Senior volleyball opposite hitter Kelsey Julian and senior football wide receiver Blair Bomber were named scholar-athletes of the month by the EWU athletics department on Sept. 10.

Julian is thankful that her academic work is getting recognized by EWU. “I was extremely honored,” Julian said. “I’m super excited about it; it’s just something that I strive for since I’ve been [attending Eastern].” Kelsey has made the Big Sky All-Academic Team during the 2011-2013 seasons. Academics have been a big part of her life since high school.

Bomber, who currently has a 3.94 GPA, is also appreciative of the honor: “It’s cool; it was kind of surprising I guess, a little bit.”

This is not Bomber’s first academic honor; he previously made the Big Sky All-Academic Team in 2013.

Student-athletes constantly have responsibilities of staying on top of their schoolwork and making sure that they stay focused on performing at a high level athletically.

“It’s not as hard as people probably think it is,” Bomber said. “Go to class when you’re supposed to go to class, take notes, study, [and] go to practice every day.”

“After a while, once I came to Eastern, you kind of just figure it out,” Julian said. “You have to spend your time really wisely.”

With a 3.87 GPA, Julian is currently majoring in secondary education with a minor in special education. She plans to follow both of her parents and become a teacher.

“Spending some time in the classroom doing lesson plans has just really showed me that that’s where I want to be,” Julian said. “I want to impact kids’ lives and be a positive influence on them and make a difference.” Julian is also in a health and fitness program so that she will be able to teach physical education and health.

Bomber recently has been accepted into the Eastern Washington School of  film, he is currently an interdisciplinary studies major. He would like to find a job in television once he is finished with school: “After college would be, finding a job writing, directing for television would be ideal.”

According to Julian, she was not the kind of student to get rewarded for her grades but she has always been a competitor in the classroom as well as in sports.

Growing up, Bomber was not always one of the top students in school.

“It wasn’t really a big deal in high school, and then my early couple of years of college it wasn’t really a huge priority for me,” Bomber said. “Only just last year and a half though is when I started buckling down on trying, making the extra effort.”

Bomber’s goals this school year are to continue to work hard as a student and help his team win a national championship in football.

Julian’s goals include helping her team be at the top of the Big Sky conference as well as winning the Big Sky tournament. She wants to be the best leader she can be for her team.

Julian also wants to strive this year to earn 4.0 grades in her classes and use her free time to become a better teacher.

Both Bomber and Julian have advice for other student-athletes with similar responsibilities.

“One of the hardest things about being a student and a college athlete is just going to class,” Bomber said. He said this point because most student-athletes often get worn out due to practice, playing and traveling. “Anytime you get a chance to go to class you should go because it’s going to be better for you in the long run.”

“I think it’s just time management, and I still struggle with it,” Julian said. “It’s knowing your priorities; school has always been first for me.”