A lacrosse competitor since she was 6, Caroline Klim ’23 was looking to play at the Division I level in college while earning a nursing degree. She was told by college coaches that she would have to make a difficult choice: play lacrosse or study nursing.
“Some coaches strongly advised me to not take on the rigors of a nursing education with lacrosse, but UMass Lowell accepted my dreams with open arms,” says Klim, who earned a B.S. in nursing and is enrolled in the Master of Public Health (MPH) program. “Throughout my college career, I’ve been questioned about balancing too much at once. It’s tough but manageable, due to the support of the coaches, faculty and friends at UML.”
As a fifth-year defender and co-captain on the UMass Lowell (UML) women’s lacrosse team, Klim helped the River Hawks advance to the America East conference tournament for the first time in program history. She was UML’s nominee for 2023-24 America East Woman of the Year, an honor that recognized her academic achievement, athletic excellence, service and leadership.
“I am beyond grateful for the experiences and opportunities that UMass Lowell allowed me to have in my five years as a student-athlete,” says Klim, who had an extra year of eligibility because of the pandemic. “Once I found I had the support behind me, I knew my drive and discipline would carry me to success in all facets of my career at UML. I would go back and do it again a million times over.”
Klim’s inspiration to help others comes from her family of health care professionals. Klim is a third-generation nurse, and her grandfather was a surgeon.
“These are some of the people I look up to the most in my life for their care and service to others,” the Wrentham, Massachusetts, native says. “I try to apply what I’ve learned from them every single day.”
At UMass Lowell, Klim has found many opportunities to do just that.
She is a co-founder of the UMass Lowell chapter of Morgan’s Message, a nonprofit that aims to eliminate the stigma around mental health in the student-athlete community.
“When reflecting on my own struggles with mental health, I wished I had a safe space to talk about what was going on versus feeling like I needed to suffer in silence,” she says. “There is a ‘perfect athlete stereotype’ that many feel they need to measure up to, which stops them from talking about the stress, anxiety and self-confidence struggles that come with managing both your academic and athletic careers. The pressure can be immense.”
Klim and her student partners have built an organization of more than 70 members at UML. They have hosted Morgan’s Message “dedication games” to raise funds and awareness for student-athlete mental health, advocated for athletic mental health counselors on campus and organized suicide prevention training for chapter members.
For her Master of Public Health internship, Klim works with the Morgan’s Message Education Program on data analysis, ambassador outreach and process improvement.
By earning both a bachelor’s degree in nursing and a Master of Public Health degree, Klim plans to apply her clinical care and public health skill sets to promote the overall health of the community.
“After I gain experience as a nurse, I hope to move into leadership or research positions in health care,” she says.
“Once I found I had the support behind me, I knew my drive and discipline would carry me to success in all facets of my career at UMass Lowell.”