Field Hockey Alumna Spotlight: Tara Jennings

DURHAM, N.C. – As the Blue Devils celebrate the past, present and future of the program, GoDuke.com will feature several field hockey alumnae to highlight memories from their collegiate careers and the paths they've taken to success in their professional fields.

Tara Jennings, 2008-11
Jennings starred in the Duke midfield from 2008-11, helping guide the Blue Devils to a pair of NCAA quarterfinals appearances and a trip to the ACC Championship title match. A four-year starter, the Macungie, Pa., native twice earned National Field Hockey Coaches Association All-South Region first team honors and was an All-ACC and ACC All-Tournament Team selection in 2010.

Jennings totaled 10 goals and 13 assists in 78 career contests. She was a member of the NFHCA National Academic Squad and the All-ACC Academic Team.

A triplet, Jennings' sisters also played field hockey, with Erin playing at Princeton and Rachel at Virginia.

Can you update us on where you are now and your career path?
Tara Jennings: I am a fourth-year medical student at Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia. I am currently applying for my residency in dermatology and hope to either specialize in Cutaneous T-Cell lymphoma and/or Moh's Surgery. I also just got engaged to my boyfriend of seven years that I met at Duke (Will Piwnica-Worms, a former baseball player!). He is a year behind me at Penn medical school and we are hoping to be able to get residency spots in the same city (fingers crossed).

What are some of your favorite memories from your time at Duke?
TJ: My favorite DUFH memory is definitely my senior year when we broke ODU's unbeaten streak on their own field. There was something so satisfying about breaking that streak! I also loved whenever we would get to play UVA because my sister was on the team at the time and playing her was always fun (not so much for my parents though!).

What is your favorite Duke tradition?
TJ: The feeling that the campus gets during the week of the UNC/ Duke basketball game is unlike anything I have ever experienced. I love anything that has to do with the rivalry and think it's so fun to watch all of the students camp out and go crazy on the day of the game.

What is your favorite spot on campus?
TJ: Von der Hayden Cafe or the Duke Gardens.

Did you have a favorite professor or class?
TJ: I loved my evolutionary anthropology classes with Dr. Hare. He taught me so much, and I feel that a lot of the material that he taught me about evolution has helped contribute to the type of doctor that I am going to be in the future. His classes make me think about medicine from a different point of view than many of my peers, and I feel that has colored me as a medical student and made me more well-rounded.

Favorite food on campus?
TJ: I am not sure if it is still around but there used to be a place called The Refectory in the Divinity School. Their grilled cheese and tomato soup was out of this world. There was a semester where I went there at least three times a week ... I still daydream about that meal.

Who were some teammates who influenced you either on or off the field?
TJ: All of my teammates influenced me in one way or another. That is the wonderful part about being on a team – everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses and you can learn from each other every day. I was so lucky to have amazing teammates throughout my field hockey career that inspired me to be a better player and a better person.

What advice would you give to current or future Blue Devils?
TJ: Enjoy your time at Duke. You will look back and remember it as the best years of your life. Especially as an athlete, you don't realize how much playing on a team helps develop your character and builds important qualities that you will use for the rest of your life. Soak everything in and always try to leave the program in a better place than when you got there.

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Look for alumnae profiles throughout the fall, and follow the Blue Devils on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for more reunion information.

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Field Hockey Alumna Spotlight: Tara Jennings

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