Olivia Pakula
Hometown: Scottsdale, Arizona
Major: Psychology
Team: Equestrian
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When did you start riding?Â
As early as I can remember!
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Did anyone in your family ride?Â
Nope
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What is your favorite childhood memory?Â
Winning my first national championship in 2008.
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What has been your biggest accomplishment within your riding career?Â
Winning over 15 National Champion titles
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When did you decide you wanted to ride in college?Â
My Junior year in high school I found out about it and decided I wanted to do it
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How did you decide on SMU?Â
When it came to a combination of athletics and academics this was the best fit and I am looking forward to having a degree from SMU.
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What would you say your role on the team has been?Â
A teammate
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Who is your favorite SMU horse?Â
Juice
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What is your favorite experience from being on the team?
Being able to graduate as a student-athleteÂ
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What was your biggest accomplishment at SMU?
Finishing with a 3.6 GPA
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What is your biggest take away from your SMU experience as you move into the next stage of your life?
I plan on doing more school following SMU, so I believe this was just the start if my future.
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What advice would you give to incoming athletes about the team and college experience?
It is a lot of work to be both a student and an athlete but it is worth it in the end!
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What do you plan on doing when you graduate?Â
Continuing on with more school and ideally getting into medical school.
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What will you miss the most about SMU?
My friendsÂ
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