Even though she’s been playing since fourth grade, soccer isn’t the only thing on Sarah Sneed’s mind.

Sneed, a senior biology and chemistry major, has been a midfielder and forward on the Lions soccer team four years at Missouri Southern.

Initially, she looked to play for a Division I school.

However, her plans changed after she tore her ACL while playing club soccer her senior year at Washburn High School in Topeka, Kan.

“When you do something for so long it becomes part of your identity,” said Sneed. “Then it’s hard when you can’t play.”

“Sarah is hardworking and wants to contribute and be a person than can make a difference whether it’s on or off the field,” said Trevor Watchsman, head women’s soccer coach.

Trying to balance sports and academics has never been an easy task for students.

Sneed said she’s always doing homework. She said it’s difficult at times because she comes back fatigued from practice and then has to study chemistry.

“I know I’m a nerd, but I’ve always liked school,” she said.

Sneed, who is also a member of the Honors Program, has definitely taken advantage of the study abroad opportunities at Southern.

She went to Oxford last summer and is excited about spending this spring semester in London.

While in London, she plans on taking classes on the Beatles, Shakespeare, comedy in London, British culture and history as well as do research on molecular biology.

“She’s an excellent student and is a good role model in how she manages to balance all she does,” said Wachsman. “She can learn from every situation and takes what she learns to make herself a stronger and better person.”

Sneed decided on a pre-med major after a difficult time during her senior year. She had to go through rehab after she tore her ACL playing club soccer.

Then, to make things more difficult, the day after she had surgery on her knee, her dad had a heart attack and had to have open-heart surgery.

Seeing the doctors and nurses work in that situation really impacted her.

“I think everyone wants to make a difference and there are so many different ways to do that,” she said. “Not many people have jobs where, at the end of their day, they can say they’ve helped people who are sick and taken care of someone else.”

In fact, one of the things she has learned in college is Homecoming doesn’t seem as important as family time.

“You learn to prioritize but take time out for fun,” she said.

Sneed will always remember something her mother, Diane, told her when she was little: “Whatever you send into the lives of others will come back into your own life.”