Jan 15, 2010 11:30:49 PM

ATLANTA – Brig. Gen. (ret.) Sheila Baxter said that when she was a student-athlete at Virginia State and would call home, her father before hanging up would always leave her with this advice: Keep your nose clean and do what's right.

Baxter told a crowded Division II session Friday her version of "what's right" as far as living the balanced life she learned as a student-athlete.

Baxter, who was the first female general in the Medical Service Corps, retired from the military in 2008 after a celebrated career that spanned three decades. She also was the first female player at Virginia State to score 1,000 points, and she was the 1976 player of the year in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association. As Division II's keynote speaker, she told the 400 attendees Friday – looking particularly at the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee members in the crowd – of the five "transferrable skills" she believes are learned on the fields and courts but carry over to the boardrooms and offices of life.

"Life is lived walking forward but it is only understood looking back," Baxter said, and in her own reflection, she settled on the following transferrable skills as vital to success:

• Discipline. "As a student-athlete, I understood that if I wanted to play, I needed to attend classes and make good grades," Baxter said. "I also understood the sacrifices my parents made to allow me to attend, so I knew I had to do a good job on their behalf. Discipline can be applied to every area of our lives."
• Teamwork. "Learn how people from different walks of life can achieve synergy to accomplish goals. This transfers to social skills and career work," Baxter said. "You appreciate the value others bring to the team, and it makes you aware that you are part of something larger than yourself. I saw the Army as a team sport and I saw this connection having been a student-athlete."
• Self-confidence. Baxter said, "The opportunity to participate in team sports is an exercise in building self confidence. Being a student-athlete exposes you to opportunities for personal growth."
• Goal-setting. Baxter said when she was a field medical assistant, her commander at the time knew she could be more. "He asked me to give him my 20-year plan," Baxter said. "And I'm thinking, ‘Sir, I don't even know what I'm going to be doing in 20 minutes.' " But she went home that weekend and his questions helped to focus her. Twenty years later, she was able to look back on her plan and see how she accomplished those goals. "My coaches said always have a game plan," she said. "If you write things down, you'll stay focused on that goal."
• Mentorship. "Student-athletes benefit from the wisdom they are exposed to both on and off the court," Baxter said, again looking at the SAAC members. "But mentoring is a two-way process. Student-athletes have the responsibility to nurture those coming along behind them."

In addition to those skills, Baxter said young people have to experience "a light bulb moment" that ignites a passion.

The light came on for Baxter when she was a junior at Virginia State and visited her cousin's husband, who was a captain in the signal corps at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. During a tour of the operation, Baxter was impressed with the organization and the camaraderie among the "team."

She entered the ROTC program upon her return to Virginia State. Baxter completed a two-year program and then joined the military for what initially was to be a three-year term that turned into 30. She began as a field medical assistant in 1978 and quickly progressed to commander, executive officer and chief of staff. She served from 2005-08 as the commanding general at Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Washington.

She closed her remarks at Friday's Division II session with a series of suggestions based on the transferrable skills.

"Never cut corners," she said. "It's a matter of integrity. Never quit – it s a matter of perseverance. Be a team player – it's a matter of unity. Never stop setting goals – it's a matter of endurance. Never stop mentoring – it's the power of giving back.

"And if you don't remember anything I've said up to now, at least remember this: Keep your nose clean and do what's right."