Issue link: http://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/140817
ACADEMIC NOTES been RAs in college. But it was seeing first-hand the value of the Undergraduate Advisor as a Dartmouth freshman that led him to become one. "I had a really good UGA," he says. "She was a role model and helped me navigate the social scene and academics my first year. I have always wanted to be a role model to my peers and also to underclassmen and that comes from the fact that upperclassman were so critical in defining my experience and helping me get off on the right foot in college." Fulfilling the responsibilities of a UGA while being a varsity athlete hasn't always been easy but he believes the combination has its advantages. "The timing isn't always in sync," Beaulieu-Jones admits, "but being an athlete brings a lot of unique perspectives to the position. I hope I have been able to help administrators and community directors understand what a different population at Dartmouth really needs, and how we can best support them." Soft-spoken and unassuming, Beaulieu-Jones thrives on making a difference in the life of the college and its students, in and out of athletics. After his freshman year he became involved with Dartmouth's StudentAthlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). "I went to a meeting and saw that it had direct communication with athletic administrators and could really benefit the Dartmouth athletic community and the Upper Valley community as a whole," he says. "I was only going to be a varsity athlete for four years and I wanted to have an impact on the experiences of other students, and future Dartmouth athletes." This year he is one of nine elected members of the executive board of the College's SAAC chapter. Among other activities the chapter has organized a Dancing Through the Decades event at the nearby Kendal Retirement Community. "We have been able to come together as an athletic community to go out and help a population that has always been supportive of us, coming to games, coming to meets," he says. "I think that just exemplifies what SAAC stands for. Building community between athletes, and building a sense of purpose within the athletic department." During his sophomore summer his sophomore summer Beaulieu-Jones was one of 30 athletes in the Leadership Education and Development (LEAD) program run by the athletic department. "That was a remarkable opportunity," he says. "It was a chance to sit down with coaches and other community members who shared their experiences and helped us learn how to be the best leaders we could be." Beaulieu-Jones put those leadership lessons to work last year as one of 20 seniors serving as a Student Consultant in the Deans Office. "We are there for anything from, 'I think I'm going to fail this class and don't know what I should I do,' to, 'I don't know how to apply for this off term in Spain.' " he says. "Or it might be helping someone figure out their 'D' plan. "It has been a really good experience. It's a chance to reach not only peers, but underclassmen that are just looking for suggestions and personal experience in terms of defining their academic experience." As if he didn't already have enough on his plate, Beaulieu-Jones is treasurer of Dartmouth's chapter of Best Buddies International (a volunteer organization that "creates opportunities for oneto-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities"). A James O. Freedman Presidential Scholar as a junior, Beaulieu-Jones has been working this year on a senior thesis studying an increase in the prevalence of obesity and chronic disease in Alaskan Eskimos. Medical school and a career as a physician and clinical researcher await Beaulieu-Jones, who somehow has found time to continue to run. While he hasn't always enjoyed the success he'd hoped for coming in, he's thankful for the opportunity track has given him, and for the lessons it has taught him. "It has been really difficult, but at the same time through the injuries I really learned a lot about myself and what it takes to be as good as I want to be," he said. "It has been a very challenging process but I also have enjoyed it. It has helped me in other aspects of my life. It has made me become more committed academically and more committed in other extracurriculars that I am involved in." As if that's possible. Sitting in her office in the track coaching suite, Sandy FordCentonze rifles through a thick red notebook and pulls out a sheet of paper. It is the printout of one of many inspiring messages Brendin Beaulieu-Jones regularly emails out to his teammates and coaches. Beaulieu-Jones is not a captain and so when he first started sending out his observations, quotations, song lyrics, links to YouTube videos and the like he asked if it would be OK. It was more than OK, of course. So much more that other coaches have asked to be on his mailing list and his coach has printed out and saved each one. Ford-Centonze becomes quiet re-reading the words on one page. "Everything is not going to be perfect but that shouldn't stop you from working and trying to achieve your goals," she reads. "That's him. That's him. He is a remarkable young man! "I am going to miss him. I'm going to miss his leadership. He hasn't been the top athlete on the team but he has been one of the best leaders that I've ever known. I look at him and I think what a great son he is. "No," she says, pausing for dramatic effect, "what a great man he has become." I knew I was only going to be a varsity athlete for four years and I wanted to have an impact on other students, and future Dartmouth athletes. P E A K | S UMM ER 201 3 21