College students push themselves every day; they attend classes, do their homework and find time to hang out with friends. Now add athlete after college student, you get a group of students who have to successfully manage all of their academics with a full-time practice and game schedule. What if we added another level of obligations for them? Working student athletes are a somewhat small group of Grand View students, but they are a group that works exceptionally hard.
Being a college student alone is basically a full-time job and depending on the major there can be a lot of work to do outside of class time. As a scholarship athlete showing up and performing well is also your job, but some student athletes work as well. They do this for a lot of different reasons; some do it out of the need for the money to pay for school and other necessities, and others do it for the love of the job they do or simply for fun money. Regardless of the reason they work, it is another obligation they need to fulfill and show up for.
Speaking with two college athletes who have jobs, both for different reasons and with very different schedules. There were so many questions; How do you balance all of it? Do you ever get burnt out? What motivates you to work?
Avery Dasch, a sophomore, is a cheerleader who transferred to GVU from the University of Northern Iowa at the start of the 2025-26 academic year. Dasch is pursuing a Psychology degree, is a member of the cheer team and works as a pharmacy technician.
Dasch balances practice three-hour practices three days a week while working around 15 hours a week. She is also a research assistant for the psych program which also adds to her educational load. Dasch explained that with all she does she experiences burnout but feels that she has gotten fairly good at combating it.
“Doing little things in my day that make me happy. Especially with the nicer weather, like going on walks or listening to music or a podcast. I like doing crafts of some sort…one thing I make sure I’m not doing is like sitting on my phone and like on the couch, which is what I want to do, but it’s not going to help me,” Dasch said.
When the college workload feels suffocating, it is so important to make time for the things you love and that brings you joy even if it means setting the work aside. Finding a balance is key when it comes to being a working student athlete. It is also important to find a job that is willing to work with your schedule. Being an athlete means that some weeks your availability may look different than it normally does, or a competition could come up at the last minute. College students should look for employers who understand their commitments and that are willing to work with the schedules they have.
Freshman Peyton Lee, who is from out of state and came to GVU to wrestle, is a prime example of this. Lee says he wakes up at seven in the morning to lift with the team before classes, then goes to class and finally heads to practice from four to six every weeknight. This alone is very taxing but add 15 to 25 hours of work a week and you have some very long days. Lee says his manager at Walgreens is very willing to work with his schedule and make sure Lee can work as much as he can manage.
He has a job to save money for himself, specifically a car.
“Walgreens, for me, from GVU is about a 40-minute walk. So, I’d have to do that or Uber until I finally got a vehicle over spring break. Now it’s a lot easier to balance that out more, but sometimes I just have to slap a pair of headphones on, say screw it and just start walking,” Lee Said.
Lee is proof that if there is a will, there is a way. He was willing to make a 40 minute walk to work a job after a long day of school and practice to work towards his goals. The wrestling team has a motto, “The Champion Lifestyle,” and Lee seems to be a true representation of this motto.
Treating your timeline for the day like a schedule is a great way to keep all the things you need to get done in order. By doing this, the little gaps in a daily schedule can be used for homework even if it is just 20 minutes here and there. Another big thing is to always communicate with professors, coaches and bosses about any conflicting schedule matters as soon as they come up. This shows responsibility and that each thing you do matters, not one more than the others. While working in college as an athlete is sometimes difficult, it shows grit and determination to build yourself as a professional after you graduate.
Dasch and Lee are just two examples of GVU student athletes who make the absolute most of the time they have. Working many hours a week after practice and classes is a large task and one that takes focus and time management skills. Being a Viking means that students represent GVU with pride, leadership and community; as always, SKOL VIKES!
