COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Student-athletes already have enough on their plates, especially when they compete for one of the best teams in the country. Donovan Hewitt is taking that a step further by pursuing a law degree.
The fifth-year gymnast at Ohio State hopes to one day make a difference in the courtroom. For the last two decades, Hewitt has dedicated his entire life to the sport of gymnastics.
"I definitely would not have chosen any other path than the one I'm on right now," Hewitt said.
He remembers being inspired by watching the London 2012 Olympics and watching that year's U.S. national champion, John Orozco, compete for Team USA.
"Watching John Orozco do gymnastics was like, 'Oh this is really cool, I wanna be just like him,'" Hewitt said.
The Maryland native has spent the last half-decade helping the Buckeyes become one of the top teams in the country. Ohio State is currently ranked seventh in the country.
"We're building something here that I felt like it would be incredibly important for me to be a part of and I didn't want to leave," Hewitt said.
As an African-American gymnast, Hewitt knows he competes in a sport where few others look like him.
"I do think about that quite a lot," Hewitt said. "I didn't realize how unique it was to be a person of color in the sport of gymnastics. And then when I went out into the national stage and different training camps, I realized, 'Wow, there's not that many people who look like me.' When I win or when we succeed, I'm happy that someone who is younger than me now has somebody to look to and see that it can be done with determination and perseverance."
Now Hewitt is taking that same mindset out to the rest of the world, pursuing a law degree with the hopes of becoming a civil rights attorney or immigration lawyer.
"It hit me really deep that I needed to be in a field where I could help the people that needed the help the most," Hewitt said. "And the best way I thought I could do that is becoming a lawyer."
Meeting the demands of law school while perfecting his skills in the gymnasium hasn't been easy. But he's able to mend the two pursuits together.
"Oh, it's hectic. It's incredibly hectic," Hewitt said. "They go hand in hand. The way I think about law is purely about helping other people. And for me gymnastics is about helping my teammates be the person that they can be."
Hewitt says he'll cry as he leaves his competitive career behind, reflecting on how much his team has meant to him. But now he looks to make a difference in society the same way he did with the Buckeyes.
"I hope to leave the legacy that you don't really have to be the most talented gymnast or come from the most talented gym in the country to be successful," Hewitt said. "All you need to do is understand where you come from and just want to get better."
