Rachel Folcik: A True Student-Athlete
by Sandy Gholston - May 15, 2008
Rachel Folcik took something of a leap of faith five years ago when she left the comforts of Powers, a small Upper Peninsula community, to begin the next chapter of her life at Ferris State University.
Folcik's instincts served her well. During her four years at Ferris she transformed into a true model of success - both as a student and as an athlete. On the basketball court, the 6-foot-1 former All-Stater at Carney-Nadeau High School evolved into an honorable mention All-American as a junior for Ferris as she established a school single-season record by scoring 602 points. Folcik's success, however, was not limited to the hardwood. Last Saturday, May 10, Folcik received her bachelor's degree in business administration (she also posted a 3.82 grade point average) from Ferris to help pave the way toward what she hopes is a bright future - wherever her career path takes her.
"In the future, when I'm completely done playing basketball, I would like to get my master's degree in business and hopefully have my own interior design business," said Folcik, who is the 2007-08 recipient of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's Commissioner's Award which is presented after the fall, winter and spring athletic seasons to six male and female student-athletes who excel both athletically and academically. "I would also like to get into coaching ... somehow ... at some level - whatever works out with where my life is at the time. I would love to coach college basketball someday, and at the same time have a business - which may be too demanding. I'm just going to play it by ear."
But, first things first; Folcik still has some basketball left in her blood.
"I am planning on continuing my basketball career in Europe. I am playing in a type of 'showcase tournament' in Bonn, Germany for a few days at the end of July, and from there I will find out where I am headed for good," said Folcik, who never dreamed much of being a college All-American or a pro player prior to the encouragement she received earlier in her career from Bulldog head women's basketball coach Tracey Dorow and former assistant Justin Rees. "I'm interested in playing in Italy, Spain or Germany, but honestly wherever I end up will be a good experience for me, and that's one of the main reasons I have decided to try and play (professional basketball)."
Folcik largely credits her experiences and the people she has met at Ferris with putting her in a position where she has options - athletically and otherwise - in the real world.
"My experience at Ferris really couldn't have been any better. I met so many great people and have some valuable friendships that will carry on for the rest of my life," said Folcik, who is a three-time GLIAC All-Academic Team selection and an ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American First-Team choice. "From the faculty, to the coaches and my teammates, to members of the community, Ferris really is a special place where people genuinely care about you, as a student-athlete, and I am grateful for that."
She has memories that she expects will last a lifetime.
"Some of my favorite memories are making it to the Sweet Sixteen my junior year; having great fan support, (especially) for our rival games at home with Grand Valley the last couple of years; being featured in Sports Illustrated, (as one of the) 'Faces in the Crowd' and of course all the time spent doing anything with my teammates," said Folcik, who believes that so many of the individual honors and team accolades she has enjoyed could not have been possible without her teammates and so many others who have supported her since day one.
"Now that my career is over, I am so honored to have been in that (All-American) category and it reinforces my belief that, in time, hard work will be rewarded, one way or another," added Folcik, a two-time All-GLIAC performer and a 2007-08 Women's Basketball Coaches Association and Daktronics All-Great Lakes Region First-Team choice. "It also must be said that I had so much help, whether it was friends, family, coaches and teammates, and I honestly couldn't have accomplished what I did if it weren't for them."
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