Scholar Stories: U-M Rooted, Vore Prepared for Life after Gymnastics, Graduation
12/18/2024 10:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
Continuing the series that began in 2016-17, each week MGoBlue.com will highlight a Michigan student-athlete and their academic pursuits. These are our Scholar-Athlete Stories, presented by Absopure.
By Sydney Miller
Jacey Vore, a senior on the University of Michigan women's gymnastics team, has embraced the opportunity to grow both academically and athletically by drawing inspiration from her connection to the school.
Vore was raised in the U-M culture as both of her parents are Michigan alums. When Vore committed to attend the university in her junior year of high school, she was eager to continue her family tradition and pursue her path in Ann Arbor, where academic excellence and athletic performance thrive.
Vore's gymnastics career has been a fundamental part of her experience at Michigan. She has dedicated herself to achieving both individual and team success throughout her time. Her most notable achievement as a gymnast is helping cultivate a team culture centered around respect, resilience and positivity.
"The culture that we have created is something that I am very proud of," said Vore. "We are a team that respects each other and loves each other no matter what or who you are. I'm proud of the fact that I know that it is going to stick and will be passed down from one class to the next. I hope and believe the culture will remain just as good as it is or even get better."
As a Wolverine, Vore looks to express her dedication and positive attitude, while preparing for post-graduation.
Vore's decision to major in Communication and Media with a minor in entrepreneurship allows her to explore her diverse interests while building a broad skill set. She has put a heavy emphasis on her education for the beginning of her collegiate career.
"My educational experience has been my biggest priority for the past four years," said Vore. "I chose to come to Michigan because of the balance of academics and athletics. There are not many other schools where you get to have such a high-quality education with a very high, high-performing athletic department as well. I felt like Michigan was a place where I could see myself growing as a person, an athlete and a student."
She looks to finish her senior year strong, maintaining a focus on her academics and working towards continuing her straight A's for her final semester at Michigan.
Vore's commitment to developing professionally extends beyond her experiences in the classroom. She has been a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee since her sophomore year, as part of the social media team. Vore's two years of experience helped her learn the ins and outs of the committee's operations. After her junior year, Vore was named president for the 2024-25 year overseeing nearly 60 student-athletes from various teams on campus.
"I have really enjoyed getting to know our student-athletes and bridging the gap between athletes and faculty and trying and advocate for the best student-athlete experience we can," said Vore.
Aside from her role in SAAC, Vore has held various internships to help build her professional skills beyond her textbooks. Vore took the initiative to gain hands-on experience through an internship this past summer as a Pharmaceutical Sales Rep at Eli Lilly and Company.
"I decided to do it because I love meeting and talking to new people," said Vore. "I felt like sales were maybe the right path for me."
Vore spent the summer learning about the sales process and how to handle yourself in a professional setting. She wrapped up her internship going into doctors' offices to sell the company's diabetic product.
"I ended up really liking it," Vore said. "I think that I will pursue something in sales, possibly medical-related, in my first job and then see where I go from there. But it was a great internship. All of the people at Lilly are incredible."
She credited her success in her internship role to her experiences academically and athletically at U-M.
"A combination of all of my classes has prepared me pretty well because a lot of them are very presentation-heavy," said Vore. "I am pretty comfortable in front of people and I am naturally outgoing, too, which helps. I have learned from my education to not be embarrassed if you are trying to present in front of people. I think that also comes from athletics in being able to be resilient and bounce back after something possibly goes wrong."
All of Vore's experiences -- her academic pursuits, leadership roles, and internship -- align with her broader academic goals. She is determined to make the most of her time at Michigan, reaching out to as many professionals as possible to explore various career paths. Vore is eager to leverage these experiences as she prepares for life after gymnastics and graduation.
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