Gamecock Gala Awards: Dodie Academic Female MVP - Hannah Gerlock
As a competitive swimmer, South Carolina senior Hannah Gerlock knows something about perseverance. Whether it’s multiple training sessions each day, with one of them routinely before most people have breakfast, Gerlock’s day as a student-athlete is full. The Gamecock swimmer also spends countless hours in the Dodie Anderson Academic Enrichment Center to help in her dream of getting into medical school, and somehow, she finds time to give back to the community by tutoring children with dyslexia. For her combined efforts, Gerlock is the female recipient of South Carolina’s Dodie Academic MVP Award, which is presented annually to a student-athlete who has shown commitment to academic excellence and perseverance through steady improvement and academic benchmarks.
“It stems from the way I grew up and my parents,” said Gerlock, who is studying biology and will take the MCAT exam this summer in order to apply to medical schools. “They definitely instilled that in me with their determination and their focus. My mom and dad have worked in medicine for as long as I can remember. That’s where my love for that came from. Watching how they had to persevere, they instilled that work ethic in me.”
“Hannah is a one-of-a-kind young lady,” said head coach McGee Moody. “She works extremely hard and is one of the most organized people I’ve ever met. She juggles a schedule that would make a lot of adults get really anxious. She always makes a positive impression.”
With her father working as an emergency room physician and mother and one of her sisters working as a nurse, the recent COVID-19 Pandemic shows the family’s ability to work through challenging times.
“It creates a little bit of stress,” Gerlock said. “I’m just trying to trust the Lord through it.
“I’ve always loved medicine and have always had a focus on the medical field for as long as I can remember. I shadowed someone who is in sports medicine and is family practice trained. I would really love to do something like that or pediatrics.”
“I love going to the Dodie because there are a ton of resources, and I love talking to the advisors because they have so much to give.”
Gerlock heard about the opportunity to tutor children with dyslexia through her advisor in the biology department and volunteers are paired with a local elementary school student.
“I really find comfort when I can give back to others and it’s not really self-focused,” Gerlock said. “In school and in swimming, we’re constantly trying to better ourselves. I really wanted to give back to the community, so when I heard about it, you can make time for it if you really want to make time for it. Investing in that really helped me, as much as I hope it is helping the kids.
“They’re super-fun, and they’re bright. It’s been fun to spend time with her and her teachers. It’s been a really good experience. Dyslexia presents itself differently in different children. The challenge is finding ways to engage them and keep them engaged. Whether it’s working for 10 minutes and then having a little dance party or something like that, you have to find ways engage them and make them want to learn it.”
Two-a-day practices are common from swimming student-athletes, and Gerlock balances her workouts with her classes. She is a good student herself and is currently holding a 3.67 grade point average, but that achievement has come thanks to a lot of hours studying and even getting extra help when needed at “the Dodie.”
“I love going to the Dodie because there are a ton of resources, and I love talking to the advisors because they have so much to give,” Gerlock said. “Also, the study rooms are great because they’re places where you can be by yourself in quiet and get some focus. (Academic Advisory) Edward Lowery has helped me so much. He is always there with a smile on his face. (Director of Academics Rochelle Robinson) Ro has been amazing, not only in school, but also having a friend to talk to. (Assistant Director of Student-Athlete Development) Caroline Neil has been incredibly helpful, and (Director of Student-Athlete Development) Megan (Stoltzfus) is always there, too. So many of them have helped.
“To say I do everything perfectly would be a lie. There have been places where something has to give. I think the biggest thing is prioritizing. That’s definitely been a challenge throughout my four years. I’m thankful for the times I had to learn how to manage. It has taught me to connect, whether it’s in school, in the community or with swimming.”
“She knows what she wants to do, academically and athletically,” Moody said. “She has a plan to get to that point. It’s awesome to not only have worked with her the last four years but also to watch her progress through that plan is pretty amazing.”
Although her schedule has been tremendously busy over the last four years, she never thought about giving up swimming while chasing her academic interests.
“There were times it crossed my mind as to whether I could handle all of it, but I never made it a serious thought,” Gerlock said. “Fighting through it has made it worth it. The endorphins you get from training and seeing your friends at practice is very beneficial and having that schedule as a backbone for your day is really helpful. It provides a structure that is really helpful.
“She plans well and that allows her to go in to everyday with a very systematic approach,” Moody said. “Because of her planning, she doesn’t get overwhelmed very often. She handles anxiety pretty well. There are times, we kind of have to tell her to take the night off. She is 90 miles per hour, all the time, but it’s gotten her to where she is. She is able to handle that better than so many other athletes that I’ve coached.”
