Kasey R. Losik, a junior architecture major from Fennville, Michigan, has turned a passion she鈥檚 had since early childhood into a way to de-stress from her studies.
The Mississippi 大象APP Western Equestrian Team captain, who got her first pony at the age of three, said the sport helps her detach from the stress and rigor of her schoolwork.
聽鈥淚 will be all kinds of wound up after studio, and I just go out to the barn, and hop on a horse, and it鈥檚 a complete reset,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 honestly don鈥檛 think that I鈥檇 be able to do this and be so far from home if it weren鈥檛 for the horses and the team鈥攎y teammates and coaches.鈥
She鈥檚 the Western Equestrian Team鈥檚 open rider鈥攖he highest division鈥攃ompeting in the horsemanship and reining events.
鈥淭he competition itself is kind of a neat process,鈥 she said. 鈥淭he schools all provide horses, and all the horses鈥 names go into a hat. You just pull a name, and that鈥檚 the horse you ride. You get no warmup time; you get on, and they lead you into the arena, and you must go show. It鈥檚 made me a better rider, and it鈥檚 given me a better respect for our animals.鈥
In her third year of undergraduate study in MSU鈥檚 School of Architecture, Losik also started the landscape architecture accelerated master鈥檚 program this fall.
She said a study abroad experience in Italy with Professor Hans Herrmann after her freshman year not only helped her develop her love for landscape architecture and architecture鈥攁nd the connection between the two鈥攂ut also helped shape her outlook on her overall education.
鈥淗ans established a sense of rigor within me and a high-quality standard just in that month with him, and I鈥檝e been able to apply that in my studio projects and in working toward my professional career,鈥 she said. Losik added she鈥檚 not sure exactly what she wants to do, but she definitely wants her work to include elements of both architecture and landscape architecture.
鈥淚鈥檓 really fascinated by how those two fields work cohesively together, and I think that鈥檚 one of the reasons I decided on the accelerated master鈥檚 program.鈥
Her dad鈥攁long with late head football coach Mike Leach鈥攁re who she credits with putting MSU on her radar.
鈥淢y dad absolutely loves football and has been a Mike Leach fan all his life. So, when we started looking for colleges, he was like, 鈥楰ase, what about this school in Mississippi?鈥欌
鈥淲e came down here for a tour and absolutely fell in love with just the atmosphere, the environment, the people, and then, of course, the architecture school. That鈥檚 when I met the equestrian team coach, Ashely Glenn. I did a tryout with her, and it was a great fit right from the start. It was just meant to be.鈥澛