Plans change — as Haleigh Nelson can attest — but that doesn't diminish the value of having a vision for what's to come. Most immediately, she's an All-American for a Wisconsin volleyball team with national championship aspirations. Beyond that? Nelson has leaned on her own experiences and the support structure in place for UW student-athletes to plan a career path after graduation. | From Varsity Magazine
BY ANDY BAGGOT
UWBadgers.com Insider
Some people show up for the first day of college knowing exactly what they want to do with their academic lives.
That was Haleigh Nelson.
Or so she thought.
A junior middle blocker on the Wisconsin volleyball team, Nelson arrived on campus in the fall of 2013 ready to major in biology so she could become a physical therapist.
It took Nelson, from Cary, North Carolina, one semester to conclude that she would seek an alternative path.
"I realized I wanted a different experience," she said. "I wanted a field that's more personable."
Two eventful years have passed and Nelson has not only been accepted into the UW School of Business, she's become enamored with sports marketing and is intrigued with the idea of going into broadcasting.
That notion has been honed thanks to Nelson's emergence as an award-winning performer for the Badgers. In 2015, she was a second-team All-American and a first-team All-Big Ten pick after finishing among the national leaders in hitting percentage.
"I enjoy being on radio and being interviewed," Nelson said.
Opportunities abound in that capacity, whether it's ESPN, Fox Sports or Big Ten Network, but landing one of those coveted roles isn't easy.
Ditto for all the public relations and marketing jobs in the vast world of sports. Nelson said an internship with the College Football Playoff after she graduates in May of 2017 would fit her perfectly.
"I love football and that's exactly what I want to do," she said.
So how exactly did Nelson travel this road to career enlightenment and stability?
How did she become a prominent fixture in the UW student-athlete community?
How did she become one of the captains for the Badgers?
How did she become known for her volunteerism almost as much as her volleyball prowess?
For one thing, Nelson had a lot of help and a lot of it emanates from the UW Office of Student-Athlete Development (OSAD).
"It's been huge for me because I've gotten to know a lot of people who work in that office and they help us grow while we're here and help us plan our futures," Nelson said. "They really helped me find my way through the education process."
OSAD operates a variety of platforms geared toward leadership and involvement, career and personal development as well as diversity and inclusion.
It oversees the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), offering credit courses and certificates in leadership as well as opportunities to study abroad.
OSAD coordinates an annual career night — where student-athletes can meet with employers offering internships and full-time jobs — in addition to career counseling.
Financial guidance and a credit course in life skills — academics, nutrition, alcohol safety, relationships, physical and mental health and diversity — are also offered through OSAD.
So is Beyond the Game, an initiative that helps student-athletes develop their non-athletic identities so they are prepared to face the end of their eligibility.
"I'd say the student-athletes as a body — the people I've gotten to know — have really made my experience here. There are so many great people on all the different teams. It's a joy to be around them and learn about their journeys and where they want to go."
Nelson credited OSAD director Bridget Woodruff and one of its development coordinators, Brittany McGowan, with helping her extend her boundaries through SAAC.
"They really helped me find opportunities to lead and put myself out there," Nelson said. "That's really helped me grow."
When Nelson compiled a resume for admission to business school, she brought it to members of OSAD, who gave her ideas on content and emphasis.
That exercise helped Nelson when she joined dozens of her peers at Career Night in February. Through OSAD, companies interested in recruiting student-athletes for internships and full-time employment gather at the Kohl Center. Representatives from various graduate and professional schools are also in attendance to discuss post-graduate opportunities.
"It was awesome," Nelson said. "It's kind of an intimidating thing to walk into after a long day of workouts, so I didn't know what to expect."
Nelson said she found herself comparing notes with a variety of student-athletes — different sports and different majors — and getting a better sense of the process.
"It's a glimpse into the future with dressed-up clothes," Nelson said. "I thought the recruiters they had there were great, at least the ones I talked to. They were all so welcoming."
Nelson, talkative and outgoing, seems determined to squeeze every ounce of joy out her time at UW. Her local bucket list includes singing karaoke at the Union Terrace, joining in the annual snowball fight on Bascom Hill, and paddleboarding to Picnic Point.
Why Wisconsin?
"Because it's the world's best university," Nelson wrote in a biography profile.
Nelson has been a peer leader in the Life Skills Academy, a member of SAAC and a member of the Coordinated Leadership Initiative. Those roles have given her access to friends outside of volleyball and insight into what defines the college experience.
