Scholar Stories: Change of Scenery Sparks Growth for Pairone
10/9/2019 10:40:00 AM | Women's Tennis, Features
Continuing the series that began in 2016-17, each Wednesday MGoBlue.com will highlight a Michigan student-athlete and their academic pursuits. These are our Scholar-Athlete Stories, presented by Prairie Farms.
By Dani Mirell
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- When she was growing up in Italy, the thought of playing tennis at an American university was never on the radar for Giulia Pairone.
Before moving to the United States, Pairone was playing amateur tennis in Italy, where she was ranked as high as No. 61 in the International Tennis Federation (ITF) junior rankings. Pairone planned to forgo a college education in favor of playing professionally, but the pressures of going pro became a bit too much. Pairone contemplated quitting the sport she had been playing since she was three years old, but she ultimately decided in favor of a college education.
Pairone began her career at Arkansas, where she compiled a 32-11 mark in dual-match action over her two seasons with the Razorbacks. Despite her success on the court, Pairone wasn't her happiest and wanted a different challenge. So after her sophomore season, Pairone chose to transfer to the University of Michigan.
"It was so cold, but I was so determined to come here."
The move paid off. Now a senior, Pairone has found herself, both on the court and in the classroom. As a result, she has rediscovered her happiness.
Enrolled in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts, Pairone is earning a degree in psychology while minoring in both Asian studies and writing. She reached the academic requirements needed to be a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar in her first year (a minimum 3.70 grade-point average) but was not eligible as a first-year transfer student.
"I have a lot of interests," she said. "I would major in everything if I could."
Pairone is also involved in activities off the court and outside of the classroom. This semester, with the help of the Michigan Athletics Leadership Development Team, Pairone launched the "Wolverine Readers & Best" Book Club, a student-athlete group that meets four times a semester to read and discuss books about great leaders. With almost 10 members, Pairone hopes her book club will inspire student-athletes to become better leaders while providing others with new perspectives on leadership through the power of literature.
"I'm really interested in literature because I really love seeing people grow, learn and become better people," she said. "When I read books, I learn something and I can apply those concepts in my life."
During fall break (Oct. 14-15), Pairone and Lauren Farley of the women's gymnastics team will travel to New York City to attend the Women's Sport Foundation's Athlete Leadership Connection (ALC), an invitation-only sports conference for female athletes that uses leadership and career development to ignite success on and off the field of play.
While balancing the pressures that come from being a student-athlete, Pairone has learned to prioritize her mental health and her happiness. She said that it is extremely important for student-athletes to listen to their bodies.
"I wake up every morning and do yoga and meditation for at least half an hour," she said, adding that those two practices help her escape from the pressures and anxieties of everyday life.
While she still does not yet know what lies after graduation, Pairone is sure she wants to help others. She has expressed a specific interest in pursuing a career in the field of mental health.
"There is more awareness about mental health within student-athletes, and I think it's important to continue talking about," she said. "I think one of my greatest achievements in life is when I asked for help. I think I want to do something that helps people improve their lives."
In her first season with the Maize and Blue, Pairone was perfect in Big Ten singles action with a 10-0 mark. Additionally, she went 15-11 on the doubles court, including a 4-2 record at No. 1 with Kate Fahey and a 9-4 record at No. 2 with Anca Craciun. Pairone entered the 2019 fall season ranked No. 47 in singles.
But her greatest growth has been playing with the team. While tennis is characterized as a very individual sport, Pairone learned quickly what it meant to be part of "The Team."
"It was challenging at first because tennis players are focused on themselves, but it was nice to get out of that mindset," she said. "I realized I also need to support other people when I play my singles matches. If I am positive, then the person beside me will feel my energy."
As she enters her final collegiate season, and what might be her final time playing tennis, Pairone has one goal on her mind: have fun.
"I really want to enjoy every moment," she said. "I just really want to have fun, because I know when I have fun, that's when I play my best tennis."
