Give to WSUA member of WSU’s two-time national rugby championship team, Carly MacKinnon knows that accomplishing her goals requires focus and endurance—and a little support from the Cougar family. Thanks to the help of generous scholarship donors, Carly has achieved her goal of graduating from college and is now working toward her dream to transform rugby into a major world sport.
My inspiration is…
My father. At an early age, he planted a positive seed in my head about the importance of education. Although he passed away when I was 13, my dedication to my studies throughout my educational career has been fueled by him, and has led me to where I am today—a WSU graduate as of December 2013!
How my scholarships helped me…
Although I’ve always wanted to pursue a college degree, I never really thought I would be able to afford it. Scholarships opened the door for me. When I came to college, I knew exactly what I wanted to study and what I wanted to accomplish. Scholarships helped me focus and achieve these goals. I was able to leave Pullman with multiple appearances on the President’s Honor Roll and I even graduated a semester early. With my degree, I am ready to take on the world.
Now that I’ve graduated…
I plan to pursue a long-term career with Serevi Rugby, a Seattle-based company aiming to grow the game of rugby in North America and beyond. Since May 2012, I have worked with the company as a youth coach and during my last semester at WSU I interned with Serevi Rugby as a marketing developer. Over time, those positions have snowballed into more responsibilities and I have gained so much experience and have been exposed to so many opportunities within the rugby industry.
One day I hope to…
My hope is to one day be in charge of promoting and managing one of the U.S. Olympics rugby teams. As a sports management major, I don’t know what could top working in the Olympics!
What I love most about WSU is…
The camaraderie. No matter where I am, I frequently get that friendly and proud “Go Cougs!” from strangers. It reminds me that even though I am not on campus, my commitment and time invested at WSU does not go unrecognized by my fellow Cougars. That sense of family is one that makes me proud.
Three unique things about me…
- Snowboarding is the only non-team sport that I enjoy. Getting lost in the mountains and surrounded by snow, trees, and fresh air clears my mind.
- If I have free time before an appointment, chances are I will be late; however, if I am busy, I will be on time. It’s an interesting phenomenon that I am trying to overcome after being conditioned by years of maintaining a busy schedule.
- I’ve always been an athletic person, but I’ve never learned to do a cartwheel.
