Tulsa Tech Student Succeeds Through Balance
By KARA GAE NEAL
Superintendent
BRITTANY HARRIS
Brittany Harris has a unique sense of balance that has helped her to become both a successful high school student and one of the nation’s most promising new gymnasts. This Union High School senior balances her time between high school academics, studying sports medicine at Tulsa Tech, and competing at the highest level of gymnastics in the state.
A gymnast with more than 14 years of experience, Harris has not only competed in nationals for the last six years but has also managed to improve her ranking each and every year, in addition to winning back-to-back state championships in 2008 and 2009. These accomplishments have not gone unnoticed as Harris was recruited by more than two dozen top universities and colleges in the nation including Oklahoma, Michigan, Oregon State, Missouri, Arizona State and Utah.
Currently, Oregon State is ranked fifth nationally in gymnastics; that ranking is just one of the reasons Harris accepted a four-year scholarship from the university earlier this year.
“Once I got a chance to meet with the coaches and find out more about the program, I knew I wanted to sign with Oregon State,” recalls Harris. “It just felt right, and although I love Oklahoma, I’ve always wanted to attend school on the west coast.”
Travelling so far from home to study and compete shouldn’t faze this always-smiling and ever-optimistic student athlete.
“Tech has been such a great opportunity,” she reflects. “Besides learning how to treat sports-related injuries, one of my favorite things about studying at Tech has been meeting so many new friends from so many different high schools.”
Jill Nerio, Tulsa Tech’s Sports Medicine instructor, thinks Brittany is an asset to any classroom.
“Brittany’s personality lights up the room when she walks in. She’s a hard worker which is evident for a student who goes to her home high school in the morning, coming to Tech in the afternoon to get experience in a profession she is interested in pursuing and going to work out every evening to perfect her gymnastics skills. Many students would have quit long ago having to put this many hours in. But Brittany is dedicated and willing to go after what she wants. It’s been an honor to have her in my classroom.”
When Harris isn’t balancing between the many responsibilities of a successful student athlete, she prefers to dance. Something her coaches reluctantly tolerate.
“Once I rolled onto my ankle while I was dancing to hip-hop and then it swelled up the size of a golf ball,” she laughs. “Thanks to my education and experience at Tech I immediately told my friend, ‘I think I just sprained my ATF!’”
Tulsa Tech is extremely proud of her many accomplishments, both as a student and as an athlete, and we look forward to following her success in the future.
If you’re currently looking for exciting career training offered free to qualified high school students, Tulsa Tech invites you to visit today. For more information, please call (918) 828-5200 or visit us online at www.tulsatech.edu.
Updated 06-14-2010
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