Asked if there was a singular tool she found useful in her journey, Nelson said "it was probably everything I learned from the student-athletes around me."
Of course, it started with her teammates.
"When I got here, it was the older players who taught me the culture of our volleyball program," Nelson said. "It was the older players who told me what classes were interesting.
"Now the younger players teach me how to be a better leader. They teach me all sorts of things."
Nelson said getting to know student-athletes from other sports has broadened her horizon. Chloe Miller, a junior outfielder for the softball team, is Nelson's roommate.
"I learned how to understand so much more by rooming with a softball player because it's a whole other sport," Nelson said of Miller, who's from Bettendorf, Iowa. "It provides dimension to our living situation.
"I'd say the student-athletes as a body — the people I've gotten to know — have really made my experience here. There are so many great people on all the different teams. It's a joy to be around them and learn about their journeys and where they want to go. It's awesome."
One of those moments of enlightenment comes when UW student-athletes volunteer as part of the Badgers Give Back program. Participants from all sports gather almost daily to visit local schools, hospitals and nursing homes.
"It makes it so easy for us to volunteer and do things for other people," Nelson said, describing it as "therapy" for her and her peers.
As someone who's made use of the programs offered by the Office of Student-Athlete Development, Nelson was perfect candidate to serve as a peer leader for first-year student-athletes.
"It's so great, especially for the community because they get to interact with people who are their role models."
Nelson said she came to Madison determined to put down a firm academic foundation right away. Her goal was a 3.5 grade-point average and utilizing tutors was a key piece of that initiative.
"What's great about tutors for me is that they help you think about the material outside of the material we have in class," Nelson said.
When did Nelson, who needs 26 credits to earn her degree, feel she had a firm handle on her school work? It was the second semester of her freshman year.
"I kind of got a feel for how classes go because I'd never had (a circumstance) where exams were weighted so much and there was so much homework," she said. "There may have been a few classes where I didn't get as high of a grade as I wanted, but because I started with a good foundation, it didn't fluctuate that much."
Priorities tend to evolve when you go to college.
"When I was in high school, I didn't sleep," Nelson said of her days at Cardinal Gibbons High School when she routinely stayed up until midnight doing homework. "I didn't think about sleep ever."
Nelson does now. Adequate rest and nutrition are vital given the demands she places on her body, especially during the season.
"I've made sleep a high priority on my list and made nutrition a high priority," she said. "Because what I've learned is that those are things I can easily control.
"Just taking care of my body so it can be as prepared as it can be to wake up early and work that hard and get all my stuff done in a day."
In addition to team meals, offered at Camp Randall Stadium and the Kohl Center, UW student-athletes have access to free daily breakfast and so-called "fueling stations" at all the primary athletic facilities.
Nelson said UW student-athletes have a multitude of amenities at their disposal. She said the level of appreciation tends to exceed that of those who take it for granted.
"It's different for everybody, but I think for the most part everyone knows to use the resources that they give us," she said.
A major upgrade for all UW student-athletes on scholarship came to light in 2015-16 when the NCAA said schools could provide full cost of attendance. In addition to getting money to pay for room and board, tuition and books, student-athletes on full scholarship at UW received an average of $4,499.33 annually to spend on clothing, travel, health care and cell phones.
Nelson took the excess funds and opened a retirement account as well as a brokerage account.
"I started investing," she said. "I'd heard in different classes that you can let your money grow over time, so I'm like, 'Why not?' "
Nelson said she put $500 into a retirement account and used $1,500 from her savings to try her hand at stocks. The initiative dates back to a presentation in Life Skills Academy where financial literacy is emphasized.
"Just testing the waters," she said.
That foray into adulthood is another reminder to Nelson that her time at UW is fast drawing to a close. She'll go into her senior season focused on helping the Badgers win their first NCAA title in volleyball. She'll be geared up to support her fellow student-athletes whether it be at Camp Randall, LaBahn Arena or Goodman Diamond. She'll also be acutely aware of her unique surroundings.
"One day this won't be my home anymore and it's very hard to believe because it's such a huge part of my life," Nelson said. "It's defined who I am to this point, so I can't imagine not being here. But I know one day it will end."
With that, Nelson has some advice for her classmates.
"It's probably cliché, but take in every moment that you have," she said. "I would make sure that they knew that the experience they had was one of the best they'll have in their life. Being a Badger is such an amazing experience."
