By: Justin Lafleur, Lehigh Sports Media Relations
 
Late in the spring semester, Lehigh women's soccer rising senior Kalin Ojert was at a crossroads. She had suffered a broken foot before the first spring game and wasn't sure if she would take an internship opportunity in Georgia.
 
Then, she had a conversation with her head coach, Eric Lambinus.
 
"I was at a really fragile point emotionally," said Ojert. "I was really beat up about my injury and coach noticed how upset I was. I was doing really well right before the injury, so it was like a slap in the face. Then I told him about the internship opportunity and how I wasn't sure if I'd be able to handle it."
 
There were many factors at play. From Doylestown, Pennsylvania, the internship would be more than 700 miles away at an important time when she would need to rehab her injury.
 
It led to many questions, and a lot of doubt.
 
"I'm very close with my family and my biggest apprehensions were being so far away and so isolated while also having to overcome an injury," said Ojert. "I have never sustained an injury this bad before. So just the injury was enough to make me nervous for this summer, but also having to rehab while getting back into game shape, all while working full time and being so far from home, made me almost cringe at the thought."
 
Cringing at the thought led to Ojert's conversation with Lambinus.
 
"I had a really good talk with coach, who said he's seen me grow and overcome a lot of things," she said. "A big part of my struggles at Lehigh has been mental, overthinking and not having enough confidence in myself."
 
"In my meeting with Kalin, I told her how much I have enjoyed being her coach over the last three years and looked forward to all the great things she will accomplish moving forward," said Lambinus. "Her internship is just one step in that success."
 
The conversation helped ease some of Ojert's apprehension.
 
"Just having that talk with coach and realizing how much confidence he has in me as a person, as a student and as a player made me realize I can definitely handle this," she said.
 
"This" is an opportunity with Ericsson, a multinational networking and telecommunications equipment and services company.
 
"They mainly offer services, software and infrastructure development, but they frequently do 'technology for good' projects in which they utilize the company's resources to provide something that would benefit the community," said Ojert.
 
"I was brought aboard to work on one of those projects, Connecting Waters."
 
The internship ties in directly with Ojert's environmental engineering major. Connecting Waters is intended for the Chattahoochee River.
 
"The Chattahoochee is notoriously one of the dirtiest rivers in the United States," said Ojert. "We're working on developing this device that will measure water quality in real time and will translate all the data back through this cellular device that the company developed. Usually, people have to go in manually every month or so and check on the turbidity, pH, conductivity and other water quality indicators.
 
"Now, if we can develop this device, it will notify them if there's an issue with water quality," she continued. "They'll only have to go to the river if there's a problem."
 
This summer, there has been no such thing as a normal day.
 
"I'm doing something different every day," said Ojert. "It's interesting because a lot of what I'm doing is computer software development and engineering, which is totally new to me. It's exciting; I show up to work every day and learn something completely new. Learning how to code is like learning a new language."
 
The wide range of experiences has been invaluable.
 
"I'm actually working on multiple projects," said Ojert. "I'm working in the area of project management, too."
 
Ojert has learned a lot more than water quality this summer; she has learned independence during a challenging time.
 
"On your own, you have to self-motivate yourself for everything," said Ojert. "I live with four soccer teammates (at Lehigh) and usually, if we're getting up to go to practice, they're running around the house saying let's go.
 
"Everything is on me here," she continued. "I need to decide when I'm running, how hard I'm running, I have to push myself in all my workouts because I'm doing them by myself."
 
Ojert's injury, coupled with being on her own, has forced her to think differently.
 
"This is the first time I've been really on top of my health, listening to how I feel and training accordingly," she said. "Because of the injury, this is probably the worst shape I've ever been in my life. I see how important it is to not only get back into shape, but to also rehab correctly."
 
One way Ojert has gotten back into playing shape has been by joining the Atlanta Silverbacks soccer team. It wasn't always easy, but she has thrived.
 
"After the first two practices, my foot was killing me," she said. "I didn't have my mom around to tell me to do my physical therapy, and I wasn't at school where Rachel (our athletic trainer) could text me about ice or rehab. It was all on me to take care of myself."
 
Ojert has learned how to take care of herself and put herself in the best position possible.
 
"A big aspect of training is being healthy, getting enough sleep and making sure I'm eating right," she said. "Learning how to not only motivate myself at the beginning, but also keep that motivation going throughout the summer, is something I can take and use moving forward."
 
Ojert also needs to be motivated in her internship in order to keep up.
 
"I have to be responsible enough to catch myself up on things I'm not positive about, so when I go into work every day, I'm prepared and I understand what I need to do," she said. "Every day, I have this opportunity to learn something new."
 
Now, Ojert knows she can thrive on her own. Those skills will come in handy next winter break. She is now confident in her abilities and has no reservations in heading to Ghana with the company Saha Global. Ojert learned about the opportunity at a Lehigh career fair.
 
"I figured it would get me a hands-on field experience with wastewater management," she said. "That's what I thought I wanted to do, go to third world countries and help provide clean water and wastewater management. A lot of post-graduation programs have a five-year minimum of travel time, so I thought it would be smart to test the waters before I throw myself in full force."
 
Ojert has the right mindset when figuring out her postgraduate plans.
 
"Take every opportunity that I have," she said.
 
"As long as I can be passionate about whatever I do after I graduate, I'll be happy," Ojert continued. "I want to grow, develop and get better every day, improve whatever company I'm working at and help the community and the industry."
 
Ojert has helped the Georgia community with her summer internship. It may not have been possible without the encouragement of her coach.
 
"So far, I feel great with my foot, I feel great with my internship and I'm doing well living on my own," said Ojert. "I don't think I would have been as confident coming here, or even have come here, if I didn't have that conversation with coach."
 
"They say you build strength through adversity and that is exactly what's happened with Kalin, especially over the past year," said Lambinus. "I was disappointed with her injury, but knew that while it was a setback, she would be more ready to overcome it at this point in her career. Once she told me about the internship opportunity, it was a no-brainer and I knew she was ready for that as well. I'm happy we get her back in the fall and get to spend one more season with her." 

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