Scholar Stories: MacKenzie Finds Way to Dream School, Continues Passions
2/7/2024 8:38:00 AM | Men's Cross Country, Men's Track & Field
Continuing the series that began in 2016-17, each week MGoBlue.com will highlight a Michigan student-athlete and their academic pursuits. These are our Scholar-Athlete Stories, presented by Absopure.
By Audrey Roche
First-year graduate doctoral student Owen MacKenzie is no stranger to the track. Growing up as a competitive runner in both cross country and track and field, he thought it best to continue his rigorous academic and athletic career at the University of Michigan.
MacKenzie started running at a very early age and attributes much of his athletic and academic prowess to his family and unique upbringing which has taken him across the globe, spanning from Canada to New Zealand and eventually to California. When it came time to choose his undergraduate path, MacKenzie saw Duke as a better fit for him academically at the time and went on to earn his bachelor's degree in electrical computer engineering and computer science, excelling at being able to balance both schoolwork and athletic training with the high demands of being a student-athlete.
"I developed a really good school and training balance," he said. "To be able to put 100 percent into both fields, you need something else to balance it out. You can't necessarily do all running, you need to have something else in your life, and you can't do all school. So I was able to get a good balance and that really made me want to keep doing it."
Once his four years were over at Duke and knowing he had a fifth year of eligibility, MacKenzie revisited a lifelong dream of attending Michigan.
"I remember in middle school, everyone had to say their top school and because we were in the Bay Area, everyone said Stanford or Berkeley, but I put Michigan as my dream school," said MacKenzie.
"Michigan has always been one of my favorite schools. When I was growing up in New Zealand, of course as a runner with a grandparent who is also an Olympian, Nick Willis was like my hero. Watching him compete in the Olympics, and he's from New Zealand from the same town as me, and he of course competed at Michigan."
Off the track, MacKenzie is extremely passionate about his studies and career endeavors. MacKenzie strives toward a career in providing valuable contributions to the biomedical community with specific interest in brain mapping.
"I've always really been passionate about helping others and so I've always wanted to apply my skills to health care, so that's why I wanted to continue my education and go into biomedical engineering for my Ph.D. so that I can apply those skills to the specific field of medical devices and medical applications."
With four more years left in his doctoral program, MacKenzie looks forward to continuing his running career as a Wolverine and possibly at the professional and international levels. In addition to his athletic aspirations, he is actively brainstorming start-up ideas for life post-graduation -- incorporating his interests in brain mapping and passion for biomedical engineering. He is excited for what is to come.
MacKenzie's drive and work ethic are what allow him to be dominant both on the track and in the classroom. His competitive nature and his admiration of his mentors have fueled his motivation throughout the rest of his educational and athletic career.
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