What is your preferred name and major?
Casey Marson and Communication major.
What are some of the jobs you held while at McDaniel?
Over the summers I worked for the Chenango County District Attorney’s Office. This semester I had an internship at Rausch Law, LLC.
What organizations were you a part of at McDaniel?
Women’s golf team, Phi Beta Kappa academic honor society, Phi Alpha Delta pre-law fraternity, Alpha Sigma Tau sorority, Gamma Sigma Alpha national academic Greek honor society, and Alpha Lambda Delta first-year honor society.
How much did you enjoy your time at McDaniel?
I absolutely loved my time at McDaniel. It has been the perfect place to grow and learn in multiple ways. The education I received is great and prepared me to continue my education my education. Playing golf here was awesome because I was able to compete at a highly competitive DIII level but still balance academics and a social life, and the friendships I have made here with students and faculty are ones that I will cherish and continue to have for the rest of my life.
Who do you think is/was your best mentor(s)?
My mom has and always will be my best mentor. She is the strongest, kindest, funniest woman I have ever met. She has always been there for me through everything, even from a few states away. She has given me the confidence to pursue my dreams. I try to be more and more like her every day. My family is amazing and I owe it all to them, I am incredibly grateful for my mom, my dad, and my brother.
What were some of the challenges you encountered and how did you overcome them?
It was challenging for me to be away from home for the first time. I am from Norwich, NY, which is about five hours away. I am very close with my family, and miss them all the time. Freshman year was especially hard to deal with being “on my own” so far away from home, but I overcame this by persevering. I am always in touch with my family and we visit each other as often as we can. I focused on school and gold, and relied on my awesome friends to help me through my homesickness. Now, I consider McDaniel and Maryland a home too.
What has being a part of a sports team at McDaniel meant for you?
Being part of a sports team at McDaniel has meant a lot to me. I have been playing golf since I was two years old. It has been one of my biggest passions in life and one of the only things I was sure I wanted to do in college. Being able to compete in a sport that I love at this level has been really great. I have a great coach and great team–people I will always remember and be in touch with. I’ve made friends with many golfers on other teams too. I’ve loved being part of a sports team at McDaniel and I couldn’t imagine it having been any other way.
What were some of your greatest sports highlights?
In the spring of 2016, I finished first place individual at a tournament in Myrtle Beach. In that same season, I made the all-conference team at Conference Championships.
Were there any times you felt as though you couldn’t continue with sports and what were they?
No. Of course there were times when it was difficult to balance academics, a sport, and a social life, but I never doubted my continuation with sports. Golf is a mentally taxing sport, and playing poorly can be very frustrating. I had many days and tournaments where I was disappointed with how I played, but it was never a matter of continuing the sport or not. If anything, it just motivated me to practice more and try harder.
What are your plans for after graduation?
I will be attending American University Washington College of Law in Washington DC in the fall following graduation.
What is your best memory at McDaniel?
My best memory is hard to say – I’ve had so many. One of my favorite memories is when I just recently committed to American University Washington College of Law. Right around the same time, my best friend got her dream job. I was (and am) so proud of us. I will always remember that feeling of accomplishment.
What advice can you give to those not graduating?
My advice is to work hard, make plans that excite/interest you and stick to them, and use all of the resources you can. Ask for help and always take it. Make sure you give back to those who helped you pay it forward by helping others too. Don’t be afraid to have some lofty goals and always strive to reach them. Don’t settle for anything that doesn’t make you happy. Don’t give up when things get hard; they will get hard, but you can get through them and come out on the other end stronger.
