Senior Spotlight: Danessa Myers, Penn State Mont Alto
Welcome to our Senior Spotlight series. In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the PSUAC had to cancel its fall and winter sport seasons. This prevented several student-athletes from receiving a proper senior day and minimized opportunities for Player of the Week awards. In its place, we will highlight seniors from around the conference throughout the remainder of the semester.
See more Senior Spotlight highlights on our Twitter (@psuac) and Instagram (psuac)!
Name: Danessa Myers
Campus: Mont Alto
Primary Sport: Women's Soccer
Primary Position(s): Forward/Right or Left Mid
Hometown: St. Thomas, PA
High School: James Buchanan High School
Major: Human Development and Family Studies
Academic Achievements: Dean's List, Certificate of Achievement for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (2020), PSUAC Academic All-Conference Award (2018-2019)
Athletic Achievements: John Fritz Sportsmanship Award (2019)
How did your Penn State education prepare you for life after graduation? It made me decide who I wanted to be and what impact I wanted to make. It also instilled confidence in me for future challenges.
How do you hope to be remembered by teammates and coaches? I hope to be remembered by the person who worked hard on and off the field and who always tried to cheer each other on no matter what.
What is your favorite memory from playing your sport at Penn State? My favorite memory would have to be when we were at an away game and the bus broke down and Coach Mary and Logan had to get our post-game meal delivered to us on the broken bus an hour or so later.
What is the best advice you ever received from a coach or teammate that you would share with other student-athletes? The best advice would be to always do your own thing and never worry about what others think about you, whether that be on or off the field.
What are you most looking forward to post graduation? Or in your transition to University Park (or other campus) to finish your degree? I am most looking forward to working in my degree and seeing where that can take me. I am excited to see how being a part of a team is going to benefit me later down the road in my career.
What are some of the tools or skills that you learned through all the years of playing your sport that you plan to instill once you enter the workforce? Even if your mind tells you not to, you still have to do it. Soccer isn't my first sport to play, but that didn't stop me from wanting to get better day after day. Keeping a good work ethic is really going to push me far in life.
What impact did athletics have on your experience as a college student? What is your favorite memory outside of athletics during your time as a student-athlete? It made me want to work extra hard to become a better student and athlete because I was juggling so many things as once. I had to find a good balance between the two. It also made me have a lot of connections with my teammates outside of practice. My favorite memory was when a couple of us went to Walmart to buy groceries for a pre-game breakfast the next day and also when some of us played indoor soccer at the Rec Center.
Please use this space to thank anyone you wish to acknowledge for their support during your academic and athletic career. First, I would like to thank God because all things are possible through Him. I would liked to thank my family and friends for their continued support. I would like to thank my coaches, Mary and Logan, especially for being patient with me during my soccer career. They helped instill confidence in me even when I felt like I could do nothing right. I would like to thank my teammates for pushing me and being there through it all. I will miss each of you so much.