NCAA Division III Week Celebrates Student-Athletes in the Wellesley Community and Beyond

In honor of NCAA Division III week, an annual celebration of student-athletes at Division III institutions across the country, Wellesley joins more than 450 schools to recognize the powerful impact of athletics and student-athletes on the Wellesley community and, in some cases, across the globe.

Last summer, the Blue field hockey team traveled to the Netherlands and Greece on a trip that combined the intellectual and athletic pursuits that are the hallmark of the Division III experience. Haley Chrobock ’19 and Arielle Mitropoulos ’19 described teaching field hockey to a Special Olympics soccer team. Despite a language barrier, the two groups connected through sports and had a unique opportunity to contribute to the growing partnership between Division III schools and the Special Olympics.

The field hockey team’s trip, the journey that led Patricia Chen ’18 to become an athletics administrator, and the adventure shared by Sophie Dolan ’20 and Meghan Shoop ’20 as members of Wellesley’s Global Medical Brigade in Nicaragua all exemplify the Division III experience, one that allows Wellesley’s student-athletes to compete in the sports they love while helping others and pursuing their own academic interests.

For more information on NCAA Division III Week and stories on how Wellesley athletes are contributing to their communities, visit wellesleyblue.com.