#beExcellent Spotlight: Jackie Wegner
Jan 22, 2016 | General
Jackie Wegner - Beach Volleyball - Senior - Clearwater, Fla. Question: What made you choose Tulane?
Answer: Definitely the academics. When I was getting recruited for beach volleyball there weren't that many schools that had Beach Volleyball. I knew I wanted to leave Florida, and I knew I wanted to go to the best school, so Tulane just worked out. It was a perfect distance from home, had the sport I wanted to play, and the level of academic rigor I wanted.
Q: What has been your best memory at Tulane so far?
A: There's a lot. Going to Nationals athletically. Especially the first year, because it was new to us, and we weren't exactly sure what we were doing. Socially I would say Jazz Fest. Mardi Gras is a little too much for me, but Jazz Fest is the perfect amount of New Orleans culture and music.
Q: Where is your favorite place to go in New Orleans?
A: I love steak so I like Mr. John's. I love food, and New Orleans is the best food. I also like going to the fly for sunsets. I love sunsets
Q: What is it like being part of the first recruiting class in school history for Beach Volleyball?
A: It's definitely been a process. It's been kind of cool because we got to set the tone for the program and literally build the culture of the program because we weren't coming into anything preexisting. One of my favorite things is seeing how far we've come looking back. We didn't even have a locker room or backpacks, and now we have our own coach, and a full roster of just Beach Volleyball players. It will be cool when I'm old to look back and see how far we have come, and to think I was part of that first class.
Q: Is there a certain competition on the schedule that you are really looking forward to?
A: Yeah we get to play UCLA and Hawaii, and I'm really looking forward to those. I actually got to live in California this past summer, and I got to know a lot of the girls that play on those teams so it will be really fun to see them. I'm also looking forward to going down to Miami because there's a lot of good competition, and USC will be there and they're ranked 1st in the country. We'll get to play a lot of teams from the West Coast and we haven't done that before so we're excited about that.
Q: What made you choose Finance as a major?
A: Well I went to the business school because I ended up liking accounting and we don't have accounting as an undergraduate major, and so I'm doing our four plus one masters program. I chose finance because I felt like it would be a good supplement. I think finance is an interesting side of the business. I like to see the bigger picture
Q: Do you have any specific goals for yourself this year?
A: I definitely want our team to make it to nationals. We've had two great experiences going as a pair, but it would be a much more special experience to share with my team. In the classroom I just want to keep doing the best I can.
Q: If you were stuck on a deserted island, and you only had three things, what would they be?
A: A friend, because I hate to be alone, some water, and a volleyball because I could always make my own net.
Q: What are your plans for after Tulane?
A: I'm doing an internship with Ernst and Young in Tampa this summer and then I have my one year of school to finish my education, and then I'll probably go back to Tampa, back home to Florida.
