A Running Brooke
Brooke Longstreet, a 2022 Exercise Science alumnus, has played her favorite sport of soccer since she was four or five years old. She has been actively involved in athletics throughout her life. Brooke, who was on the soccer, track, and basketball teams at Lakeland High School, played on Marywood’s soccer team under the direction of Coach Andrew Smith.
Brooke decided to attend Marywood because she wanted to stay local for her college education. Additionally, both her mother and her older brother are Marywood alumni, so she was already familiar with the University. Her guidance counselor and her high school coach also helped her to make this decision. Originally admitted to Marywood as an undecided major, Brooke eventually declared Exercise Science as her major after exploring her options and meeting with people on campus.
She was admitted to Marywood as a student athlete and believes that preseason really helped her to adjust to college life and get a feel for the campus. According to Brooke, it’s a little bit easier to get acclimated to campus when you’re a member of a team, because you already have connections with students and faculty.
In addition to the soccer team, Brooke was also a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee as well as the Student Athlete Honor Society. From time to time, she joined group study sessions with other student athletes.
“We didn’t have personal group mandatory study halls unless someone’s GPA was lower than they needed it to be,” Brooke stated. “We always helped underclassmen with anything that they needed,” she continued.
Brooke’s advice for new students is to get involved early, so they can build relationships with people on campus, which makes it much easier when you need help. “Everyone is in the same boat as you are, so don’t be nervous,” Brooke recommended. “The only way to make it better is if you try to become comfortable around fellow students and to expand your experiences by joining clubs, sports, etc.”