Getting to Know U is a new feature that highlights the great student-athletes at Union College. It will appear on the website every Tuesday and Thursday. Women's cross country senior Sarah Tardiff is the next subject on this question and answer piece.
Name: Sarah Tardiff
Sport: Women's Cross Country
Year: Senior
Hometown: Boxborough, MA
High School: Acton Boxborough
UnionAthletics.com: Other than athletics, what do you like best about the Union experience?
Sarah Tardiff: I'd say it's the variety of courses, terms abroad, formal and candid discussions with professors and other students that challenge ideas and bring us awareness to new perspectives and the experiences of others throughout our community, nation and world.
UnionAthletics.com: What are your career aspirations?
Sarah Tardiff: In the long run I really don't know what I want to be doing. Perhaps teach or something in international relations. In the more immediate future, I'd like to go abroad to teach english or work with an NGO. I have the specific intention of working with kids to, somehow, relieve poverty. I've been drawn to both Argentina and China and have been researching positions in both countries.
UnionAthletics.com: Which person in your life has had the greatest impact athletically?
Sarah Tardiff: I have to say that our team of athletes and coaches has had the most impact on me athletically. Everyone contributes their knowledge and experience and it's simply the most supportive, encouraging and hard working group of people.
UnionAthletics.com: What do you do in the offseason to prepare?
Sarah Tardiff: In the off season, I just run or do some mix of cardio and light lifting. Running with a partner is the best. It's enjoyable so it doesn't feel like training.
UnionAthletics.com: When it's all said and done, what are you going to miss the most about college?
Sarah Tardiff: Aside from the team and seeing my friends everyday, what I'll miss most about college is the ease with which we can try so many different things whether it be try an intramural sport, see a foreign film, hear a famous speaker, or celebrate each others' cultures.
UnionAthletics.com: Tell us something that people don't know or wouldn't expect from you?
Sarah Tardiff: I'm new to distance running. I've only trained the Union cross county team my sophomore and senior years.
UnionAthletics.com: You're stuck on a deserted island. What are three things you want to have with you?
Sarah Tardiff: On a deserted island I would need my friend Kathy, a loud stereo and a library.
