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For Peyton Specht, being a student-athlete at �ֲ���ý Northern University 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 �ֲ���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 �ֲ���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 �ֲ���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 �ֲ���ý 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 �ֲ���ý was a dream come true. My family, friends, coaches, and �ֲ���ý faculty inspired me to keep striving and ‘get 1% better at something every day.’”