General | 1/30/2020 12:57:36 PM
Tayler Dence has enjoyed an incredible career as member of the St. John Fisher women's indoor and outdoor track and field teams. An 11-time Empire 8 Champion, Dence has represented the Cardinals in the 400-meter hurdles at both the 2018 and 2019 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships. She has won eight Empire 8 Outdoor Championsips, including three straight 4 x 400-meter titles and three E8 Indoor Championship events.
A native of Hannibal, NY, Dence is also a standout in the classroom, holding a 3.74 grade-point average as a nursing major. She holds seven St. John Fisher Track and Field records (four indoor, three outdoor).
Tayler Dence - Tomorrow's Leader
Major: Nursing
Minor: Spanish
GPA: 3.74
Class Year: Senior
Anticipated Graduation Date: May, 2020
Favorite Professional Athlete: Alex Morgan, United States Women's Soccer
Favorite Professional Team: New England Patriots
Various Academic Honors/Academic or Athletic Clubs:
- SJFC Student Nurses Association
- National Student Nurses Association
- USTFCCCA All-academic honors - 2017, 2018, 2019
- Dean’s list - 2017, 2018, 2019
What Type of Community Service Have You Done: In high school, I coached soccer for fifth and sixth graders and while at St. John Fisher, I have volunteered at a comfort care home and the oak tree half-marathon
Plans After Graduation: I plan to stay in the Rochester area and work at one of the hospitals as an RN. I am unsure what area of nursing, but I am leaning more towards the critical care setting. I am applying for the critical care nurse residency program at Strong Memorial Hospital.
What Do You See Yourself Doing in 5 Years: I see myself in a leadership role at the hospital. I also see myself back in school, getting my master’s degree.
What is Your Ultimate Professional Goal: My ultimate goal is to become a nurse practitioner.
Any Interesting or Exciting Internships You Have Done or Are Currently Working On: I am excited to have qualified to do my preceptorship for nursing in a critical care setting in one of the Intensive Care Unites here in Rochester.
How Has Competing in the Empire 8 Prepared You For Life After College: Participating in track and field at the collegiate level has taught me how to manage my time wisely. It has also taught me how to be a good leader and communicator. Competing collegiately is a lot about teamwork. Although track may be more individualized at times, when it is time for the Empire 8 conference championship, we are working as one great big team with a common goal. This has prepared me for the health care setting, as team work is crucial and an admirable characteristic.
Favorite Athletic Memory from Your Time in College: My favorite athletic memory would have to be the first time I qualified for the outdoor national championship meet. I was at a last chance meet at Swarthmore College, racing the 400-meter hurdles. I went through my first 200-meters in 30 seconds and was in last place. All I could think was, “this is not good”. Then, I started passing every one. I ended up winning the race in a time of 61.26 to qualify for nationals with the ninth fastest time in the nation. I ran my race and was able to pull through in the end.
Biggest On-Campus Mentor: My coaches are my biggest mentors because I spend the majority of my time with them and they know me best. I feel more comfortable coming to my coaches with any problems or need for advice.
What Have You Learned About Yourself from Freshman to Senior Year: I’ve learned throughout my college experience that I cannot do everything. I had reached a point where I was so overwhelmed with everything I was trying to do that I left no time for myself/mental health. I had to learn that I am not superwoman and although I would like to reach for that 4.0, the main goal is to graduate and look back on my college experience with a smile. I learned to give up some things in order to stay well-balanced and still excel in the classroom/on the track.
What Type of Leader Are You: I am the type of leader that can be relied on. I am a great person to come to with personal, academic or athletic conflicts. I am always willing to help someone through a tough situation or just be there for support. As a senior, I am a good resource to the freshmen on the team because I have lived through it myself.
One Thing Most People Do Not Know About You: While I was recruited by St. John Fisher for track and field, I was a walk on to the varsity soccer team. I played my freshman year and dealt with back problems that continued on to track season. I decided to give up soccer and focus on track because that is where I knew I had the most potential to succeed.
Advice for Freshmen Teammates or Student-Athletes: My advice to freshmen teammates/student-athletes would be to take time for yourself. Balancing academics and athletics is difficult. So, it is important to take time for yourself to do something you enjoy outside of the sport you play. I found that doing this has helped me keep my love for the sport. Also, never give up. I could have given up when I was in last place halfway through my race at Swarthmore, but I didn’t. I pushed myself to chase down the competition and reach my goal. That was the most rewarding race of my life. Also, balancing academics and athletics will get overwhelming at times and you may sometimes feel like giving up. But, being a part of a collegiate team is rewarding in many ways. It is a way for me to stay healthy and de-stress after a long day in the classroom.
The Empire 8 Conference's “Tomorrow’s Leaders Compete Here” Series features a student-athlete from one of its member institutions who has emerged as a leader not only on the field of play, but in the classroom and in the community. The complete list of featured student-athletes is available.
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit
www.empire8.com.
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