While keeping a love of sports in their hearts, IIT student-athletes are leading multifaceted lives and representing the best of IIT. For many IIT student-athletes, also known to fans as Scarlet Hawks, commitments extend well beyond academia and sports. They juggle work, community service, IPROs, Camras scholarship responsibilities, and life in a foreign country—any of which can amount to a full-time job outside of school.
Marina Hartung (BA ’07)
Hometown: Manhattan, Kan.
Sport: Swim team (captain, swims breaststroke)
Stats: President, Kappa Phi Delta; manager, IIT Phonathon; Kaplan Fellow; lifeguard
About her sorority: “IIT is mostly males, so it’s great to have a group of girls to interact with and do girly things.” As for wild nightlife often associated with Greek life, she laughs. “We’re all usually too tired and just go to bed!”
Hartung and her Kappa Phi Delta sisters unwind with a game of speed Scrabble in their sorority house.
Zack Hartnett (BA ’07)
Hometown: San Diego, Calif.
Sport: Soccer (captain, plays center defense)
Stats: NROTC Marine, student ambassador, Pi Kappa Phi fraternity, door guard
About being a Marine: “It’s part full-time job, part hobby. I like to think that if I weren’t in the military, I’d still get up at 4 or 5 a.m. to train like this.”
Hartnett, with (part) of his world in his hands, at IIT’s NROTC office. “Between soccer and the military, Sunday is the only day I don’t train—that’s when I recover.”
Polina Ivanova (ITM ’07)
Hometown: Pernik, Bulgaria
Sport: Basketball (small forward)
Stats: International student and member of IPRO 303
About her IPRO: “We’re researching technical communication devices that could help the investment company Calamos get to know its private customer group better.”
Ivanova reviews her IPRO team’s presentation for Calamos the day before meeting with the company. “The best part about IPRO is sharing ideas with teammates; we learn from one another by seeing things from different sides.”
Pedro Lima (BA ’07)
Hometown: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Sport: Soccer (midfielder)
Stats: International student, works at the front desk at Keating Sports Center, referees for IIT intramural soccer
About studying business: “Business is a lot like soccer. It’s all about learning to take risks.”
Lima checks a student’s ID at Keating. Apart from work and soccer, he is taking 18 hours of classes this semester—the maximum allowed. “My favorite class is New Product Development because I’m learning new perspectives from other students.”
Kaitlin Streyle (ARCH '08)
Hometown: Mandan, S.D.
Sport: Cross-country (She was also a 2006 end-of-season player on the women’s basketball team.)
Stats: Camras scholar
About being a Camras scholar: “It was the deciding factor in me attending IIT.”
Streyle catches her stride at a drafting table in S. R. Crown Hall. “I knew I wanted to do something that combines math and art. I really love studying architecture.”
Photos: J.B. Spector