Student-athletes come to NCHA schools for the challenge of consistent high-level competition, but equally as much for the high-level education they will get along the way. Austin Frank will attest he is reaping the benefits of both now that he has graduated from Lawrence University with a degree in Economics.
Frank's hard work in the classroom and in a summer internship earned him a full-time job offer in New York City. His hard work on the ice earned him a professional hockey offer in Europe. After weighing his options, Frank signed the hockey contract and will experience hockey in France this winter, making sure to keep his business network strong for when his playing days are over.
Part of the business network revolves around another opportunity waiting for Frank and former teammate Ryan Eardley. Two years ago the pair teamed in an economics class at Lawrence to create a protein / nutrition fudge pop with huge business potential. The class required the students to create a prototype of a product, develop a business plan and pitch it in an all-school competition. Frank and Eardley won the compeititon and took their product on the road in the hockey off-season.
"We attended some triathalons in the Madison area to get some feedback," says Frank, who hails from DeForest, Wisconsin. "We did some samplings and surveys and got some great feedback. It's definitely something I would love to revisit down the road.
It's a good example of something that started in the classroom and has gone beyond."
When asked what his favorite class was at Lawrence, Frank doesn't hesitate:
"Entrepreneurial Ventures."
That's the course that pushed Frank and Eardley to develop the protein pop.
For his success in that course and as an economics major overall, Frank gives special credit to a couple professors: Jonathan Lhost and Gary Vaughn. Lhost received his undergraduate degree from Massachusetts - Amherst while playing hockey, so he was a great resource and friend to Frank. Vaughn heads the Entrepreneurial program and helped Frank and Eardley on that journey.
How did Frank balance a rigorous hockey and academic career? He says it's all about developing a routine, and that's the advice he would give to incoming freshmen.
"Especially after junior hockey, getting adjusted, finding a routine and making sure you can prioritize is so important. If we had a road trip coming up, I would try to get all my school work done so I didn't have to grind it out on the bus trips. Coach (Mike) Szkodzinski is so good about helping us priotitize and supporting us to get our work done."
Follow Frank this season as he hits the ice with HC Mont-Blanc in French Division I league.
********************************
MORE WITH AUSTIN FRANK ...
HIS THOUGHTS ON HIS SENIOR YEAR, HOCKEY-WISE?
"Personally, I think I had my best year, in terms of collegiate hockey. I wish we could have had more success as a team."
HIS INTERNSHIP DURING THE SUMMER OF 2017 IN NEW YORK CITY?
"It was awesome. Such a fun summer. I worked at a technology start-up in Manhatten and got afull-time offer ... It was called Simplifeye and they offer service to health service providers, primarily dental providers. They connect employees and doctors inside dental offices to work more efficiently. They modernize a system that's old and antiquated, basically. They add new technology to make things run more smoothly."
HIS THOUGHTS ON THE NCHA?
"It's not an easy conference to play in. I mean, we're sending three teams to the national tournament (National Champion St. Norbert, Adrian, Marian in 2017-18). It's a good thing, though. I like playing against the best teams on a weekly basis."