It's 1:30 on Thursday morning; I finally completed the mid-term project for my Data Structures and Algorithms course. I close my laptop, take the contact lenses out of my eyes and put them in the lens case, turn off the bedroom light, and go to bed. "BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP, BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!" It's 5:00 in the morning. Struggling to open my eyes, I blindly reach for the snooze button on my alarm clock. As soon as I hit the snooze button, I hear Caitlin yell, “Get up Aki! Let's go! Coach will kill us if we're late!” My friend Caitlin, who was also my roommate and doubles partner, had managed to wake me up with her loud warnings to get me ready for our 5:30 a.m. Thursday practice session. Looking back now, I am convinced that the definition of teamwork can only be accurately represented at 5:00 in the morning. Sleep-deprived, mentally and physically exhausted, I walk with Caitlin to the UMKC Sweeney Athletic Center and join the women's tennis team for an intense practice session. I had officially started my day. My schedule for the rest of the day included computer classes, a 3-hour tennis practice, and several hours of homework before bed. Exhausting days, like the one described above, were the norm during my college years. My commitment to tennis has been a continuous challenge; however, I played because sports gave me friendship, success, failure, and most importantly, structure in my life. Tennis has been instrumental in shaping who I am today. Born in Hyderabad, India and raised in Irvine, California, I had the opportunity to experience two distinct cultures. In Indian culture, girls are expected to excel in academics and groom themselves to eventually become "marriageable" mater... middle of paper... within hours of completing my school work. Coffee and time were precious commodities for me in college. While juggling an overwhelming amount of commitments proved challenging, I am grateful for the structure and discipline that tennis instilled in me during my college years. Tennis also gave me the opportunity to be part of a team with a common goal. By pushing each other in practices and games, my teammates and I have developed a strong sense of camaraderie both on and off the field. I am grateful for my relationship with tennis and the life this sport has given me. The unique blend of lessons learned from tennis, my family, my culture, and the various situations and people I have encountered have shaped who I am today. I hope to share these lessons and my unique experiences with the Northwestern University student body and the EECS group.