Fedya Henrichs-Tarasenkov, Computer Engineering Undergraduate Student, Football
1. What sport/position do you play? How old were you when you started playing your sport?
I play kicker/punter for football and I started playing when I was 16.
2. How do you balance the demands of being a student with demanding coursework and being a college athlete? What strategies help you manage your time?
Take note of due dates and create a schedule for when you can get work done between lifts, practices, and games. Plan ahead on travel weeks and make sure that all work is done beforehand.
3. What drew you to combine athletics with such a challenging academic field? Was there a moment that sparked your interest in engineering/computer science?
I've always been good with math and other STEM classes so I was always going to major in engineering. Thankfully, PSU allows me to focus on my education while continuing to play sports at a high level.
4. What skills from your sport have unexpectedly helped you in your engineering/computer science studies, or vice versa?
Teamwork is huge in the STEM field. Being able to work with a group of like-minded individuals with no prior knowledge of each other is very important. In all of my projects so far, I've been able to use the teamwork, leadership, and organizational skills I learned through playing sports my whole life to have success on group projects.
5. Can you describe a typical day in your life during the competitive season?
Wake up at 5 and leave at 6 to drive from Vancouver to campus for meetings in the morning. Stretch and get on the field at 8:30 for practice at 9:15. Leave practice early to get to class by 10. Eat lunch after class and do homework until my next class at 2 then do some more work in the labs after class from about 4-8.
6. How do you plan to use your combined experience in athletics and engineering in your career? Are there specific companies or industries you're interested in?
Hopefully my experience and skills with teamwork will show out when I get the opportunity on the job. Not any specific companies that I have really looked at, but I would love to be able to still be involved in sports and athletics with my job if possible.
7. Are you considering continuing with sports after graduation, whether professionally or recreationally? How might that align with your career?
I don't think the professional route is possible for me, but I would like to continue playing recreationally while I still can. This would most likely be post-work pick-up games playing soccer which is the sport I played for most of my life.
8. What advice would you give to incoming student-athletes who are considering engineering or computer science as their major?
If you want to focus on school and your career post-graduation, then going into an engineering or computer science degree would be perfect. However, it is very easy to get out of your depth and you need to always keep track of time and make sure to really lock it in when you're doing school. What's worked the best for me is to divide the day into school and football. When I'm doing football in the morning, it has my entire focus and as soon as I switch into my school mode I am fully focused on school and make sure that I get done what I planned on getting done that day.
9. What's been your proudest moment so far, either in athletics or academics?
My proudest moments in athletics are hitting my first in game field goal and winning the league my first season. My proudest moments in school are skipping a grade and getting multiple Dean's and President's List awards here at PSU.