Every day we are faced with choices. Choices on what to eat, what to wear, what to do – but most importantly, how are we going to show up? Are we going to be good, great or elite?
Being elite is a choice.
As part of the Texas Education Trailblazer series, Longhorn Legend and COE alumnus, Cory Redding (B.A. ’17), sat down with COE student-athlete Rori Harmon (B.S. ’24) to discuss her journey to the Forty Acres and how her degree translated to success and excellence on and off the court.
Harmon grew up in Houston, TX, committing to the College of Education at UT Austin as an Applied Movement Science major and the Texas Women’s Basketball team as a 5-star recruit and McDonald’s All-American (2021). Once she put on the Longhorn jersey, she began her decorated career as a point guard and now reflects on her leadership development through the winning culture at COE.
“People have a hard time listening to you if you don’t know what you’re talking about,” says Harmon. She notes that the studying and research in her degree directly correlates to her increased leadership and empowerment of her teammates. Through her coursework and education, she is able to build a greater understanding of the “why” behind each play, the purpose of each workout the power of each move.
“There are things that I’ve learned from academics to be a great leader on the court,” said Harmon, “but also a lot of things from basketball that taught me how to manage everyday life, including education.”
About Texas Education Trailblazers
The Texas Education Trailblazers series hosted by COE alumnus, Austin business leader, Longhorn Legend and former NFL player, Cory Redding (B.S. ’17), invites prominent student-athletes to reflect on how their sport and College of Education degree have helped them develop into leaders who demonstrate excellence and commitment both on and off the field.
