Paige Kluba Selected as Piedmont's CCS/NCAA Woman of the Year Nominee

I remember walking onto Piedmont University’s campus on my first day, nervous about who I would become over the next four years. Too quickly I played three years of collegiate soccer and graduated with a double major. As I prepare for my final season competing as a soccer player and graduate student, I have realized the impact soccer has had on my identity. I am ambitious, driven, responsible, hardworking, efficient, considerate, and passionate, none of which I would have become without the trials and tribulations that come with playing a competitive team sport. College taught me the importance of community, dedication, and stepping out of my comfort zone. My freshman year, there were many options for how to get involved on campus and I did not know what was right for me. From going to a school just over an hour away from home, I knew one thing: I wanted to travel for an internship.

After my first collegiate soccer season concluded, I began applying for internships all over the country, landing one in Missoula, Montana. I had never traveled alone before, and I decided to move across the country to a place where I did not know anyone for the entire summer. Taking that risk was the best decision of my life. I returned back to school with a deeper passion for pursuing a career in sports and a new confidence in myself and my abilities. I was no longer timid to get involved on campus and immediately got involved in the school newspaper. A year later, I accepted the position of editor-in-chief, being the voice for student concerns across campus. I was then nominated to be the conference representative on the Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, where I learned about the world of collegiate athletics while serving not only my institution but eight others in the Collegiate Conference of the South at the national level. In this role I served as co-chair of the sport ethics and fan behavior subcommittee, focused on creating a positive competitive environment at all Division III sporting events, and attended the NCAA Convention, where I got to be a part of real change in collegiate athletics.

The following summer I accepted another internship across the country, taking yet another chance. I returned to Piedmont with a love for collegiate athletics and a desire to make an impact on the lives of student-athletes. Serving my community by sharing their stories through the student newspaper and sharing concerns and ideas across my conference to Division III SAAC was beyond fulfilling, and I am blessed to be able to continue to serve in both capacities. I look back at my freshman year, and how terrified I was to take a risk. Now I know the value of being willing to take a risk to make a difference on a campus, conference, and national level. My experiences in collegiate athletics made me confident and more than capable, and I cannot wait to continue to face the unexpected.