Every month, GoStanford.com will present an interview with a Stanford women’s gymnastics alumna. This week, Aimee Precourt Rolston (‘08), is featured and discusses her time with SWG, how Stanford impacted her life and what she's been up to since graduation.
Rolston spent a month in Ghana for a medical student rotation where she worked at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi on the Obstetrics and Gynecology team, graduated from medical school in mid-May and will be starting a Obstetrics and Gynecology residency at the University of Michigan in June.
What did you accomplish at Stanford?
Set goals, work hard, learn from your past, take advantage of the resources, opportunities and support available, build relationships and never give up. This is the mentality my Stanford experience and the Stanford community encouraged me to develop (and I suppose it worked out pretty well!).
There were a number of accomplishments achieved, both in and out of the gym, that I will never forget about my time at Stanford – crushing that one organic chemistry exam, nailing a beam set to help us qualify for Super Six, being named Cardinal Gymnast of the Year and working as a Human Biology CA the year after I graduated, among others. All cool things that shaped me into the person I am today.
Beyond these tangibles, however, I am most proud of adopting the mentality of being part of and working for something larger than myself. Throughout my time at Stanford, I strove to embrace the humbling reality of what it meant to be part of SWG and its legacy as well as the larger Stanford community. I sought to excel not only for myself, but those around me, those that preceded me, and those that would follow after me.
This big picture, team-based mentality is one I will carry with me forever and is the foundation for my motivations and interactions in all my endeavors.
How do you feel like Stanford and SWG helped you grow as a person?
College is an interesting, beautiful time where you (and all of those around you) are figuring out who they really are and what they believe. Stanford challenged me to be bold enough to ask questions, not only of others but of myself, to think critically about real-world issues, and to be confident in myself, my priorities, and my goals.
The relationships I developed with my teammates and coaches provided me with the instantaneous support and confidence to be able to do this.
What are you up to now?
After graduating from Stanford in 2008, I got married to my husband, Brice (also a Stanford alumnus and former member of the men's gymnastics team!). I took two gap years (one year spent teaching as a Human Biology A-side CA, the second in research) before matriculating to medical school at University of Michigan with my husband in the fall of 2010.
I also took an extra year in medical school to pursue a Masters of Science in Clinical Research and I am extremely excited to say that I graduated in May with a dual MD/MS degree! Next step? I start my residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Michigan Health System mid-June!
What are some of your favorite memories at Stanford and with SWG?
Wow - this is a tough question; there are so many! I think my most treasured memories of Stanford were the day to day interactions with awesome people. Some of the best conversations were had sitting around someone's dorm room. And of course, there are the Stanford traditions, like fountain hopping and Band Runs that always bring back good memories. Oh, and that time we rushed the field after winning the Big Game ... that ranks pretty high up there, too!
With SWG, some of my favorite memories are from traveling with the team and spending time in the locker room before meets. When on the road, we almost always played some sort of game or challenge the night before or day of the meet (e.g., come up with a certain kind of skit in groups of three or four). Without fail, I usually ended up in tears from crying so hard.
The locker room was always a funny place, as well, and there was no telling what we would do to pass the time, especially during the bye times at certain meets. Often, there were games. One time, in a super fancy locker room with a TV, we watched a national geographic episode about planets. Seriously.
What advice would you give to current SWG athletes?
1. Dream big, work hard, and never give up. Let passion be the fuel to your fire and never forget to have fun. Take advantage of all that Stanford offers -- you won't regret it!
2. Strive to live in the moment, every day. It's easy to get caught up in the day to day stress and pressure associated with being a scholar-athlete, but just remember that regardless of what you accomplish (in and out of the gym), the journey and memories you make along the way are what will be with you forever.
3. Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Some of my greatest lessons grew not only from mistakes, but from the process required to go about correcting them.
Anything else you would like to share about your time at Stanford and with SWG?
Not a day goes by without me feeling grateful for my time at Stanford and as a member of SWG. Gymnastics instilled in me life lessons that enable me to succeed in all of my endeavors. SWG cultivated these but also blessed me with lasting relationships that have changed my life for the better.
There were six girls in my class and we still get together at least once a year, in different locations around the country, for a SWG '08 reunion. Those girls that were with me through thick and thin in the gym continue to play a huge part in my life as we all navigate this crazy, post-college world.
You join a special family as a member of SWG. Don't ever take that for granted!