Battista, a member of the 2014 Division II national champion Bentley women’s basketball team, graduated summa cum laude and helped bring a Team IMPACT child to campus.

The swimmer won Olympic gold when she was a college student and has gone on to earn her degree. Up next? Law school and, perhaps, another medal.

Thomas was overlooked after high school, but became one of Division II’s top players. His hopes of a professional basketball career overseas were derailed by a rare heart condition.

Michmerhuizen graduated from Calvin College and now puts the lessons she learned as a student-athlete to use as she pursues her Ph.D. in pharmacology, hoping to one day find better treatments for people with diabetes.

University of Alabama gymnast Kim Jacob’s senior season started with a fractured tibia. It ended with the 2014 NCAA title.

Ikard created and took part in an independent study trip to Ireland while he was at Oklahoma. He still made time to play on one of the nation’s top football teams and graduate with a 4.0 GPA.

Hixson began pole vaulting because her brother did. But she beat his record and kept going.

Loyola lacrosse standout Joe Fletcher explains how he made the most of his time as a student-athlete, garnering a tryout with the U.S. men’s national lacrosse team and graduating with a near-perfect GPA.