Freshman Spotlight: Kristen Nelson

Paving the Way

CARBONDALE, Ill. - Incoming SIU women's basketball freshman guard Kristen Nelson has been paving the way for others long before she became Harrison High School's Athlete of the Year. The school's all-time leader in assists, Kristen is the oldest of three and always felt it was her responsibility to be a positive role model and set a good example for her sister and brother.

Growing up, Kristen consistently got her chores done early in order to get them done and out of the way. That tendency carried over to school, as Kristen almost always got her work done early and rarely had to bring homework home.

"My parents never ever really asked me about or reminded me about my homework or chores," Nelson said. "I would always make it a priority to get it done right away. I don't think I realized the value of that until I got older."

As her brother and sister began to get older, Kristen wanted to make sure her siblings shared a similar approach. She often served as a tutor of sorts to her siblings, providing them with guidance on study tips, life skills, and the need to prioritize their chores and tasks.

Kristen's trophy case at home is all her siblings need to look at as proof that the 5-foot-9 guard's consistent and diligent approach has paid dividends. She graduated Harrison High School with honors and was named to the County's Top-10 team. She also scored over 1,000 career points and was the recipient of countless conference, area, county, and state honors for her outstanding performances on the court and in the classroom.

Kristen will begin her freshman year as a business management major, with the hopes of one day graduating from law school.

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