Meghan Peyton: The students have already overcome a lot of adversity before they even step on campus. And so, it's really inspiring to work with them because I- I learned so much about patience, understanding, acceptance, learning to meet them where they are in their process.

Paul Pribbenow: I'm Paul Pribbenow, president of Augsburg University. Augsburg educates students to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders. It's my great privilege to present the Augsburg podcast, one way you can meet some of the faculty and staff I'm honored to work with every day.

Meghan Peyton: My name is Meghan Peyton. My dad was in the Navy. I moved nine times before I turned 18. And then I went to the University of Iowa and I got my bachelors in integrative physiology, but I had a really wonderful time competing at the university and discovered that I had a talent that I wasn't ready to give up when- when I graduated college. Um, so I a- actually joined a post-collegiate team, Team USA Minnesota, and I still run for them to this day. So, I run professionally while also coaching.

What I fell in love with most was just the four pillars that the university stands on. The informed citizen, thoughtful stewards, responsible leaders, and critical thinkers. When I ... The first time I heard that, it was like a light bulb turning on for me and I was like, wow, that is really powerful, that I want to shape student athletes with those four pillars in mind through the lens of running.

I really try and think outside the box. So, when I'm planning a fall training trip, I try and pick somewhere new every year in order to expose them to differences and not, you know, not do the same thing every time.

One of the ones I'm most proud of was last January we took a team trip to Peru. And I presented it to the athletes because I knew we'd have to do some pretty serious fundraising to make this a reality. What do you guys think? And they were like, "Let's do it." I think it really brought them together and exposed them to I guess a culture very different from our own, a language different from our own, and ...

I mean, I think all of them were very transformed, but one that really comes to mind, her name is Rachel France and she graduated, and she's actually right now in Malaysia on a Fulbright scholarship. Our trip to Peru maybe planted some of those seeds of like this is what she wanted to do, um, because while we were down there with the team, she went wandering through the- the market, uh, in the little town that we were staying in. We- we stayed in Písac, Peru. So, she was going through the local market and she saw a potter. And she didn't speak very much Spanish at all. She said she put on her big girl pants and decided to be really brave and go ask him if she could use his potting wheel. When she retold the story, she like was crying because it was so emotionally transformative to her. Even though they didn't speak the same language, she used her body language to say like, "I- I'd like to do this with you," and he jumped up and went and got a smock for her to wear, sat her down, and helped her create a couple of different mugs. It was just a wonderful experience for her, and something that she talked about it for weeks after that.

My inspiration and mentor is Jeff Swenson who is the, uh, AD of the athletic department here and the MAL program which is the Masters of Arts and Leadership program, um, together, really rounded out my- my experience and has helped shaped me into the- the coach I am today. I think he's a really good example of a leader who is responsible, um, and- and thoughtful. He's always talking about his vision. It helps me see my place and how I can help the university and the athletic department as a whole. He's always asking about like me as a person as well. It's not always business and coaching and things like that. Like he ... I feel like he's invested in me as a- as a whole person. Um, and I think that is what makes him, you know, a transformative and good leader.

So, my vision for my program is to raise it up and create a team that is, you know, the premier place to ... For collegiate athletes to come and run. But within the pillars of Augsburg University. I tell recruits I'm invested in them as a whole person, not just I say a pair of legs. It always kind of gets (laughs) them to giggle a little bit. I'm here for them no matter what they want to talk about.

So, one of my students who just graduated this last spring, his name was Abdul, he, um, was a first generation student, was the sole earner in his house of eight, and so he was balancing getting and education, taking care of his family, and also running at the same time. When he first came to campus, um, he transferred here from a- another institution and he really didn't trust. And by- by the time that he left Augsburg, he told me that I was the best coach that he had ever had because I cared for him outside of running. You know, tried to- to help in every area of his life. I don't think he would have graduated without the support that he got from many people across campus here at Augsburg.

I aspire to be the best that I can be. That's why I pursued professional running. I wanted to be an Olympian. I still want to be an Olympian.

I try and show the students that side of myself as well. You know, the competitive side, the- the side that, you know, works really hard to be the best that I can be, testing the limits of my own human spirit because if I can get each individual to buy into that idea, to- to give their best self, that's going to elevate the program to be a championship program.

Paul Pribbenow: That was Meghan Peyton, head cross country coach for the men's and women's programs and assistant track coach. Thanks for listening to the Augsburg podcast. I am President Paul Pribbenow. For more information, please visit Augsburg.edu.