Our Alumni Spotlight series will be an ongoing feature, highlighting former student-athletes and catching up on where their journeys have taken them after graduation. Beth Dziedzic, former Georgia Soccer student-athlete, graduated in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations and a master’s degree in Sport Management in 2008.
Can you tell us about your current career and what you’re doing now?
I am currently the Associate Athletic Director for Academics at UGA. I have day-to-day administrative oversight of our 18-person student-athlete academic services team including academic counselors and learning specialists. Our goal is for the student-athletes to experience as much success in the classroom as in their sport and leave UGA with their degree.
How did your experience as a student-athlete prepare you for your professional career?
My experience at UGA as a student-athlete helped me tremendously in preparing for my career. I learned resiliency and how to work with a diverse group of people. I also developed excellent time management skills and grit. I think having a student-athlete background is a huge advantage when it comes to being ready to enter the workplace. Not everyone has the experience of receiving constructive criticism in college, but as a student-athlete I was accustomed to being coached up and adapting to feedback.
What was the most important lesson you learned from balancing academics, athletics, and personal life during college?
The most important lesson I learned trying to balance everything in college was how to stay organized and not procrastinate. I struggled a little bit my freshman year with waiting until the last minute to finish papers and study for exams. Once I realized I would actually have more time to socialize if I got my work done earlier, it made things much easier. It also helps if you surround yourself with people who have the same athletic, academic, and social goals as you do – they can help hold you accountable on days where you’re feeling less motivated.
What’s one thing you wish you had known about life after sports before you graduated?
There is way less structure and people following up on you. I thrived with a set schedule in college – practice, class, lift, eat, homework, sleep. Once the structure was taken away, I felt a little bit lost. When I developed my own routine and found different hobbies, I felt way better and more productive. After your playing career is over, allow yourself a little bit of time to mourn your student-athlete life, but then figure out what other passions you have and pursue them.
Looking back, what advice would you give to current student-athletes who are trying to navigate life after college and sport?
Control what you can control. There are a lot of things outside of your control (hiring decision, promotions, etc.), but you need to focus on what you can control – like your work ethic, attitude, and effort. Also, prepare as though you already have the job you’re trying to get. You never know when an opportunity may present itself, and you’ll want to be as ready as possible to take advantage of it.
When you think about your time as a Bulldog, what is one moment that stands out the most?
Beating Florida at home for the first time in program history my senior year in 2007. We had such a special season that year, and it is truly a moment I’ll never forget!
