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By SU Integrated Marketing

SALISBURY, MD---Many students whose college experience was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic got a second chance to rebound – both in their professional and athletic careers.

With a fifth year of eligibility from the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA), many students continued their sport by going on to graduate school. At Salisbury, a lot of these students were business-minded.

Of the incoming students to SU’s Master of Business Administration Program last year, nearly 20 were student-athletes. They represented a variety of sports – softball, baseball, football, basketball, lacrosse and more.

The thing they have in common? Fierce discipline, team spirit, and the drive to succeed.

Natalie Paoli ’23, M’24, who completed the M.B.A. program as a five-year starting member for the SU softball team, said a business degree was the natural next step for her career.

“It was a no-brainer,” Paoli said. “Both SU Athletics and the M.B.A. program have a tradition of excellence. I wanted to use this extra year as an opportunity to expand my professional portfolio.”

Completing SU’s rigorous M.B.A. program while being a main player for the softball team was no easy feat. But Natalie believes there is a lot of crossover between business and sports. Each class in the M.B.A. involves group projects and collaboration with a team – not so different from supporting her teammates at shortstop on the softball field.

“Playing softball for SU gave me a family within my team and within the community as a whole,” Natalie said. “Being surrounded by people who desire to be great further pushed me to be the best version of myself every day.”

Nero Schrader, a current M.B.A. student, said working with a team in both his classes and on the football field is similar – except, instead of scoring a touchdown, he may be completing a project or making a sale. Both are helping him build time management skills and work ethic that will help him succeed in his future career in construction management.

“Being a student-athlete has shaped me into the person I am today,” Nero said. “A business has to work together towards the same goal, just like a football team. Being a student-athlete requires you to be in four places at once, but you get good at balancing the different roles you play.”

Just like a team needs a coach, Natalie said she couldn’t have done it all without her faculty.

“I am so grateful for the professors and mentors who not only helped me in the classroom, but were also interested in my athletic and personal success,” Natalie said. “Everything I’ve learned at SU is something I will carry forward into my career.”

SU’s M.B.A. program offers many flexible options for all types of students to complete their degree. U.S. News & World Report has consistently ranked SU’s online M.B.A. among the nation’s “Best Online Programs,” and the program is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International.

Learn more about SU’s M.B.A. Program by registering for a virtual interest session at , or 5 p.m. .  

For more information about SU’s M.B.A. Program, email mba@salisbury.edu or Yvonne Downie Hanley at yxdownie@salisbury.edu.