Senior Spotlight: Maryanna Black, 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: MaryAnna Black
Campus: Mont Alto
Primary Sport: Women's Soccer
Primary Position(s): Forward
Hometown: Mechanicsburg, PA
High School: Cumberland Valley High School
Major: Human Development and Family Studies
Academic Achievements: Dean's List- Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020; Cumulative GPA- 3.81; PSUAC Academic All-Conference Award- 2018-2019 & 2019-2020; USCAA National All-Academic Award- 2018 & 2019
How did your Penn State education prepare you for life after graduation? Penn State has given me more than I could have asked for. Mainly my Penn State education has helped me decide where I want to go in life and the type of person I want to be.
How do you hope to be remembered by teammates and coaches? I hope to be remembered as someone who works hard and was dedicated to the game. I hope I am remembered as a good teammate and a good friend.
What is your favorite memory from playing your sport at Penn State? My favorite memory from playing soccer at Mont Alto is a practice we had in the rain my Junior year. It was pouring down rain and we were all soaked, but Coach Mary kept us out there and we slid around in the mud. We have a lot of hills on campus so we slid down the hills and by the end of practice everyone was covered head to toe in mud. It was a practice where we all just laughed and had a great time.
What is the best advice you ever received from a coach or teammate that you would share with other student-athletes? Always hold yourself accountable for your actions.
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 looking forward to being done with school (for now) until I decide if I want to go for my Masters. I am also looking forward to starting working somewhere and really getting my life after college started. It's a scary and crazy thought to think that in a few months I will no longer be a college student and my 4 years have already flown by. I remember freshman year like it was yesterday!
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? Through all my years of playing soccer, there are many things I have learned. I have learned how to be disciplined with myself. I have also learned to hold myself accountable for my actions and show up and want to be there, you have to work for what you want nothing is going to come easy. I think the most important thing I have learned through playing is to never give up, always push yourself to do better, and be the best you can be.
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? Athletics has had a huge impact on my experience as a college student. It has given me an outlet to make some of my best friends. It allows me to take my mind off school work for just a few hours during practice or games and just be outside doing what I love. It has kept me very busy and active throughout my years at Mont Alto. My favorite memory outside of athletics would have to be the one night a week my brother would come to campus to visit me. He would drive an hour after he got off work to come to see me on campus and take me and my friends out to eat and then come back and hang out for a while.
Please use this space to thank anyone you wish to acknowledge for their support during your academic and athletic career. I would like to thank Coach Mary and Coach Logan for never giving up on me and always pushing me to be the best player I could be. I also want to thank Coach Terry who was only with me for my first year playing, but he always believed in me and took the time to work with me outside of practice. I want to thank my family and most importantly my mom for always showing up to support me and cheering me on not only from the sidelines but also encouraging me to do my best in the classroom. Last but not least I would like to thank my boyfriend, Joey Wunsch for sticking by my side since freshman year, showing up to every game he could, and always being there for me no matter what.