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Senior Spotlight: Jenny Hauser
By Leora Tanjuatco
This May, when she walks down the lawn, Jenny Hauser will have come full circle. After all, it was her sister’s graduation ceremony two years ago that convinced the then-Boston University student to transfer to Virginia.
“Seeing how beautiful it is here, especially on the lawn, was definitely a turning point for me,” Hauser admitted. “Everything was so gorgeous and it really just put me under a spell. Boston was great, but I really missed the college atmosphere and the feeling of having a campus – two things that I think are amazing at Virginia. After I transferred, I took my junior year off of lacrosse and it’s all become worth it. I don’t regret my decision for a moment.”
Despite her yearlong hiatus, the skills she acquired up north definitely translated to the fields south of the Mason-Dixon line.
“At Boston University, I learned how to play at the college level,” Hauser recalls. “Every place is different, but Division I lacrosse means you have to work hard and put in an incredible amount of commitment. It also taught me to draw confidence from within myself.”
When she officially took the field during her fourth year, the All-American attacker made an immediate impact, leading the team in goals last season. While her classmates have won every Atlantic Coast Conference tournament game in which they have participated, winning the ACC championship last year was a career highlight for Hauser.
“We beat Maryland, who had beaten us during the regular season,” Hauser remembers. “On top of that, coming back from behind during the second half was awesome. Getting my first ring was also very exciting.”
As for the 2008-09 season, she returns as one of the nation’s most formidable attackers, challenged with leading a team that works to contend for a national title. But Hauser seems more than qualified for this daunting task. Her time spent at multiple schools and adjusting to life on a different team has rewarded her with a storied background and a wealth of experience.
“I’ve been in college for five years and that definitely gives me a lot of knowledge when it comes to my teammates,” Hauser said. “I also think that I can read people’s emotions pretty well. Basically, I just try to bring people up when they’re down.”
And now, with expectations running high and the team in a bit of a mid-season slump, it is up to the seniors to keep everyone’s spirits up and everyone’s efforts pointed in the right direction.
“No one can be complacent or satisfied with losing and I don’t think anybody is,” Hauser explained. “Losing is one of the worst feelings, especially when you know that the loss didn’t have to happen. I’m just trying to make sure that everyone knows that it’s going to take a lot of hard work to make sure that we get better.
“But what is most challenging about emphasizing hard work is simultaneously keeping the team positive. I’m not always the most vocal leader, so I try to be positive in the way that I play. There is only so much you can tell people to do before they’re going to look to see if you’re doing it too. So whatever I ask of my teammates, I better be doing it myself.”
While practices and games remain her main focus, life after graduation looms ahead. Hauser boasts a sparkling resume, thanks to an internship at National Geographic, a company with which she would like to remain, given her love for travel. There is, however, another lacrosse-related option available to her.
“There’s a coaching opportunity in England that I would love to take,” Hauser said. “If I were to do that, I’d have opportunities to travel all over Europe. I’ve already been to England, but I would really like to go to Italy and France, and maybe go further north and see Finland and Russia.”
While this would keep her far from home, Hauser is quick to acknowledge the support of her family, especially when it comes to lacrosse.
“I didn’t even know what lacrosse was until I got my first stick for Christmas during fifth grade,” Hauser remembers. “From then on, my dad would always be tossing with my sister and I. At that point, I was just thinking, Let’s see how many times we can toss it back and forth without dropping it.’ My dad has been my biggest fan from that point to where I am right now.”
But no one has helped Hauser more than her sister, and former Cavalier, Julie.
“She taught me to take the highs with the lows,” Hauser said. “She also taught me that, no matter what, always stick it out because it’ll all be worth it, and that it doesn’t last forever. This is something we’ll remember for the rest of our lives.”