Jade was even invited to serve as a panelist for the recent Academic Symposium held during the inauguration celebration for President Darren Reisberg.
In other words, she is plenty busy.
Ironically, she wasn’t sure she wanted to play tennis when she came to Hartwick, hoping to eliminate distractions in pursuit of academic excellence. Already a successful student-athlete at The Mary Louis Academy in Jamaica, NY, she wanted to be more than that.
Despite early apprehension, Jade has been successful since stepping foot on campus.
“Right off the bat, I found opportunities and avenues to get myself acclimated with campus life.” Rather than eliminate activities, she sought them out. The structure helped her. Jade joined the Student Government Association as a senator, and won the Philip S. Wilder Jr. Award for student-athlete academic distinction.
And she decided to play tennis, quickly becoming the squad’s top singles and doubles player. She kept that position her sophomore year, during which she also earned a Dr. James J. Elting H’13 Memorial Scholarship and became a resident assistant.
“I’m pretty organized,” she says about keeping herself balanced and on schedule. “I’m a big advocate for Google Calendar. Planner. Post-Its. I color code everything.”
“Jade is a great representation of the student-athletes here at Hartwick,” says Women’s Tennis Coach Samantha Butcher. “She is true to herself and is able to balance clubs, academics, and high-level athletics. She is kind, driven, hardworking and she leads with integrity. Her dedication to all she is involved with across the Hartwick community is a testament to her passion for the College, her peers, and her teammates. The daily influence she has and the role she plays on our team has been a key component to our overall success. Our program is beyond lucky to have her.”
“I credit everything to my faith and my parents,” Jade says. “They raised me to believe ‘education first,’ and to give your best to everything you do.”
She also cites Coach Butcher and Roxanne Mitchell ’21 as role models and influences.
Her future appears just as eventful. Jade will spend J Term in Senegal, West Africa, for an art class. She is also looking for internships in the medical field, with hopes of pursuing a career as a dermatologist.
Then there is the matter of the NCAA tournament this spring.
The question is, with all that goes into making Jade Killikelly more than a student-athlete, will it provide her enough time to let it sink in?
