Hometown: Wildwood, MO
Current Location: Edwardsville, IL
Can you tell us a bit about your background and what inspired you to pursue your current career path?
You could say that I started gaining experience in intercollegiate athletics while I was a student-athlete at UIS, which ties into my inspiration on pursing that career path. As a freshman on the UIS Women's Volleyball I joined the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). I loved the potential and possibility of making a positive impact on our experience as Prairie Stars, and the potential to grow as a leader through SAAC. From there any opportunity that I was presented with I took or sought out, even if it was a big time commitment or out of my comfort zone. With that I was selected to be a part of the NCAA Division II National SAAC. That experience opened my eyes to the potential career path in college athletics and helped guide my next steps in pursuit of that goal to work in the industry. After UIS I accepted a Graduate Assistant position at University of North Georgia where I worked as the Grad Assistant for Athletic Administration for two years while earning my MBA. I then headed to Indianapolis where I was a Post-Graduate Intern for Division II Governance at the NCAA Headquarters. After that time, I headed back to campus as the very first Athletic Academic Advisor at University of Wisconsin Parkside (UWP). After one year there I was promoted to Assistant Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Success/Athletics Diversity and Inclusion Designee. After a three-year stent at UWPI headed back towards my hometown of St. Louis to work at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) as the Assistant Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Success. The theme has remained the same through my various positions in finding ways to better the student-athlete experience.
Who or what has been your biggest influence or mentor in your journey?
It's so hard to narrow it down to one, it truly takes a village. Here is my village: my family (parents, sisters, my husband who was also a student-athlete at UIS), Lindsay Reeves who is the retired Director of Athletics at University of North Georgia, Ryan Jones, the Associate Director of Division II Governance, and Hayley Treadway, Deputy Director of Athletics at University of Wisconsin Parkside. Each of those individuals have helped guide me, encourage me, and support me in pursing my goals. Transparently I am not the best at quick decision making, so without the individuals I listed I would not be where I am today and would not have accomplished all that I have. I have a lot of gratitude for them!
I would say the other piece of influence is my why. I am so grateful that I was a NCAA Division II student-athlete, and the opportunities that I was afforded while I was a student-athlete have been instrumental to me in realizing the potential I have as a leader. My why is to help provide the student-athletes of today the same experiences and confidence that I received as I believe college athletics is the one of the best personal development opportunities one can have.
What are your goals and aspirations for the future?
With a lot changing, specifically in the intercollegiate athletics industry, I do not have a specific title I reaching for. Rather, with a lot of focus on Name, Image, and Likeness, and money, although those are important topics, my goal is to keep my "why" top of mind. My "why" is to give an exceptional experience to the student-athletes I serve in order for them to become the best version of themselves. Again, I truly believe that college athletics is one of the best personal development opportunities. As I continue to progress in my career I will seek out opportunities that I can make that impact and continue to make a positive impact.
What advice would you give to others who are looking to advance and make a difference in their field?
"Be comfortable, being uncomfortable."
I first heard this quote in 2015 while at the NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum, and it truly changed my perspective. I knew that in order to grow I would need to actively seek out opportunities that I would be scared/nervous to pursue, but knew that I would be better because of it. For example, I used to be terrified of public speaking. I also knew that effective public speaking is a wonderful skill to have, so throughout college I actively sought out ways to speak in front of others. I feel grateful and proud of myself because now I am afforded multiple opportunities to speak to student-athletes and admin on a variety of topics, like student-athlete voice and leadership development.
In all, get comfortable being uncomfortable, use your "why" and values as a guide in decision making, and lean on your village, because it truly takes a team.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time that helps you stay inspired and motivated?
Work-Life integration. I hear a lot of folks refer to "work-life balance", but I like to shift my mindset to integrating work and life. Sports has been a part of my life since I was little, so it feels natural for me to continue to integrate sports (i.e. my professional work) into my everyday life. My husband and I love going to sporting events at the institution I work for, to cheer on the student-athletes I work with, and to socialize with friends and family. Being a St. Louis sports fans, I also love going to Cardinals, Blues, STL City FC, and Battlehawks games.
Other than athletics/sporting events, I love being outdoors as much as I can. Going to grad school in Dahlonega, GA and being in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains I found a love for hiking! I also love trying out local coffee shops and restaurants with friends and family.
All of those things ultimately help me stay motivated and help with me with having a well-rounded self-identity.