Senior Spotlight: Machaela Hall, Penn State Fayette
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: Machaela Hall
Campus: Fayette
Primary Sport: Volleyball
Primary Position(s): Libero
Hometown: Fairchance, PA
High School: Albert Gallatin
Major: Nursing
Athletic Achievements: Penn State Fayette Athlete of the Week 2017; 2019 USCAA Honorable Mention All-American; October 22nd 2019 PSUAC Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week; Week of October 29th, 2019 USCAA Player of the week
How did your Penn State education prepare you for life after graduation? Penn State has prepared me by offering me one of the best nursing programs around as well as genuine, positive connections. Having strong references will help to stand out when applying for jobs.
How do you hope to be remembered by teammates and coaches? I hope my teammates and coaches remember me as an athlete who always gave it 100% but also someone who had a positive attitude. “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”- Maya Angelou
What is your favorite memory from playing your sport at Penn State? I have so many memories due to being a student athlete. My favorite would have to be when we won the USCAA volleyball championship! The energy my team brought that day made it such a fun game and an unforgettable accomplishment.
What is the best advice you ever received from a coach or teammate that you would share with other student-athletes? “Hard work beats talent, when talent doesn’t work hard.” Every game and practice should be fueled by heart and hard work.
What are you most looking forward to post graduation? Or in your transition to University Park (or other campus) to finish your degree? I was looking forward to taking an epic road trip post-graduation. Although because of COVID-19 I may have to postpone for a little longer. I have my whole life to work on my career So, I have been saving up to just travel for a summer!
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? Being an athlete and teammate helped teach me that if I wanted to be successful, I had to learn what it meant to truly be a part of a team. As a future nurse I will be working with a wide variety of other healthcare personnel. Athletics teaches you to adapt to people who are different than you and work together to accomplish goals.
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? Being a college athlete is very challenging but also rewarding. It has taught me self-discipline and that I always have more to give.
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 teammates, coaches and family for always pushing me to be better. I will cherish every memory I made with them during my time at Fayette. I have so much love for everyone and they have supported me every step of the way these past 4 years on and off the court.