By AILEEN BURKE
News Editor
Senior and Rochester native Ashley Vanderwall has shown consistent prowess on and off the court over her four years at The College of Saint Rose.
When she started looking at colleges, she knew that she wanted to play basketball. Vanderwall came to tour The College, and met the women’s basketball team. That’s when she knew she wanted to call Saint Rose home.
“The community and team seemed really close knit,” said Vanderwall. “It felt like home.”
Being an active part of the basketball team has been central to Vanderwall’s experience at Saint Rose. The team practices six days a week, and reviews film for an hour sessions. Although it is a lot of hard work, time, and effort, she is grateful for her time with the team and at the school.
“We’ll miss her,” said head coach Karen Haag. “She was a mainstay of our offense for four years…She was a great role model for her younger teammates. Just a good, kind person.”
Both Haag and assistant coach John Ardizone commented on her quiet humility. “She’s really matured over her four years here,” said Ardizone, “and she already came here rather mature… she isn’t the most vocal, but what she does say is always well thought out.”
“Ashley Vanderwall is not only an outstanding player, but she also is an amazing person,” said teammate and fellow communications major Takora McIntyre in an email. “She is driven on and off the court, and always has a smile on her face. I don’t think, out of my two years here, I’ve heard her say anything negative. She is a great teammate and friend.”
She is also grateful for the support of her family, who made the effort to attend all of her home games at Saint Rose although they still live in Rochester.
“Ashley has been my roommate and best friend for fouryears,” said her longtime friend and roommate Caitlyn Kelly. “Her compassion and kindness is the reason I was able to survive so far away from home… Being that I have relied on her and she’s always been there for me, she’s like my home away from home. I wouldn’t be able to be the student and friend I am today without her.”
In addition to her time with the team, Vanderwall was a versatile communications major with a concentration in public relations and advertising.
“COM [communications] just has so much to it. There are so many jobs, and opportunities that are really great,” said Vanderwall. She would like to do something with communications in the future once she is done with her studies, especially considering her experience with marketing during her undergraduate career.
In her senior year alone, Vanderwall has held two internships with different organizations in the region. Fall of 2018, she worked for the New York State Public High School Athletics Association, and in her final semester she has been with Albany Law.
Both of these internships were made through connections with longtime communications faculty member Mary Alice Molgard; Molgard is the professor Vanderwall claims to have made the strongest bond with in the communications department.
“Ashley has done some great work with both NYSPHSA and Albany Law,” said Molgard.
Vanderwall will continue her work in the next academic year when she starts her masters degree at Northumbria University in England. She was recruited to play for the school’s women’s basketball team and is looking forward to the chance to play one more year.
“If I didn’t do it, it’s something I might regret,” said Vanderwall. It’s a decision she says that her dad was instrumental in her making. She looks forward to taking the opportunity, and coach Haag said she is “really proud of her courage” for deciding to study “overseas.”
No matter where her future leads her after Northumbria, Vanderwall is happy to have the support that she does from those around her with all of her ventures.
“I am thankful for all of the relationships I made [at Saint Rose],” said Vanderwall. “Professors, friends… they all matter.”
