NDIDI UNAKA OREGON
By Haley Hirai
Ndidi Unaka went from getting rebounds on the basketball court to helping sick children make rebounds of their own. The 2003 Oregon graduate and former women’s basketball player led the Ducks to two Pac- 10 Championships. Today, she is the Associate Program Director of Advocacy/Community Outreach and the Pediatric Residency Training Program Instructor at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. After graduating from Oregon, Unaka, 31, attended medical school at the University of Michigan and completed her pediatric residency training and chief residency in Cincinnati. As a pediatric hospitalist, she cares for sick children during their
stay. She begins her rounds at 6 A.M., examining kids and talk- ing to families while teaching her residents. She also oversees the
KURT VAN METER OREGON STATE
By Matthew Lerman
Kurt Van Meter untied his football cleats, pulled on a pair of cowboy boots, and has not looked back. The former Oregon State wide receiver is now a country musician. The native of Eugene, Ore., took the short drive up to Corvallis and entered the world of college football in 1993. When his Oregon State career came to a close in 1997, he began to pursue the life of a country musician. These days, Van Meter can be seen around the Portland area in his black cow- boy hat and buttoned-up cowboy shirt, with the black-and-orange uniform days behind him. Like many student-athletes, Van Meter has taken the lessons and skills he learned in class and on the fi eld and applied them to his new career. Van Meter made the Beavers team as a walk-on. Today, since he is not a part of an active band, he has taken to “walking on” vari-
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residency program by evaluating residents and interviewing future applicants.
Unaka had dreamed of becoming a doctor ever since she was a child.
“I love the families and the kids that I get to work with. It’s a privi- lege to be a pediatrician and see kids who are resilient and who get better. It’s so rewarding to help them,” she said. Unaka’s life as a student-athlete continues to have a “huge impact” on her life as a doctor. She has carried on the team concept of build- ing camaraderie and work ethic to her team of doctors. She learned discipline, time management, and prioritization at Oregon, having to juggle her 5 A.M. workouts with her chemistry and biology labs. “Student-athletes work hard in the classroom and on the fi eld.
We are competitive, we push ourselves, and we’re all about excel- lence,” she said.
Unaka still plays basketball and looks forward to the hospital’s spring game when the residents take on their attending doctors. Although she never thought she would enjoy running without a basketball, Unaka has become an avid runner and has completed three half-marathons.
“Oregon was a really important part of my life,” she said. “I always talk fondly of it, and being a student-athlete is an experi- ence I will take with me for the rest of my life.”
ous stages with touring groups to sing and jam for the night. He also learned time management at OSU, combining studies and sports. Today, as a police offi cer for the Hillsboro Police Department, roughly two hours north of his alma mater, Van Meter works his music into his off-duty time. He performs often in local venues and enjoys being in front of a crowd, even if the ones he see today are a bit smaller than at Reser Stadium. Van Meter has had a bit of success with
his musical ventures, with a pair of singles on iTunes. According to his website,
kurtvanmeter.com, he has a self-titled album due out later this year. Van Meter will continue to perform in venues in the Pacifi c Northwest and hopes to make it big on the country music scene. He hopes running this route will lead to his goal of a successful music career.
Credit Oregon State University
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