Jama Burch didn’t come to Augustana College to choose between her passions. She came to pursue all of them. A biology major, chemistry minor and pre-veterinary student, Burch also competes as a three-year member of Augie’s women’s golf team – balancing early tee times with late-night study sessions, weight room reps with lab reports and competition travel with campus leadership roles.
 
That balance, she says, is exactly why she chose Division III. “I knew that going into college, I was gonna have a pretty hard major already,” Burch said. “I absolutely loved what my coach (Tom Lawrence) said about the D3 atmosphere. You care more about what you’re doing academically than athletically, but there’s still a lot of athletic components to it.”
 
For Burch, Division III isn’t a compromise. It’s a commitment to becoming a whole person – student, athlete, leader and community member. And at Augustana, she’s found the perfect place to do it all.
 
Finding Her Fit at Augustana
Burch discovered Augustana through a high school teacher and quickly realized the college’s values matched her own. From her first visit, she sensed a community that prioritized both academic rigor and athletic excellence – and supported students in pursuing both.
 
Her transition to the college game wasn’t without its challenges. The jump from high school golf to collegiate competition meant more travel, tougher courses and a structured lifting program she’d never experienced before. “I definitely walked in that gym that first time confused,” she said. “But now I can go in there by myself and do my lifts, even outside of what we’re required to do for golf.”
 
The increased expectations pushed her to grow – physically, mentally and competitively. She learned to manage the demands of multi-day tournaments, adapt her swing to different conditions and embrace a training schedule that keeps her body strong throughout the season. The results have shown in her confidence and consistency on the course, as well as in the leadership she brings to her team.
 
Balancing Academics and Athletics
With a course load packed with science labs and pre-vet requirements, time management isn’t optional for Burch. It’s essential. She starts each semester by meeting with her professors and outlining her travel dates, ensuring everyone is on the same page. “My professors are very willing to work with me,” she said. “I go to my first class on the first day and say, ‘These are the days I’m missing – how can we work around that?’”
 
To keep her workload manageable during the competitive season, Burch makes sure her schedule is flexible. She schedules study blocks around practices and lifts, and isn’t afraid to communicate with her coach when academic deadlines require her to adjust training. “He’s very willing to understand that and work with me to make sure I’m still getting my practice,” she said. “He wants to make sure I’m prioritizing my academics as well.”
 
The structure has helped her thrive in both arenas. On the course, she’s more focused and prepared. In the classroom, she’s learned to advocate for herself, plan ahead and embrace the discipline that a pre-vet track demands. The dual commitment has also reinforced one of the core lessons of Division III: excellence isn’t about doing less. It’s about doing more, with intention.
 
A Campus Life Beyond Golf
What Burch loves most about Augustana is how easy it is to get involved. In addition to golf, she serves on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), works in the admissions office giving campus tours and is active in a local social sorority where she holds three positions. She’s also a member of Tri Beta, the biological honor society.
 
The variety keeps her days full and her perspective broad. Through SAAC, she’s helped organize campus events and build connections between teams. In admissions, she shares her story with prospective students and families, many of them future student-athletes weighing the same choices she once did. Her sorority involvement has taught her how to lead within committees, collaborate on service projects and build friendships across majors and interests.
 
“It’s very rewarding to say that I’m able to do all of this while playing a sport and doing such an intricate major,” Burch said. The experiences have also helped her grow as a leader. She’s learned to speak up in meetings, manage her time across multiple commitments and mentor younger students who look to her as an example of what’s possible in the Division III model.
 
Giving Back Through Service
Community service is a central part of Burch’s college experience. As the service chair in her sorority, she coordinates volunteer efforts throughout the year. One of her favorite projects is the annual partnership between SAAC and Special Olympics Illinois, where student-athletes help run a regional bowling tournament. “I’ve done that for the past three years,” she said. “It’s one of my favorite events.”
 
She also volunteers at campus-wide initiatives like Trunk or Treat with local elementary schools, food drives and other outreach programs. The work has given her a sense of belonging in the Quad Cities community, even though she grew up in Indianapolis. “I’m kind of planting a seed to grow and flourish outside of just my own community,” she said.
 
Serving others has also shaped her understanding of leadership. She’s learned that showing up matters, that being reliable, compassionate and present can have a ripple effect on teammates, classmates and neighbors. It’s a lesson she carries onto the golf course, where she leads by example and supports those around her.
 
Dispelling Division III Myths
If there’s one misconception about Division III that Burch wants to correct, it’s that the competition isn’t intense. “Division III athletics is competitive across all boards,” she said. “You really have to push yourself. Just because it’s D3 doesn’t mean you’re automatically gonna get that playing time you want.”
 
Within her own program, players are constantly competing for spots in the lineup. Across the conference, rivalries with teams like Carthage, Illinois Wesleyan and North Central keep the standard high. And beyond the CCIW, Augustana’s student-athletes regularly earn national recognition – adding to a tradition of Academic All-Americans, conference titles and postseason appearances that elevate the college’s reputation far beyond Illinois.
 
Burch believes that Division III’s greatest strength is its balance. It attracts students who want to excel in multiple areas who see athletics as a complement to their education, not a replacement for it. For her, the term “student-athlete” isn’t just a label; it’s a promise to honor both parts equally.
 
The Division III Difference
As someone who meets hundreds of prospective students through her work in admissions, Burch often finds herself explaining the Division III experience to families who are new to the concept. Her message is simple: Division III opens doors on campus, in the classroom and around the world.
 
She points to the global travel opportunities Augustana teams enjoy – golf to Scotland, track to Greece, volleyball to Argentina, softball to Costa Rica – as proof that Division III athletes compete at a high level while experiencing the world. She talks about networking with alumni, connecting with coaches from other divisions and building relationships that lead to internships and careers. And she emphasizes the academic culture that prepares students for life after sports.
 
“Division III is a really well-rounded way of playing sports while pushing yourself academically,” Burch said. “They want to make sure there’s that balance because you never know what’s gonna happen later in life.”
 
For Burch, that balance isn’t just a talking point. It’s the foundation of everything she’s building –  one class, one practice, one act of service at a time. And as she prepares for another season on the course and another semester in the lab, she knows she made the right choice.
 
“Division III is fun. It’s challenging, but it’s enjoyable,” she said. “Here they really push you to make sure you’re doing both because the term student-athlete is very prevalent in D3 sports.”