Photo by: Adam Creech | Louisville Athletics
Pastor Collects Awards on and off the Field
April 07, 2021 | Field Hockey, Academic Services
The balancing act student-athletes have to play is unenviable. The task of staying on top of grades while also dealing with the demanding schedule that comes with playing Division I athletics is hard to accomplish.
But those obstacles haven't kept University of Louisville Field Hockey senior and All-American Mercedes Pastor from raking in awards with her performance both on the field and in the classroom.
In addition to first-team All-American and All-ACC honors she has achieved since arriving on campus, the Argentina-native Pastor recently earned a second-place finish in the 2021 Student Simulation Competition hosted by Society of Health Systems within the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineer.
The competition, taken on by her and fellow industrial engineering senior Jorge Sanchez as an alternative to a more standard class project, and she called it her biggest accomplishment academically as a student at UofL.
"We were asked to redesign an ambulatory endoscopy center to mitigate the negative impacts of COVID-19 while being compliant with CDC guidelines for reopening the facility, Pastor said. "We had to support our recommendations using the simulation model's data."
It was far from an easy task to accomplish, especially during a school year characterized by COVID-19 restrictions and hybrid learning environments. Pastor and Sanchez did most of their work meeting virtually on Microsoft Teams.
Many times, Pastor said, the two would treat the program more like a library study than a multimedia communications service.
"COVID has made things extremely hard," Pastor said. "It really took away some of the best parts of both being a student and hanging out with friends. Doing homework and studying as athletes everything was different, too. Much more time doing virtual stuff.
"Jorge and I would spend hours on Microsoft Teams, maybe not even talking but just connected as if we were sitting together in the library."
As for how she's managed to be so successful in both athletics and academics, Pastor said the answer is simple.
"No secret, I just love what I do," She said. "Clear priorities and consistency in getting the work cone for both is important. I am proud and grateful to have the opportunity to represent the Cardinals both on and off the field. It's definitely a privilege."
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But those obstacles haven't kept University of Louisville Field Hockey senior and All-American Mercedes Pastor from raking in awards with her performance both on the field and in the classroom.
In addition to first-team All-American and All-ACC honors she has achieved since arriving on campus, the Argentina-native Pastor recently earned a second-place finish in the 2021 Student Simulation Competition hosted by Society of Health Systems within the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineer.
The competition, taken on by her and fellow industrial engineering senior Jorge Sanchez as an alternative to a more standard class project, and she called it her biggest accomplishment academically as a student at UofL.
"We were asked to redesign an ambulatory endoscopy center to mitigate the negative impacts of COVID-19 while being compliant with CDC guidelines for reopening the facility, Pastor said. "We had to support our recommendations using the simulation model's data."
It was far from an easy task to accomplish, especially during a school year characterized by COVID-19 restrictions and hybrid learning environments. Pastor and Sanchez did most of their work meeting virtually on Microsoft Teams.
Many times, Pastor said, the two would treat the program more like a library study than a multimedia communications service.
"COVID has made things extremely hard," Pastor said. "It really took away some of the best parts of both being a student and hanging out with friends. Doing homework and studying as athletes everything was different, too. Much more time doing virtual stuff.
"Jorge and I would spend hours on Microsoft Teams, maybe not even talking but just connected as if we were sitting together in the library."
As for how she's managed to be so successful in both athletics and academics, Pastor said the answer is simple.
"No secret, I just love what I do," She said. "Clear priorities and consistency in getting the work cone for both is important. I am proud and grateful to have the opportunity to represent the Cardinals both on and off the field. It's definitely a privilege."
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Players Mentioned
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