Eugenie Amidou Caps Standout Career at UNCP with Academic, Athletic Honors

Eugenie “Genie” Feitosa Amidou arrived at UNC Pembroke with a dream shared by many young soccer players growing up in Canada — the opportunity to compete in the United States.

Four years later, she leaves as one of the program's most well-rounded student-athletes, excelling on the field, in the classroom and in research.

“It's a real big accomplishment,” Amidou said. “I've worked so hard in my life to get where I'm at… just the fact that I am here, graduating after four years, is really a big accomplishment.”

Amidou will be among the 1,173 graduates participating in Spring Commencement, including 656 undergraduates and 517 from The William Howard Dean Graduate School.

A native of Montreal with roots in Brazil and Gabon, Amidou faced early challenges adjusting to a new country, a new academic system and a third language.

“As a freshman, it was hard with the language barrier, classes and adapting,” Amidou said. “I knew I had to focus on getting my grades up and focus on going to medical school.”

That focus paid off. A biology major and Esther Maynor Honors student, Amidou became deeply involved in research, presenting her work at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research in Pittsburgh. Along the way, she developed skills that will carry into her future in medicine.

“In the beginning, speaking in public was not my strong suit,” she said. “Now, I love speaking in public… I am comfortable now speaking in English in front of a crowd.”

Her growth did not go unnoticed by the faculty. Dr. Silvia Smith, her research mentor, described Amidou as uniquely prepared for the next step.

“Genie possesses a cocktail of qualities… she is self-driven, self-disciplined and organized,” Smith said. “Her intellectual and critical-thinking ability, combined with her compassion and empathy, will make her a capable and caring physician.”

On the field, Amidou was just as impactful. A four-year starter, team captain and three-time conference champion, she earned multiple All-Conference honors while anchoring the team's midfield.

“She's one of the most underrated players,” head coach Lars Andersson said. “She doesn't always show up on the stat sheet, but her work ethic and ability to secure our defense make her incredibly important to our team.”

Andersson also pointed to her growth beyond athletics.

“Genie has been everything you want in a student-athlete,” he said. “She's an outstanding student, an outstanding player and represents the university in such a positive way.”

Amidou was named a Murphy Osborne Award finalist by Conference Carolinas, an honor recognizing the league's top student-athletes who demonstrate excellence in academics, athletics and character.

Balancing athletics, academics and research required discipline — something Amidou embraced.

“I learned how to manage my time,” she said. “I had to focus on my work and what I needed to do to reach my goals.”

Now, Amidou is preparing for the next chapter, with plans to pursue medical school and eventually become an OB-GYN, driven by a desire to address disparities in women's healthcare.