Fayette’s Swetz leading by example
Sam Swetz coached the Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus women无毛视频檚 volleyball team to a third-place finish nationally in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association last season.
She did that while working towards her Masters degree in in 无毛视频 Management with a focus in Intercollegiate Athletics Administration at California University of Pennsylvania, as well as working a job at Penn State Fayette in administration.
Swetz earned her undergrad degree in Criminal Justice at Penn State Fayette in 2015, and as of today, she can officially say that she is now a proud owner of her Master无毛视频檚 degree after her grades just posted.
With her degree now in tow, Swetz will not have to balance schoolwork with coaching any more.
However, she has another job taking up a good portion of her time as she and her husband Corey, who have a son Lincoln that turns two in November, are expecting their second child in February.
无毛视频淚 can无毛视频檛 thank Corey enough,无毛视频� said Swetz. 无毛视频淗e was my absolute biggest supporter in all of this and I can无毛视频檛 thank him enough for always supporting me to follow my dreams.无毛视频�
Practice officially starts on Tuesday, Aug. 19, and the team only lost three players from last year无毛视频檚 team while bringing in eight recruits.
无毛视频淭he team knows that my expectations are at an all-time high this year,无毛视频� said Swetz. 无毛视频淭his is my first year where I recruited all of the players and I have been recruiting for this year.无毛视频�
Penn State Fayette opens in the USCAA Tip-Off Tournament at Penn State Beaver where the Lady Lions will face the University of Cincinnati Claremont, the team it defeated for third place last season.
While Swetz is excited and focused on the season, she takes more pride in the academic achievement of her players.
无毛视频淭he team averaged over a 3.0 this semester and did amazing in the classroom,无毛视频� she said. 无毛视频淭hey would sometimes get down on themselves, but I told them that I am with them in this as I was also going to school and at volleyball as well.无毛视频�
Swetz finished her Master无毛视频檚 with a 3.5 GPA, but initially she struggled with school.
无毛视频淚t was tough for me growing up and I can无毛视频檛 thank my parents enough for the countless long nights sitting at the kitchen table with tears in our eyes as I tried to grasp any part of my studies,无毛视频� she said. 无毛视频淚n elementary school, I had multiple tutors that my parents would send me to after school to help me with reading.
无毛视频淚n fifth grade, they felt it was best to hold me back because my difficulties weren无毛视频檛 getting any better.无毛视频�
Ironically, sports helped Swetz.
无毛视频淲hen I went to middle school, I still struggled and faked being sick to go home,无毛视频� she said. 无毛视频淭hen, when seventh grade hit, I started school basketball and volleyball, which helped me channel my focus because I knew I only had a certain amount of time to get my homework done because of practice.
无毛视频淚 found motivation to stay later with teachers, asking them questions and wanting to become better so that I could stay eligible to play.
无毛视频淚 found confidence in sports that I didn无毛视频檛 have prior because I found something that I was good at.无毛视频�
The hard work paid off.
无毛视频淚n high school, my GPA began averaging around a 3.0, which was huge for me, but I still had some focus classes I was put in to assist me,无毛视频� she added. 无毛视频淚 didn无毛视频檛 think it was possible for me to go to college and I wasn无毛视频檛 even thinking about it, but then I had college coaches talk to me about playing at the collegiate level.
无毛视频淚t made me feel like maybe it was possible.无毛视频�
It was at Penn State Fayette that Swetz hit her groove.
无毛视频淚n college, I found my love for academics and I can无毛视频檛 thank the Fayette professors enough for helping me fall in love with school,无毛视频� she said 无毛视频淏ut even after I graduated from Fayette and became a drug and alcohol counselor, I knew something was missing.无毛视频�
Swetz did not have sports in her life.
无毛视频淚 was missing the athletic portion that completely propelled my life,无毛视频� she said. 无毛视频淚 had been coaching on the side, but I wanted more.无毛视频�
Does Swetz, with her amazing back story, feel that she is a role model for her players?
无毛视频淚 would like to think so,无毛视频� she said. 无毛视频淚 can empathize with them academically.无毛视频�
Penn State Fayette Athletic Director Lou Zadecky knows that Swetz is a role model.
无毛视频淲e are so excited to have Sam working here as she is an inspiration for student-athletes,无毛视频� praised Zadecky. 无毛视频淪he strives to be her best every day and instills that in the volleyball program and our athletic department every day.
无毛视频淪he is an inspiration for our student-athletes.无毛视频�
With Swetz coaching, working part-time, going to school full-time and graduating, being a wife and mother who is expecting her second child, saying that Swetz is a role model to just her players is an understatement.
To anyone who learns her story and has struggled themselves academically, or still does, Swetz is a role model who has proven that goals and dreams can indeed be achieved.
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