Senior Spotlight: Tyler Shannon, Penn State Mont Alto
Welcome to our Senior (and Sophomore) 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: Tyler Shannon
Campus: Mont Alto
Primary Sport: Men's Soccer
Primary Position(s): Forward
Hometown: Biglerville, Pa
High School: Biglerville High School
Major: Biological Engineering
Academic Achievements: Dean's List Spring 2020
Additional Info: Mont Alto THON: Secretary, Executive Director of Public Relations, Dancer in THON 2021; SGA: Chief of Staff
How did your Penn State education prepare you for life after graduation? I have been in many organizations with leadership positions that have helped me manage my time effectively and lead others in a forward direction. Also, Penn State's professors have helped me along with my academic career in making the most out of every class.
How do you hope to be remembered by teammates and coaches? I hope to be remembered as a person who would build up someone who was down or not on their best game. I never liked to see one of my teammates beating themselves up over a bad game or play so I would try to lift them up and tell them to just keep working.
What is your favorite memory from playing your sport at Penn State? The bus rides to and from games are my favorite memories of playing soccer. Being stuck on a bus for over an hour let us really connect and I believe that's how we would build our connections. Playing our music and playing games really let us get to know one another.
What is the best advice you ever received from a coach or teammate that you would share with other student-athletes? A simple "Hey, don't give up. Just hang in there" is very simple yet has helped me through tough practices and even through school and life.
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 excited to take classes that are even more major specific at University Park. I also would like to get involved in THON at UP because it has been a huge part of my time here at Mont Alto.
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 the years of playing soccer, I have learned that hard work really does pay off. When you put yourself out there and do your best, your coaches and your bosses notice. If you want to be good at a sport, you have to work hard. If you want to be higher up in your job, you have to work hard.
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 really helped me with my transition into college. It helped me make new friends very quickly and made me learn how to manage my time. The support athletes get in college is appreciated because we do have less time than other students. Some of my favorite memories outside of athletics are just hanging out with my friends. We are always together either in a study room, the library, the Mill, or even one of our dorm rooms.
Please use this space to thank anyone you wish to acknowledge for their support during your academic and athletic career. I'd like to thank everyone that helped me have a great start to my college career, especially my coaches and friends who pushed me to be a better teammate and person.