Never Giving Up, Always Giving Back

Nathaniel Latshaw '15

by MaryAlice Bitts-Jackson

It's a challenge to juggle the demands of the classroom with the demands of the soccer field and an active social life, but midfielder Nathaniel Latshaw '15 has it down pat. Here's what this busy John Dickinson scholar has to say about the power of learning from failure and the joys of giving back.

Majors:

Mathematics and economics.

Clubs and organizations:

Men’s soccer team and Alpha Lambda Delta.

On choosing Dickinson:

I was looking for a school in Pennsylvania with high academic standards and a successful soccer program. Dickinson was one of the few colleges that met these criteria.

Most important thing I’ve learned so far:

Definitely time management. It’s easy to become overwhelmed as a student-athlete with two majors, but I quickly learned how to manage my time and successfully juggle academics and athletics.

On choosing a major:

My high school teachers in math and economics were passionate about teaching and their students, and they sparked my interest. I never considered majoring in anything else.

As a kid, I wanted to be . . .

. . . a professional soccer player.

Favorite hobby:

It’s not a surprising hobby, since I spend so much of my time around sports, but I really enjoy coaching a Special Olympics basketball team each summer. I’ve been blessed to be able to experience so much joy and success in soccer, and it is incredibly rewarding to be able to give some of that joy back to athletes who are less fortunate.

Biggest influence:

My parents taught me to put discipline and integrity into everything I do, and whenever I didn’t reach a personal goal or disappointed myself in any way, they were always there to let me know that they still believed in me. That was a powerful gift, and it led me to where I am today.

See more Student Snapshots.

Published January 28, 2014