Ellie Kebler

Students all over the country are overwhelmed heading into their first week of college knowing they are going into all of the freshman transitions, from making friends to learning about their field of study. But for one student, this is underwhelming. Ellie Kebler, a freshman at Siena Heights University, is double majoring in business and communications while participating on the women’s basketball team.

According to studies, student-athletes have a higher chance of getting a job because of the way they have multitasked throughout college. Kebler, who was the varsity point guard of her high school team, class president and graduating with high honors, knows college will not be an easy task. She does know that if she can make it through her four years, the rewards will be exceptional.

Even though she has only gone through her first week of college, she said she is more motivated than ever to finish these four years with flying colors. Kebler is aware of the opportunities that lie before her if she keeps working hard, and stays positive. As Davis Sarnoff once said, “The will to persevere is often the difference between failure and success.”

Nate Pupel

Many college students go through school aimlessly taking classes not knowing the direction they want their life to go. Nate Pupel, a junior at Siena Heights, has wanted to major in Applied Arts for the past two years. Going into his final two years as a college student, he is realizing that this may not be what he wants to pursue anymore.

Pupel said it is hard in life when you are working towards a goal you are unaware of. He is feeling like communications might have been the better path for him. Like many college students, he does not know if he should change his major or not. Students change majors many different times throughout college, even though they may not be able to finish school in time.

He said one of the many perks of going to a small university is that you can try out different fields of study until you know what you want to do. He said his favorite part about Siena Heights is that the professors are able to sit down with him one-on-one to explore the many different options available at the university.

Levi Long

Bill McCartney once said, “All coaching is, is taking a player where he can’t take himself.” Levi Long demonstrates this quote perfectly. A sophomore at Siena Heights University who attended Waldron High school, he assists with the women’s basketball team. Long is required to be at all team events, and more. He has been around coaching his whole life, and his dad is a head boys football and basketball coach. He was the quarterback of his high school varsity team, and a shooting guard for Waldron’s basketball team.

He said being the manager for the women’s basketball team has helped him in his aspirations to be a future women’s college basketball coach. This gives him a good stepping-stone and a foot into the college coaching door. He has learned from the coaches at Siena on how to be run a program inside and out. Coach Sue Syljebeck’s coaching style has taught him a different philosophy to coaching. Long is hoping that 20 years down the road, he will be a women’s basketball coach for an NCAA Division 1 team.

“Coming to Siena to be the manager has been a great decision,” he said. “I chose to come here because it was close to home, a nice small community feel, and a good personal fit.”

Long also coaches for the Michigan Elite AAU basketball program, and helps coach the Waldron girls varsity basketball team.

 Samuel Cavanaugh

“Don’t walk through life just playing football. Don’t walk through life just being an athlete. Athletics will fade. Character and integrity really make an impact on someone’s life, that’s the ultimate goal,” said former NFL linebacker Ray Lewis.

Samuel Cavanaugh is a student-athlete at Siena Heights University, double majoring in social studies and special education. He has came on to campus as a freshman and made an immediate impact as the starting long snapper on the football team. Cavanaugh said that, “It is challenging juggling the physical and mental aspects of football and classes.”

Cavanaugh comes from a large school in Indiana, where he played on the varsity football and baseball team. He said, “There are some parts that the same in high school such as doing homework going to football and going to classes, but in college you are more self-reliant. The workload in college is heavier.”

He said he manages his time between classes, football and social activities by setting his priorities straight and getting things done in a timely fashion. He hopes that some day he will be a secondary education teacher, and coach football on the side. He said, “Being a student-athlete taught me to have a better work ethic and more discipline than the average student.”