Senior Spotlight: Sierra Sallada, Penn State Schuylkill
Welcome to our Senior Spotlight. In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the PSUAC had to cancel its spring 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. Our second Penn State Schuylkill spotlight is Sierra Sallada!
See more Senior Spotlight highlights on our Twitter (@psuac) and Instagram (psuacsports)!
Name: Sierra Sallada
Campus: Schuylkill
Sport: Softball
Primary Position: Right Field
Hometown/High School: Shillington, Governor Mifflin Senior High School
Major: Criminal Justice
Academic Achievements:
19-20 Academic All-Conference Award
18-19 John Fritz Sportsmanship Award
18-19 PSUAC East First Team All-Conference Award
2020 A.I.I. All-Conference
Q&A
What has been your favorite memory while participating in athletics at your campus?
Being a part of the team, going to Myrtle Beach and making it to Nationals my sophomore year.
What advice do you have for your younger teammates or recruits that are looking at coming to Penn State Schuylkill?
My advice for younger teammates is to take it all in and run everything out until the last play. Coming here to play softball was one of the best decisions I could have ever made.
What are your post-graduation plans? (short and long-term)
Short-term I'm focusing on finding a suitable career in the criminal justice field, most likely law enforcement.
What impact did athletics have on your experience as a college student?
Athletics had a very strong positive impact on my experience as a college student. I was able to achieve better grades while in season than out of season, softball gave me a reason to focus on what I needed to do. Lots of our staff at Penn State Schuylkill loves to see a student athlete achieve and it gives you pride in what you're doing.
What is your favorite memory outside of athletics at Penn State?
My favorite memory outside of athletics is my time spent in our cafe, being with friends, working on homework together and meeting new people at the same time.
What life lessons did you learn while playing a sport at your campus?
I think I personally learned more life lessons while playing softball at Penn State Schuylkill due to our staff. We are a family. I learned that not every good deed gets rewarded, sometimes people will disappoint you and that is okay, sometimes you'll disappoint yourself, work as a team or don't work at all, and many, many more.
Are there teammates, coaches or family members you would like to thank for having a positive impact on your playing career?
I would like to specifically thank my parents for getting me to where I am now, the rest of my family, my childhood and college friends who have supported me all these years, all of my teammates over the past four years, our trainer, Kate Fullerton, and my coaches Darle Cresswell and Ashley Hullihan.