Life Skills Senior Snapshots: Women's Gymnastics

Husker Life Skills will be sharing interviews conducted with senior student-athletes who had their playing careers cut short, highlighting the contributions and perspectives of these talented individuals. Our next Senior Snapshot focuses on Husker Women's Gymnast, Sierra Hassel. 

Hassel set new career highs this year on three events with a 9.775 on vault at the B1G Five Elevate the Stage meet on Feb. 22, a 9.975 on balance beam she set on March 16 at the 29th Annual Masters Classic as well as setting a floor exercise career high of 9.925 twice this season with the latest also coming during the Masters Classic. She was honored being named First Team All-Big Ten as well. In addition to her athletic achievements, Hassel was successful in the classroom earning Academic All-Big Ten and was named a WCGA Scholastic All-American. Topping it off, Hassel held numerous leadership positions in athletics. Namely, she served as part of the leadership board for Husker SAAC. Below highlights her interview reflecting on her career as a student-athlete. 

Q1: Who is someone on staff at Nebraska, in any department, who has positively impacted your time at Nebraska?
"The staff at Nebraska are truly remarkable, but two that have made a huge impact on my time are Kate Frazier and Sammi Cowger in Life Skills. They honestly just brightened my day, they allowed me a space to relax in between class and practice, and helped me prepare for my future along with supporting me in any aspiration I had."

Q2: When was the first time you felt you made a real difference in the community as a Husker?
"You can't truly know what it means to be a Husker until you step on campus. I think the first time I really felt I was in a position to impact others and made a real difference was at the Husker Heroes event. The excitement these kids had and the way they looked up to us is heartwarming and the parents comments to us of how they will talk about this day forever makes for a great experience."

Q3: What advice would you give incoming student-athletes about making the most of the resources offered to them?
"Get involved as much as possible, within athletics and outside of it. This will allow you to meet some amazing people and make the most of your experience. Also, don't be afraid to ask for anything. Everyone here is here to help you succeed as an athlete but also as a student and for your future."

Q4: What inspired you to stay consistently involved from the very beginning?
"I fell in love with the feeling of making an impact on others, as they have all made an impact on me as well. Every time I was able to be involved in the community I was even more excited to sign up for more. The personal impact of mentoring also inspired me to stay involved consistently, being able to be a constant piece for them and watching them run to me in the hall every week, showed me the platform I had and how valuable it was to use it to support them."

Q5: What has been your favorite thing about participating in a Life Skills Leadership group?
"My favorite part about participating in Life Skills Leadership groups is the ability to make an impact for the student athletes currently and for every student-athlete to come. It has also allowed me to make friends and relationships from other sports that I would not have had the chance to make otherwise."

Q6: How have you used your platform as a Nebraska student-athlete?
"I have used my platform to help start a campus-wide initiative for awareness and resources on mental health. This has allowed us to show support for others, bring the community together, and also build on a relationship between athletics and the rest of campus."

Q7: What is your next step, and how has Nebraska helped you prepare for it?
"My next step is to attend grad school for Sports Management at UT. Nebraska has allowed me to realize my passions and then give me all the resources and tools to be more than ready.  Through resumes, personal statements, and networking opportunities I was able to get into an amazing program with the gratification that I can make the most of my opportunities."

More Senior Snapshots will be released to continue celebrating the contributions and impact of senior Husker student-athletes.