NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Former men’s basketball student-athlete Drew Weikert will earn his bachelor’s degree in medicine, health and society from Vanderbilt this week. The guard from Nashville played three seasons with the Commodores, starting five games in 2021-22 as a senior.
Weikert plans to attend law school at Belmont University.
Q: What does it mean to you to earn a Vanderbilt degree?
DREW: Earning a Vanderbilt degree is meaningful to me because my father attended Vanderbilt in ’79 and played basketball here. He has remained a part of the community since then and attended medical school here as well. My older brother and sister also attended Vanderbilt making it a “family tradition.” I’ve been watching Vandy basketball since I was born, so attending school here has been a lifelong goal for me. I am honored to have the opportunity to graduate from such a prestigious institution, and it is something that I am extremely proud of.
Q: How do you plan to use your degree?
DREW: Being an MHS major has allowed me to explore my combined passions of economics and healthcare. My psychology major has also encouraged me to further my understanding of the healthcare system and the work that remains to be done in the field. With these two areas of study, I hope that I will be better prepared to complete a law degree at Belmont and work in hospital administration in the future.
Q: What has your academic journey at Vanderbilt been like?
DREW: I transferred to Vanderbilt my sophomore year and my interest in health care led me to explore the Medicine, Health and Society major. That same year, I joined the basketball team and worked hard to balance my academics and athletics. However, Molecular Biology made me realize just how difficult “weed out” classes really were. I shifted my focus to hospital administration and developed an interest in law school at the same time.
Q: What was the most rewarding part about your time at Vanderbilt — on or off the court?
DREW: I am most grateful for the meaningful relationships I have developed both academically and athletically. My professors, classmates, coaches and teammates have all made a huge impact on me and I would not be the person I am today without them. The Vandy basketball fans have also made my time on the team truly unforgettable. Some of the people I would like to mention are professor Michael Bess, coach Jerry Stackhouse and Brandon Wells. These are just a few individuals that have made my time here at Vanderbilt a blessing.
Q: What was your fondest memory at Vanderbilt off the court?
DREW: In December, the basketball team traveled to Hawai’i to compete in the Diamond Head Classic. I’ll always remember winning the tournament, but we also had a great time outside of basketball. We toured Pearl Harbor, spent time on the beach and had some family dinners. However, the memory that will always stick with me is coach Stack announcing that he was putting me on scholarship. I’ll never forget that moment and having my family, coaches and teammates all there together to celebrate with me. It’s by far my favorite memory.
“A guy that I feel like really represents who we are and what we do.”
⚓️ At our team dinner last night, @jerrystackhouse announced that @drewweikert10 is our newest scholarship student-athlete.
Congrats, Drew‼️#AnchorDown pic.twitter.com/1hsAEPlPkF
— Vanderbilt Men’s Basketball (@VandyMBB) December 25, 2021
Q: What was your fondest memory at Vanderbilt on the court?
DREW: Before the Georgia game my sophomore year, I never really played and honestly didn’t think I could make a big difference. The game got pretty close and we were getting into some foul trouble. I looked down the bench after Jordan (Wright) picked up his third foul and wondered who coach would put in. I still remember Stack looking at me and saying, “Drewski get Jo”. I was shocked. Coach Stack put me in toward the end of the first half. I intercepted an inbound pass from Anthony Edwards, that year’s first overall NBA draft pick, and took it in for a layup. My teammates all ran out and were more excited than me. That was also the only time my grandparents, my dad’s parents from Indiana, got to come to a game. They were both not in good health and my grandmother actually just passed away on Easter so I am very thankful they got to see that game.
Q: What are your future plans?
DREW: Right now I am searching for an internship this summer and looking forward to graduation. After summer, I’ll start as a 1L at Belmont Law in the fall. I plan to work hard, stay focused and use the skills I’ve learned at Vandy to help me succeed at the next level. I am also excited to play some pick-up ball and maybe get Coach Stack and the rest of the staff out to play some golf with me and my dad this summer.
