As a kid who played every sport growing up, I never knew how college athletics would change my life in such a dramatic and positive way. After a few official visits to some warmer climates, I was offered a full athletic scholarship to play at the University of Alaska where I was an outside hitter for four years and eventually became an All-American and NCAA Woman of the Year nominee. When we weren’t training, I was able to experience the true Alaskan lifestyle by hiking glaciers, dog mushing and seeing the incredible Northern Lights! Using sports as a vehicle to earn a college degree taught me so much more about life than simply honing my skills athletically. I met some of my best friends in college and also met my husband, who played DI Hockey for the University of Alaska as well. Being a collegiate student-athlete taught me about work ethic and character not only on the court, but in life, and that is exactly what I respect so much about being a part of the NCSA team and the lives we change daily. I am grateful to have a platform where I can help prospective student-athletes accomplish their collegiate dreams as well and pour into their future. When I’m not playing volleyball or camping with my family, I get to be a super fan to our three sons, Canyon, Hop and Hudson and all the activities they get into. From Hop’s perspective, my job is where “I just get to talk about sports for a living”! I think we have a future NCSA recruiting specialist on our hands.