Carol is majoring in business administration.
BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, Fla. – Being a scholarship athlete at Florida Tech requires incredible hard work and dedication to excel both in the classroom and on the field. In this edition of “Scholar-Athlete Spotlight,” we spoke with Lydia Carroll, a third-year business major and Panther women's soccer player.
Lydia, who grew up opposite the Melbourne Causeway in Indirantic, Fla., transferred from Eastern Florida State to Florida Tech before the 2022 season and has started all 40 games on defense since then.
This past season, Carroll was part of one of the best back lines in the nation, earning third-team All-Sunshine State Conference honors in the process.
She also had her first goal for the Crimson and Gray with perfect timing, a long-range shot that tied the game in Tech's NCAA Tournament second-round game against Lee.
After his first two seasons, Carroll earned a perfect 4.0 GPA and was named to the Sunshine State Conference Commissioner's and Florida Tech Athletic Director's Honor Roll.
Lydia also joined us to talk about her work in the classroom and what she remembers about her team's great 2023 season.
■ Please briefly tell us about your major. Why did you choose it and what do you want to do with it?
At first, I didn't really know what I wanted to do as a major. I wanted to continue playing soccer, so choosing business administration was very helpful in expanding my options. It's a very versatile major and there are so many different options of what you can do with this major, so that's why I chose it.
■ Even though you grew up in Brevard County, why did you want to stay at Florida Tech?
Location, being able to stay close to family, being close to the beach. I love both Melbourne and Florida and it's great to see my family regularly and be able to go home whenever I want.
■ What did you learn at Florida Tech that you didn't know before about your major?
I think this class really taught me to network with a lot of people. I think that's one thing that's really helpful about my major. Perhaps the state of the world today is also taken into account due to globalization and the spread of technology. It really teaches me a lot about how to connect with people from different cultures and different perspectives.
■ How did being a college athlete prepare you for what you're doing now, and can you apply the lessons you learned from the field to your studies?
I think time management is definitely about patience. I think when you're down on one, or when you're really struggling, when it's a hot, hot day and you're tired, you just have to get through it. I think it's very helpful to the workforce when you're just having a bad day or have a difficult project to get done.
■ Given your unique perspective, what advice would you give to local athletes considering Florida Tech? Also, what advice would you give to athletes who come to Florida Tech and are interested in business administration?
Why not enjoy the experience as much as you can? Don't procrastinate, don't just work, find fun things in life and make friends while you're here. Be as social as possible and enjoy the Florida experience. Go to the beach, soak up the sunshine and just have fun. This isn't forever and it really does pass quickly.
■ You were instrumental in the team's incredible run to the Final Four in this year's NCAA Tournament. It's late in the semester and exams aren't far away, so how do you manage to get everything done? What did you do during your road trip to make sure you were on top of everything while preparing to do this amazing thing?
I was definitely going to set aside time to focus 100% on my studies and the rest of the time I was going to focus on soccer. I think what really helped was that the whole team was very dedicated and everyone wanted to do well enough to give us 100 points. % on everything, and I try to balance everything I do with my schoolwork and my free time so that I can focus on school, travel time, and the sports side of things.
■ What people don't realize as scholar-athletes is that you all had a great run to the Final Four. That lasted until December, when he was on the road for quite some time towards the end of the NCAA Tournament and into testing season. There are many important things that need to be done. How did you balance everything while making it to the Final Four?
I know a lot of girls, some of whom have full-time jobs. So a lot of them work on the bus, and when we're at the hotel, we have practice and team time, but we also have a few hours of alone time, which is helpful.
At that time, if the girl knows that she needs to do homework or rest for games, she will take a little break and choose a convenient time to devote herself to school.
■What is your favorite memory of the 2023 season?
To be honest, my goal is probably [against Lee]. It was my first goal at FIT, I don't score many goals so it was definitely a memorable moment. It was a one-point difference, so I was really happy to see everyone's reaction.
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