de>
Student-athletes at Gettysburg College are movers and shakers off the field. They don’t sit idly by in the offseason pining away for the start of the next season in their sports. They engage in activities across campus, many of which aid them in developing their career passions and objectives and ultimately lead to careers in a variety of professions.
There are organizations and opportunities on campus that open new doorways to students. Gettysburg’s vast alumni network often plays a critical role in helping student-athletes reach their career objectives, whether it’s through campus programs like the Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation Initiative (E-SII) or connectGettysburg or as part of a network of former student-athletes lending advice and mentorship.
Being part of a Division III athletic program allows Gettysburg student-athletes to experience a range of activities off the field during their four years. Those experiences have guided many former and current student-athletes to seek a variety of careers that includes medicine, business, law enforcement, coaching, marine biology, and the military. The combination of academics and athletics and the availability of numerous resources have set student-athletes up for success beyond campus.
View the stories below to gain more insight into the careers being mapped out by current and former Gettysburg student-athletes.
Connecting the Career Dots
Student-athletes at Gettysburg are never alone in their pursuit of career goals. The College offers an extensive network of opportunities with alumni across the globe. Some teams, like men’s soccer, have connected the pats with the present and developed a pipeline for mentorship and professional development for the next generation. Gettysburg College’s online engagement, networking, and mentoring platform connectGettysburg played a key role in track and field athlete Dylan O’Neil’s ’20 career pursuit amidst the pandemic. A number of student-athletes, including Justin Titchenell ’21, Matt Szczesny ’21, and Jack Volker ’21 have taken advantage of the Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation Initiative (E-SII) to develop ideas and attain financial support from Gettysburg’s alumni network.
Men’s Soccer Continues Successful Alumni Network
The key to Dylan O’Neil’s ’20 job search success: connectGettysburg
Student-Athletes Create Coaching Tool for Success
Student-Athletes Engage in Endless Pursuits
The range of careers pursued by student-athletes covers every corner of the job market. Recent grads from the volleyball program include doctors and business consultants, while a number of former Gettysburg lacrosse stars are leading budding student-athletes as coaches.
A liberal arts education helped former track and field athlete Susan Buckwalter ’04 cultivate critical thinking skills that helped her start her own fitness beverage business in 2020. Another former track star, Emily Waddell ’17, has her sights set on a Ph.D. in marine biology and her former teammate and basketball standout, Kendra Meredith ’18, has earned her badge as a deputy sheriff as she keeps an eye on a future career in the FBI.
Nick Lord ’20 was a sharpshooter on the basketball court and now he’s using that same drive and determination to help his business, NOCAP Sports. Finally, softball standout Shelby Baker ’21 is in the midst of closing her final softball season at Gettysburg and afterwards, she’ll trade the orange and blue for the scarlet and gold of the U.S. Marine Corps.
Volleyball BOLD Alumnae: Where Are They Now?
From Players to Coaches, Bullets Lead Next Generation of Lax
Susan Buckwalter ’04 on entrepreneurship, applying her liberal arts education
Emily Waddell ’17: Searching for a Sound
Kendra Meredith ’18: Changing Course
Nick Lord ’20: Using Competitive Drive in Business
Shelby Baker ’21: Changing Uniforms
This story was originally posted on the Gettysburg College Website.