By Mackenzie Dias Special to UNHWildcats.com
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As a senior co-captain of the University of New Hampshire nordic ski team, Elizabeth Martin (Freeport, Maine) reflects on her past four years as a Wildcat and how much her teammates, coaches and members of the UNH community impacted her experience.
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UNH has taught her many lessons about being a student-athlete and about life.
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 OPPORTUNITIES, SUCCESS AND A SECOND FAMILY
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Martin knew that attending UNH would allow her to have many opportunities as a student and an athlete. She was able to do much in just four years.
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"There is not one singular thing that makes UNH special to me. From an academic standpoint it offers anything and everything you can think of. I was able to compete on a Division I team, study abroad and get involved in research on campus, all while studying something that I am truly passionate about. The faculty, coaches, administrators, athletic trainers and advisors are all here to help you succeed in any way that they can. They truly care about each and every one of the students who passes through this university, which is something that became more apparent to me each year."
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But according to her the most difficult part when thinking about graduation is saying good-bye.
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"The hardest part about graduating however will be saying good-bye to all of the friends I have made over the years. Especially my team. I have never felt more like I had a second family than I have while being at UNH, and that is largely thanks to the UNH ski team."
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Martin has more than one place that makes her feel at home on campus.
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"I have two favorite places on campus, the field house, specifically the ski room, and James Hall, especially the outdoor classroom in the spring and fall. Both of these places are where I spent the most time while at UNH, and where I felt the most at home."
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 MEMORABLE MOMENTS
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Martin has had many moments in sports that have made it hard to choose just one special moment as a student-athlete but one that really stuck out to her wasn't just about accomplishing a new individual record but also her teammates and team doing well.
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"It's hard to pick a single favorite moment of being a student-athlete at UNH, but I think the most rewarding moment was after a 15k classic race we had this season at the Bates Carnival. Not only was it my best individual race while at UNH, but it was a good race for a lot of my teammates as well, and it was so exciting to see all of the hard work from the fall pay off, and to be able to share a good day with my teammates."
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Martin with Ski Coordinator and Head Nordic Coach Cory Schwartz and alums of the program.
When Martin looks back at her favorite road trip, it was her last race weekend as a Wildcat.
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"My favorite road trip was regionals this winter at Middlebury College. It was my last race weekend as a Wildcat which made it extra special, and we were also lucky to have a lot of alumni come support us from my previous years on the team. Being able to share this weekend with so many people who made my four years at UNH so memorable made me realize how much I appreciate being a part of this team, and I realized that even though I would be graduating soon I would always be part of UNH skiing."
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BEING A STUDENT-ATHLETE
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"Balancing academics and athletics is hard. You are expected to perform at 100% all the time. Straight from practice to class and back to practice. It is exhausting mentally, emotionally and physically. It has also been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, and an opportunity I will always be grateful for. Even though it is a lot to handle, challenging yourself both academically and physically provides a good life balance, forces you to grow as a person and teaches you how to prioritize important things."
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One of the biggest things she has learned was from an email from her coach.
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"Before regionals my coach sent out an email to everyone to hype us up for the race. For a lot of the seniors it was also our last race as a Wildcat, and the email talked about our journey over the past four years. One of the things that struck me the most about this message was a line saying how we had come in as freshmen ready to conquer the world, only to find out the world is much heavier than we thought. I think this is one of the biggest, if not the biggest things I have learned while being at UNH. The world is complex and solving its issues is not easy. I do feel however like my experience here has prepared me well to try and tackle some of these issues."
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Coach Schwartz and Martin FRIENDSHIPS MADE
There are so many things about UNH that Martin will surely miss, but not seeing her friends all the time is what she will miss the most.
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"I will miss being able to see my friends every day the most. Being able to not only practice, but also do homework, eat and have fun with them is going to be what I miss most about being at UNH."
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Lucinda Anderson, Elizabeth Martin, Anna Schriefer and Kristine Keller-Miller
Martin and the rest of the seniors are all going through the same experience right now but she had one thing to say to her fellow seniors about the four years she has been at UNH.Â
"To my fellow seniors, it has been quite a ride. I would not have wanted to spend my four years here with anyone else. This is not the way any of us imagined ending our four years here. We did not get to say our final goodbyes, have a last hurrah and celebrate commencement in the traditional way. It is and will remain an ending that is unwritten. Do not forget however, that the reason this ending is so difficult to accept is because of the great memories we have created, and that we are lucky to have found a place and people that are so hard to say good-bye to."
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Seniors Bryce Hartman, Kristine Keller-Miller, Elizabeth Martin and Will Bodewes
After graduation Elizabeth plans to get a job that relates to her major in the Environmental Science field.
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Please check back to UNHWildcats.com as we continue our Senior Reflections series.
