Contact: Taiah Gallisath, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, 630-637-5302
Mar. 3, 2022 — North Central College women’s track and field sprinter, Stephanie Garcia was fortunate to find her niche at North Central College at an early age when her high school track team utilized North Central’s indoor facility for track meets. Garcia witnessed the environment and close-knit community that the campus radiates and knew she had a place at North Central.
The St. Charles native spent much of her childhood playing basketball, before realizing in a friendly neighborhood game of tag that she really had a knack for speed. Garcia took up both basketball and track and field in middle school before dedicating her focus to track at the start of high school.
In the midst of finding her passion for running, Garcia suffered from the loss of her father at the age of eleven. After her father passed away, the bond Garcia had with her mom and older brother grew to be unbreakable.
“I would definitely say my mom is my role model. She always makes the effort to make sure she's present for us. She really set the tone for working hard, and if you work hard you'll be able to achieve anything. I think that's also just a part of the culture.”
Much like her parents and brother, Garcia was born in the Philippines and moved to the United States at the ripe age of three, Garcia and her family continue to practice the culture heavily.
Looking back on her track and field experiences so far, the IHSA State Championship meets are still some of her favorite memories. Like most high schoolers, being able to get a glimpse at the “college life” living in the Eastern Illinois dorms was a glorifying experience, and endless team bonding experiences were created. “Once we got back to the dorms we would get a little crazy, doing goofy stuff and play card games. I think that was honestly the best part,” said Garcia.
In her first year at North Central, Garcia made a name for herself from the first moment she walked onto the Al B. Carius Track. Garcia snagged a bid to the 2019 NCAA Division III National Championship after setting a new freshman record and breaking the school record in the 60-meter-dash in a time of 7.74 seconds, previously set by Kayla Murphy ‘13 back in 2011. Garcia finished 16th overall at the national championship in 2019 and has since claimed the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) championship title in the 4x100-meter-relay in 2021 alongside teammates Denise Partee, Marcedes Jackson, and Lauren Larsen. She also has seven All-CCIW accolades.
Despite having such a successful freshman year, Garcia has struggled with the mental barriers of being a student-athlete at such a high caliber. “From sophomore year until now, I feel like I have struggled with my mentality. I feel like I should always be up there at the top, getting my times and hitting all of those marks and I just haven't been able to do that,” said Garcia. “Even though I've gone through those struggles and not being able to hit my times, that doesn't define who I am as an athlete. I’m still putting in all the hard work. This year I am the strongest I've ever been. I just know that it will all eventually fall into place, it will just take time and patience.”
In her four years at North Central, Garcia had the most growth as a student-athlete when it came to time management. “I feel like back then I was struggling to balance school and track with a difficult major. And so many times I wanted to just quit track because everything was just overwhelming but I knew when I came to track I had a safe space to work out and be with my teammates and just forget everything outside of track.”
Coming into college as a biology major, Garcia made the decision to narrow down her major for a more molecular biology route and transitioned into the Biochemistry major. “Growing up I always enjoyed the sciences, I've always enjoyed being able to do experiments, learn new things, and use my problem-solving skills,” said Garcia.
Off the track, Garcia makes her biggest contributions to the campus community with her work as a program assistant for Cardinal First, a program that looks to mentor first-generation college students whose parents have not completed a four-year degree. “I am a first-generation student and so Cardinal First has really helped me network and helped me meet a lot of new people. I've been introduced to a lot of resources that will help me with my collegiate and career successes.” Garcia is a part of the leadership team that helps prepare for Cardinal First Workshops and events.
Garcia is also on the executive board for the Tri-Beta Biological Honor Society as a historian that keeps records of events, attendees, and assists the board in planning and organizing those events. She was also a two-year mentor for the Athletic Mentorship Program that guided first-year student-athletes in their transition to collegiate athletics and academics.
Garcia spends her summers working as a caregiver at a memory care facility back home in St. Charles. Working with Alzheimer’s and dementia patients, Garcia loves to interact and listen to her patients’ stories offering them companionship and help with basic care needs.
After graduation, Garcia is looking to get her Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) certification to get more hands-on patient experience and practice working in high-pressure situations that will help her in medical school. Garcia hopes to work as an EMT for at least a year before applying to medical schools across the US in 2024.
Sticking with her interest in the medical field, Garcia likes to watch Grey’s Anatomy and other medically related shows in her free time. She’s also a big fan of Netflix’s Cobra Kai. When she’s not watching Netflix, Garcia enjoys spending most of her time outdoors going on walks, grilling, and camping in the summertime.
Garcia and her teammates recently secured their third-straight CCIW Indoor Conference Championship title. The Cardinals will send small groups of athletes to final qualifiers before the NCAA Division III National Championship on Mar. 11-12 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Credits:
Steve Woltmann