👟 Lisa Lauschke Aspires to Leave Lasting Impact for Future Students

LAWRENCE, Kan. – The sports of track & field and cross country are two team sports that require athletes to work together to reach a common goal to succeed. For Kansas’ Lisa Lauschke, she has experienced that teamwork as a student-athlete at the University of Kansas and is looking to translate it to the classroom as a teacher, coach and administrator.

Lauschke graduated in the fall of 2019 with her Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in Mathematics with a teaching certificate. Lauschke is now pursuing her Master’s degree in Educational Administration, where she will earn her School Administrator Building certificate, all of which has prepared her to lead her future students.

Throughout her years at Kansas, Lauschke has maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA and has been a role model in the classroom, earning the Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award in 2019 and is a three-time member of the Academic All-Big 12 team in cross country, two-time member of the Academic All-Big 12 team in track and field and a member of the 2016-17 Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team, all of which she was selected with a 4.0 GPA.

“What really inspired me to become a teacher the opportunity to work with students every single day. That’s the reason I do what I do so I can make an impact in their lives.”

Lauschke’s ambition to work in education is fueled by her desire to leave a lasting impact on her students, something she realized as a student herself. Along with her academic success, Lauschke has taken her experience as a student-athlete on the Kansas track & field and cross country teams and hopes to become track & field and cross country coach.

Lauschke attended Rogers High School in Rogers, Arkansas, where she thrived in her athletics and academics. Lauschke was a class of 2016 National Merit Scholar and was a member of the Arkansas 7A All-State teams in cross country in 2013 and 2015.

“I had amazing teachers and coaches when I was in school who showed me what it meant to be a positive leader for students,” Lauschke said. “They inspired me to follow in their footsteps.”

Lauschke’s experience at the University of Kansas has prepared her to lead a room full of students. Now entering her final year of graduate school, Lauschke will graduate in May of 2021 and looks to make an impact on her students, like her teachers did for her.

“While I was in high school I was thinking about what I want to major in, in college, I really wanted something where I could work with students and that’s really what led me to teaching,” Lauschke said. “I would like to be a high school math teacher and continue my passion for athletics by being a high school cross country and track coach as well and then eventually be a high school administrator.”