Pinar Gurel is a 2015 PhD graduate from Dartmouth College.

Collegiate skating is a remarkable opportunity that promotes community and fitness in the backdrop of an academic environment. The entire experience was a highlight of my time in school and my skating career. It reignited my passion for the sport and was an integral part to who I have become today.  

I was born and raised in the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina. My parents stressed academics as the number one priority throughout my childhood, but figure skating also became an integral part of my growth and development. While I enjoyed skating, it was always a secondary focus to my education. I tested my senior freestyle at the end of high school, assuming it was the end of my skating career as I headed into college. Throughout my undergraduate education at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, I skated sporadically and coached on weekends. I never left the skating community, but my commitment to the sport was significantly less than it was in high school.

Upon graduating UNC, I pursued a PhD in biochemistry at Dartmouth College. Academics continued to be my main priority, but I knew Dartmouth had a rink and a figure skating team. I was hopeful that they would let me skate on their ice occasionally. I knew of the intercollegiate team and its success, and I naively assumed that as a graduate student and someone who had taken four years off from the competitive stage, I was not eligible for the team. Thankfully, I was so wrong! The team welcomed me instantly, and I eagerly started this beautiful phase of my skating career.

I had many doubts when I first joined the team. As a graduate student, I was older than all the undergrads on the team. I had taken several years off competitive skating. I had never actually competed at the senior level. Lots of thoughts circulated in my mind. Can I skate and maintain my rigorous academic schedule? Can I leave my research and go to competitions? Can I keep up? What if I let the team down? Am I good enough?

Skating is often an individualized sport, but with collegiate skating, I learned that I didn't have to tackle these concerns alone. I was a part of a team, which soon became my family. Whatever insecurities I had quickly disintegrated as I realized we were all in this journey together. We set goals as a team, we pushed each other in practice and school, we cheered each other on during competitions and we provided a shoulder to lean on. When someone skated well, we all rejoiced. When someone skated poorly, it was no one's fault, just motivation for us all to work harder together next time. We grew together, worked hard together and developed this bond that only comes from being a part of a team.

Pursuing a PhD is taxing and stressful but being on the team was my reprieve from the world of molecules and experiments, my way to recharge, get fit and stay positive. Collegiate skating was integral to maintaining my physical and mental wellness. Skating and competing with the team did wonders for stress relief and mental breaks from my studies. I regained confidence in my ability to skate and perform, which projected onto nearly all other aspects of my professional development. I learned that hard work pays off, that failure is OK and that perseverance is key. Not coincidentally, these life skills are directly applicable to the process of obtaining a PhD and can be translated to nearly all stages of education and career development.

Above all, being a part of collegiate skating was FUN! Competitions were no longer these stressful moments where you're in the spotlight alone. As teammates, we'd memorize each other's programs and cheer each other on during the tough parts. We'd choreograph music videos or participate in sing-a-longs on the bus rides to competitions. We'd all get together to watch whatever big skating event was on TV. Team dinners, ice cream and coffee breaks, locker room silliness… it's the collective bonding moments with the team that made this experience priceless.

Since completing my PhD, I have worked in Washington, D.C., New York City, and am now in Boston working in cancer research (feel free to add me on LinkedIn). Through collegiate skating, I learned that skating doesn't have to end after high school, and it doesn't have to end after college either. I currently continue to compete in the U.S. Figure Skating adult skating program, and I am a proud member of the Skating Club of Boston Theatre On Ice team. I keep in touch with my Dartmouth Figure Skating Club family, and we continue to support the skating team through donations, social media and cheering the team on at competitions. My love for the sport continues to grow, and I am forever grateful for the lifelong lessons, friendships and memories made from collegiate skating!