TCNJ

37 SPRING 2020 W inning a gold medal on behalf of your country can make you reimagine what's possible in life. Just ask Jack Wallace. When he was a sophomore at TCNJ, Wallace won gold at the 2018 Paralympics in South Korea as a member of the U.S. sled hockey team. It was a dream he'd embraced since taking up the sport at the age of 11, one year after his right leg had to be amputated following a freak water- skiing accident. When he returned home from the Paralympics, Wallace found himself sought after as a motivational speaker. He visited the White House with the U.S. Winter Olympic and Paralympic teams and shook hands with President Donald Trump. He had always loved a challenge — he's a biomedical engineering major, after all — and he began to think about pursuing a second sport and medal run with the U.S. sprint kayaking team. "When I won the gold medal," Wallace says, "it opened my eyes to actually making a career out of my favorite thing in the world, which is playing hockey. If you have the oppor- tunity to do this and don't, I think it's an injustice to everyone who wants this but can't do it." Last summer Wallace took up sprint kayaking, aiming to qualify for the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo. Sprint kayaking requires participants to steer their slender vessels over a 200-meter course. This year's Paralympics were postponed for a year because of the pandemic, but Wallace figures the extra year might help him get faster. The Paralympics accepts only 10 kayakers from around the world. After graduation, Wallace plans to move to Nashville with his U.S. sled hockey teammates and train in both sports. This summer, he'll set his sights on getting his 200-meter kayak time down to 43 seconds. For Wallace, it's just another challenge. JACK WALLACE, biomedical engineering 2016 Sled hockey Paralympic-team hopeful 2020 Sprint kayaking medal contender Wait, there's more! Intriguing accomplishments not typically found on résumés Created first-ever School of Science Formal –Constance Reznik, math Played Jesus in Lyric Theatre's Jesus Christ Superstar –Lana Holgado, psychology Became someone that I want to be friends with –Jessica Campisi, biology Started the TCNJ chapter of the National Association of Black Accountants club –Sherida Hinkson, accounting Interned at an 800-year-old hot springs inn, called a goshoboh, in Arima-Onsen, Japan –Meaghanne McBride, music Competed in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella –Angelina Francese, music education Tackled campus food insecurity as first intern at TCNJ's Food Pantry, The SHOP –Alana Adams, communications Started TCNJ's Ping-Pong club – Darshan Kalola, seven-year medical program Tracked snakes in the woods –Emmalee Kugler, biology Helped deliver a baby –Alyssa Ryan, nursing

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