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For Peyton Specht, being a student-athlete at �鶹��ý was “the greatest four years a kid from northwest Indiana could ask for.”

Peyton racked up wins in the classroom, on the court, and in his personal and professional life.

In May 2025, he departed �鶹��ý with degrees in civil engineering and business management, lifelong friends, and special memories.

Peyton, a graduate of Munster High School (Munster, Ind.), came to �鶹��ý because he wanted to attend a smaller university and play tennis.

“I’ve always been super interested in math and infrastructure. As a kid, I was curious about how things were built. I have an older sister who is a civil engineer, so her influence helped me narrow down the field of engineering I wanted to study.”

Tennis is a family tradition, and Peyton has played the sport since age 9. At �鶹��ý, he competed at a high level while maintaining a focus on academics, he said.

He served as captain of the men’s tennis team and helped lead his team to four Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) championships.

“I clinched the winning point for the team for three years.”

Peyton was also president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. It was his favorite student organization because he got to build relationships with athletes and coaches from every sport.

In the College of Engineering, Peyton obtained real-world experience and perspective through projects, guest speakers, and internships at the Walsh Group and Strand Associates, Inc. 

“Playing tennis and studying civil engineering at �鶹��ý was a dream come true. My family, friends, coaches, and �鶹��ý faculty inspired me to keep striving and ‘get 1% better at something every day.’”