Senior Spotlight: Michael Foder, Penn State Scranton
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: Michael Foder
Campus: Scranton
Sport: Basketball & Soccer
Primary Position: Guard & Midfield
Hometown: Clarks Summit, PA
High School: Abington Heights High School
Major: Psychology
Academic Achievements: Dean's list
Athletic Achievements: PSU Scranton player of the week (Jan 13-19,2019) (basketball) PSU Scranton player of the week for week of September 17, 2019 (soccer) 2019 PSAUC Honorable Mention (soccer)
How did your Penn State education prepare you for life after graduation? With my own state education I know I’m prepared for whatever grad program i choose to go into and am ready to face every challenge head on.
How do you hope to be remembered by teammates and coaches? I hope to be remembered as a great teammate who was there for anyone who needed me but on the field/court and off of it. Also as someone who always gave 100% when on the court/field and never let up.
What is your favorite memory from playing your sport at Penn State? (Soccer) Making the playoffs for the first time in over a decade. (Basketball) My 31 point game against Central Maine Community College.
What is the best advice you ever received from a coach or teammate that you would share with other student-athletes? Treat every game like it’s your last. You never know what’s going to happen and it goes by faster than you could imagine.
What are you most looking forward to post graduation? Or in your transition to University Park (or other campus) to finish your degree? I’m looking forward to being able to completely focus on my my major now and get ready to jump into my future 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? Hard work and dedication will always pay off. Putting your all into what you want to do is the only way you should ever do anything.
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 helped me build another family outside of my own. Being with my teammates so often over the past 4 years has led to bonds that I’ll have for a lifetime. My favorite memory outside of athletics is just being at PSU Scranton in general. Our small campus makes it very easy to get comfortable very quickly and know everyone within the first year.
Please use this space to thank anyone you wish to acknowledge for their support during your academic and athletic career. I want to thank my parents for the constant support over the past 4 years. Also my coaches who have given me a lot of responsibility and confidence in my play ever since I got here. I also want to thank our coordinator of athletics, Sara Rinkunas, for giving me a role in our athletics system to be a part of all the sports here and have a great connection to all my fellow athletes.