By Logan Hartman
Chantelle Theron is a member of the track and field team and will be graduating this spring with a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry. Born in Johannesburg ,South Africa, Theron lived there until she moved to the United States to attend McPherson College.
She began running when she was younger after her grandmother took her to a track and a local club track coach saw her running and wanted her to join. Theron ran track through high school and continued to run in college after receiving an offer from McPherson College.
Theron participated in the long jump, triple jump, hurdles, and the 100 meter relay for the women’s team, but will not be able to participate this season due to a broken foot. She was looking forward to being able to compete in her final season, but this will not stop her from being the best team mate she can be, saying, “it happens” when talking about her injury. This slight misfortune is allowing her to focus on her academic goals. With big dreams she thinks back to where her love began.
She attributes her love for science to her childhood. “I was always really inquisitive as a kid, I always got bug collecting kits and stuff like that, science just came easy,” said Theron.
She is currently preparing to acquire her permanent residency in order to stay in the United States and is hoping that once she acquires her residency, her application to be a chemist at the local pharmaceutical plant, Phizer, will be accepted and she can begin her career.
She hopes to acquire her master’s degree in the future since Phizer has a program offering to pay for someones master’s degree, “but I need a break,” Theron chuckled.
Theron is thankful for her professors and her coaches here at McPherson. “They become more your friends than your teacher or counselor, my coaches are like my other parents, they are personally invested in you, they are truly amazing. Theron finished with offering advice to her fellow peers and future students. Her advice; “Be involved and soak up as much as you can.”
