By Shaina Pardo

Staff Writer

Many students complain about not having time, but the bright and sweet Heidi Swanson holds a 3.7 grade point average, has two jobs and is a student athlete.

The key to being a student-athlete in Swanson’s opinion is prioritization. Swanson believes in prioritizing your activities by what is most important to you. From there, you should allocate the most time to the activities at the top of your list so that you are not stressed about becoming sidetracked. She also finds that it is important to make sacrifices in order to accomplish what you want to achieve. Swanson lives by the quote, “Don’t give up on what you want most for what you want now. The hard work and experiences will be worth it in the future.”

Currently, Swanson works as an assistant at an engineering office and as a coach for an after-school program. There is a lot of focus on chasing her dream of going to the University of Denver to study sports psychology. Her effective time management skills have already led to many notable accomplishments.

The star athlete has been a track All-American in the 4×800 meter relay and the 1-mile run. She was also a part of the 2010 and 2011 National Championship Women’s Cross Country Team. A top 30 finish in nationals this year would make Swanson an All-American for her last season of cross country. As team captain, Swanson’s goal is for the team to finish in at least the top five.

“My goal for races is to run in a pack because it leads to championships,” Swanson said.

The lady Cougars will race Sept. 14 at U.C. Riverside.