Exceptional Athlete, Dedicated Nurse
Jillian Sullivan ’07 connects her success on the track and as a nurse to the self-assurance she developed as a UConn student-athlete.
“When I competed, I would step on the line with complete confidence because I knew I prepared for that race the best I could. I learned to bring this confidence into my career,” she says.
Supported by the privately funded Frank and Alice J. Niederwerfer, Sr. Family Scholarship, Sullivan earned a unique honor in college sports in 2006-07 as she received both NCAA All-America recognition in cross country and was also an Academic All- America selection. She ended her career as one of the most prolific distance runners in UConn history, breaking school records and becoming the first cross country All- American in program history. She says the scholarship support helped her focus on her studies and her athletic career.
“The scholarship meant relief for my parents, who were paying four college tuitions, and also summer classes for me so I would be able to continue my cross country and track career at UConn,” she says. “They’ve always been so supportive of me, so when I found out about the scholarship I was so pleased that I could finally help them financially.”
Now as a neonatal nurse at the UConn Health Center, Sullivan finds herself pushed every day by the demands of her career. She says the challenge suits her well, and hopes to return to school soon to become a nurse practitioner in neonatology.
“You have to believe in yourself and make your goals difficult, then set up a plan to try to accomplish those goals,” she says.
