Lucy Hart graduated from Kalamazoo College with a degree in biochemistry and was a four-year letterwinner for the softball team. Now that her academic and athletic careers at K have ended, Hart intends to move to Chicago to be a medical assistant at a dermatology office, where she will gain experience in health care/patient care while being allowed to study and research contact allergens.
"K developed me into a confident and hard-working student and athlete, which I believe has prepared me for entering the new chapters of my life," said Hart. "The professors and faculty at K instill so much confidence in you and are a great resource when trying to make connections outside of K. I am so thankful for all of the help and guidance K has offered me as I depart from K and go on to new things."
Hart appeared in 105 games on the field and was one of the best hitters in program history. She had a career .392 batting average, a .449 on-base percentage, and a .579 slugging percentage with 134 hits, 34 doubles, six triples, six home runs, 77 RBI, 82 runs scored, 33 walks, and five stolen bases. In the field, Hart finished with a .991 fielding percentage, making just seven errors on 789 total chances. This past season, she broke the program's single-season records in hits (52) and doubles (15) while also becoming the career leader in hits, doubles, and RBI. Hart was a four-time MIAA Academic Honor Roll member, three-time Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete, two-time All-MIAA First Team member, and became the first in program history to be selected to an NFCA All-Region VII Team.
"I am so glad that I was a student-athlete at K. While times can get hard and the work may feel impossible, being a student-athlete has taught me so much. It instills determination, dedication, and motivation in you that I believe has set me up to succeed following graduation. Additionally, being on a team allows you to lean on others when you need help and return the favor to your friends when they need it. Softball was a great outlet for me when school started picking up because I knew that I would have my teammates behind me and a two-hour session each day to just go outside and do something that makes me happy," said Hart about her athletic experience at Kalamazoo.
Hart also had opportunities outside of school and off the field to give back and positively impact others. She had the chance to return to the team she grew up playing softball for (Evanston Express) to coach, mentor young players, and develop skills/passion for the sport for the 12U team during the summer of 2021. Then at the end of that same summer, she went north to Traverse City to participate in LandSea by leading a group of first-year students on a backpacking trip.
Hart had this to say about her LandSea opportunity, "While I was lucky enough to have experienced many amazing opportunities offered by Kalamazoo College, one that stands out to me most was my time on LandSea in the summer of 2021. I expanded my social circle and met new people at K following the COVID pandemic while also developing my leadership skills and group work. This was my first real experience camping/backpacking, and my peers and directors of LandSea taught me so much that I now have a new passion! The skills I learned at LandSea directly improved my ability to enhance my leadership skills for my team and be the best captain I could be for my teammates and friends. It also taught me so much about the importance of connecting with nature and making time for yourself during the hard trimesters we K students face."
Back in the classroom, Hart studied at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign the summer before her senior year, where she worked as an undergraduate research assistant in an organic chemistry lab. This contributed to her Senior Integrated Project as she worked on an anti-cancer drug for the brain cancer, Glioblastoma Multiforme, then wrote a report and presented her research to Kalamazoo's Chemistry Department in her last trimester.
"I would like to give one more thanks to the Kalamazoo Chemistry Department," said Hart. "They were so welcoming and supportive to all their students, especially student-athletes. I would like to give an extra shout-out to Dr. Truss and Dr. Tresca for always keeping their door open for me, even post-graduation. Many professors cheered us on in the stands and the classroom, which meant so much to our team and me."
A native of Evanston, Ill., and an Evanston HS alum, Hart had a lot of advice for incoming or prospective students about playing a sport and coming to Kalamazoo College. "I would tell them to absolutely give it a go! It might feel intimating to commit to being a student-athlete, but it has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. When you start your first year, everything feels overwhelming; you just left your home, might be living in a new state, and don't have many friends yet... But when you're given the chance to be on a team and play the sport you love, it can feel like a comfort amidst all the other factors of starting school. Additionally, it allows you to set goals for yourself and have something to work for. You will learn so many skills as an athlete, but even more, as a well-rounded person who can apply the knowledge you learn on their field/court/pool/etc. to the classroom, social life, and future opportunities."