Alyson Stolz feature "You will be noticed at MCLA"

Alyson Stolz '15 of Oxford, Mass., says her experience at MCLA as an athletic training major, a basketball player, and more, has been "nothing short of amazing."

"You will be noticed at MCLA," she said. "Professors and students engage in classroom discussion and know each other's names due to class size. Personal relationships are built in and out of the classroom. As an athlete, it is nice to see my professors sitting in the stands at my games. It shows the support these professors have not only for you in their class, but for you as an individual."

To Stolz, playing basketball is much more than what she does on the court.

"As a team we put on clinics for little kids, participate in National Girls and Women in Sports Day, and partake in many community service projects around the area. Being a part of a team that performs well on the court and in the community is what separates good programs from great programs. A great program is what we have at MCLA."

Her experience as a student-athlete has taught Stolz many things - such as effective time management and how to work hard.

"However, the most beneficial thing I get out of participating in basketball would have to be the bond that I have created with my teammates and coaches," she said. "We know how to win, lose, laugh, cry, fight, face adversity - and above all, love - and we do it all together."

Ultimately, Stolz aims to become a physician assistant. She plans to work as an athletic trainer while she's in graduate school. As an athletic training major at MCLA, she has the opportunity to develop her own clinical philosophy as she works in a clinical setting on campus, under the supervision of a certified athletic trainer.

"It has enabled me to build personal professional relationships with athletes and helped me develop my expertise as an athletic training student," she said.

When she feels like being social, Stolz heads to the cafeteria.

"I know whenever I go there I am going to sit with great friends and have an hour to relax and laugh. I always meet new people and reconnect with old friends while eating lunch," she explained. "The set-up of the newly renovated marketplace is a place to promote events, grab a coffee, and even chat with friends before class."

Outside, there's plenty to do - whatever the season.

"In the winter, people can be seen sledding down Hoosac Hill, engaging in snowball fights and building snowmen. If you take advantage of the area, people can take trips to the mountain and have a day full of skiing," Stolz said. "In the fall and spring more people are outside utilizing the hiking and biking trails. You also see a lot of students playing Frisbee, soccer, and Wiffle ball on Taconic lawn. ... There is never a dull moment on campus."

MCLA is a unique university, said Stolz, because, "If there is something that you want to do, then you can go and do it. If you want a new club then you can make it. Recently a group of students got together and made a new club called the Record Breaking Club. If you want to join a club or committee, you can."

What's the best thing about MCLA? Endless opportunities, according to Stolz.

"You can be you, and you can be good at being you," she said.

"MCLA is so much more than a college to me; it is my home. Coming to MCLA meant I could have a great education, continue playing the sport I love, and create new opportunities that better me as a person."