After graduating this May, Amanda Boyer wants to be a genetic counselor, which focuses on understanding (and evaluating) a family's risk of an inherited medical condition.
As a genetic counselor, she will undoubtedly encounter uncomfortable conversations.
"The conversations you have are not always optimistic," said Boyer. "Some of the conversations are hard, there may be denial, and they may not want to accept their genetic results. You have to be sympathetic for them, but also deliver the message in a hopeful way that they'll overcome and get through this.
"I've learned a lot of those communication skills, here at Lehigh."
How is being a genetic counselor and Lehigh field hockey student-athlete related?
Work, Work and Work Some More
When Amanda Boyer faces adversity, what's her response?
Work even harder.
That mentality has helped Boyer stand at the forefront of Lehigh field hockey's rebuilding efforts. She may not score the most goals or dish the most assists, but through the ups and downs that naturally come in any season, she has been a constant from the very beginning for head coach Caitlin Dallmeyer.
"One of Amanda's best traits is her perspective," said the fourth-year head coach. "She does a tremendous job of processing thoughtfully before formulating her opinions and thoughts, which allows her to keep a grounded perspective. This is a trait we have needed in a leadership role and has allowed our team to have a reliable leader to go to in moments of struggle."
From her freshman season at Lehigh, Boyer's hard-working, purposeful approach naturally fit with the new staff.
"I feel like the new coaching philosophy here modeled my high school's coaching philosophy," said Boyer. "It's a very open environment and the coaches are very direct with where you stand."
There were plenty of nervous moments during Boyer's first days on campus. Being recruited by a different coaching staff, like Boyer was, naturally leads to some doubt.
"After the coaching change, my parents kept reminding me I was still committed to a Division I school and everyone would be at the same level," she said. "It would be a fresh start for everyone, so I took an optimistic mindset."
That mindset would pay off, as Boyer immediately saw action as a freshman, playing in all 17 games with nine starts. As a team, the Mountain Hawks won six games, their most victories in five seasons.
The next two years saw a dip to five then three victories, but a rebuild takes time, so there was no reason to panic.
As the famous saying reads, "Nothing worth having comes easy."
Some, of many, challenges of a rebuild include obtaining full buy-in amongst team members.
Also, how do individuals respond to coaching?
Taking in, and responding to, constructive criticism is a strength of Boyer's.
"Five or six games into my sophomore season, I was starting consistently, but I had a weekend of really bad games," said Boyer. "My communication was low, so the coaches had a hard conversation with me and pulled me from starting. In the next game, I went in off the bench and had a phenomenal game. It really hit home that whole week when they told me I wouldn't be starting, so I worked harder in practice and tried to fight to earn my spot back, which I was able to."
In times of adversity, Boyer worked harder, an important attribute Dallmeyer and her staff has always wanted to see from the collective group. With Boyer coming into her own, she was empowered at a pretty young age (before the end of her sophomore year) to influence those around her.
"Being voted onto the Leadership Council gave me external confidence, because my teammates voted me there," said Boyer. "The coaches also believed I could represent the team in all aspects LUFH values. That's when I really stepped out of my comfort zone and was able to lead in ways I never thought possible."
Facing Uncomfortable Conversations
For the betterment of the team, Boyer found herself in the middle of uncomfortable situations. In other words, Boyer would stand up for what she believed was right, regardless of what others would think.
That's easier said than done.
"As a leader, my biggest fear is confronting someone and them talking poorly about me," said Boyer. "Julie Ammary told me that's part of being a leader and it's something you have to own up to as a leader. I still remember having some very hard conversations, including with people older than me."
Boyer's entire career could be perceived as hard, but only if she had a negative mindset. Not everyone has the makeup to be able to bounce back from losing games while staying focused on long-term goals, which may not even come until after she graduates.
"I often think of former LUFHer Julia Washburn, and her advice to her first-year self – 'choose to persist,'" said Dallmeyer. "Amanda has consistently persisted through some of the most challenging times our program has faced. It can be hard to find perspective during a losing streak, and it can be even harder to find positivity when the culture around you doesn't match your own values. Fortunately, Abe came into the program and was a catalyst for change at the same time the coaching staff was working to create it.
"Amanda helped carry the torch that lit the way for others and fortunately for all of us, she choose to persist during some of the most challenging times."
Through her on-field play and leadership, Boyer has helped the program take small, but extremely important steps forward.
"After six wins freshman year, we dipped a little bit my sophomore season," said Boyer. "We struggled as a team, but we were still making strides in practice and our athletic ability. We were stronger and faster on the field. Then junior year, we didn't really show the progress in our record, but we were minimizing the gap in a number of areas."
Lehigh began this season with a 5-1 record, its best start in 36 years.
"We were breaking so many records and our RPI was 24, so we got really excited," said Boyer.
Since that start, the Mountain Hawks have struggled, but Boyer has remained her steady self.
"Perhaps one of Amanda's biggest contributions during this recent stretch has been perspective, reminding her teammates where we've been and pulling out the signs of progress that prove we are still moving the program forward," said Dallmeyer.
Even though the team has faced struggles, there are foundational pieces in place that remain due in large part to Amanda's efforts. The buy-in amongst the 2019 team is at an all-time high, allowing the Mountain Hawks to go out to practice every day energized by something bigger than themselves.
"I believe the coaches did a good job of recruiting people who would fit our program, so it made the buy-in easier," said Boyer.
Another area of improvement, a more tangible example of the buy-in, is the Mountain Hawks' bench culture.
"The bench has been quiet in the past, but now Steph Brabender, Maddie Major and Sujin Kang really know when to start cheering," said Boyer. "Someone like Steph brings so much positive energy, even if we're losing, and she's always there. She does anything she can to help our team succeed. She came on as a goalie who had never played before high school and joined the club field hockey team. I don't even know how she does it because she's so motivated to make herself better, even though she may never get a chance to play this season.
Lenke Havas (left) and Amanda Boyer (right)
"Steph's determination and drive to help us grow is inspiring."
Inspiring is a good word to describe Boyer as well. She has inspired a lot of people in her time.
"In the three years I've known Abe, the thing that's always the most impressive is her work rate," said junior Lenke Havas. "She's so gritty and has been the hardest-working person on the field every time – not just in games, but also in practices."
Boyer has set the example in everything she does, from practices to game. The same is true off the field as a student, leader and person.
Owning a 3.98 cumulative grade point average, Boyer has been a multi-time Academic All-Patriot League honoree and this past summer, interned at Penn State Hershey Medical Center in the cancer institute. Her lab researched if exercise during chemotherapy accelerates the rate at which breast tumors shrink.
How about a 👏🏼 for Amanda Boyer, who is a Research Intern at Penn State Hershey Medical Center in the cancer institute. Today, she presented her research. The lab she's working in is testing whether exercise during chemotherapy accelerates the rate at which breast tumors shrink. pic.twitter.com/EF7NCNDE7R
As one of the best and brightest students Lehigh University has to offer, combined with her experience as a leader with the Lehigh field hockey program, and everything else that comes with being a student-athlete, Amanda Boyer is primed for greatness.
"Amanda is our ideal LUFHer. She exemplifies all of our values and thrives in all cornerstones of development," said Dallmeyer. "When recruiting, we look at Amanda and her family and we ask ourselves 'What key qualities does she display, and what values was she raised with, that have allowed her to thrive in this program? Now, how do we find that in our future LUFHers?'
"We know that Amanda will go onto be an extremely successful alum and we can't wait to follow her career and watch her continued growth outside of Lehigh."
After Lehigh, Boyer plans on attending graduate school for genetic counseling, where she will continue to face uncomfortable conversations.
