grades if I was just doing school but it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.”
To stay on top of everything, she relies on planning. “On Sundays I plan out my weeks. I have a calendar, and I put everything I need to do for the week,” White said. “I also make a lot of to-do lists that keep me organized.”
Looking ahead, White hopes to graduate nursing school and eventually become a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) in labor and delivery, an aspiration that started after an injury of her own.
“After breaking my ankle playing soccer, I had an amazing CRNA who prepped me for surgery, and that is when I realized that was the path I wanted to follow.”
White says her time as an athlete will carry into her career in nursing. “Sports really help with teamwork and communication,” she said. “Softball also helps with being able to bounce back from when you are down and work hard. It creates skills that I plan to use all of my nursing career.”
As for her identity as an athlete, it has evolved. “My freshman year my identity was being an athlete but now I know that it’s much more than that,” she said. “Knowing that softball is not my only identity takes a lot of pressure off of the sport and makes it enjoyable again.”
When she looks back on her time at Piedmont, White will not measure it by stats or records. “I think I will be most proud of the relationships I’ve made and how I have carried myself while being here,” she said. “The memories I’ve made here will forever be special.”
