“I love being able to give high fives on and off the field or court,” says Erin Engelhardt ‘02, Assistant Athletic Director for Student Athlete Support at Seattle University, a fellow Jesuit college. “I get to share in these students’ highs and lows.”
As a former lacrosse player and student athlete at Le Moyne, she empathizes with her students who live a unique, and often rigorous lifestyle during their four years. “It’s not just what happens in the weight room or on the field,” she says. “It's so much more.”
In her current role, she is responsible for overseeing the academic success and personal growth of over 350 student athletes. She is a liaison for coordinating student academic services, oversees academic progress and eligibility, and helps students with career formation through many advising sessions and workshops. Helping students identify the skills that they’ve learned through athletics—teamwork, discipline, being accountable, taking feedback, and taking on many responsibilities—are critical in helping them see their next steps after they walk off the field or the court. “We [in Athletics] try to give them tools to articulate these great skills that they have and provide support in all areas,” she says.
Having a Jesuit connection between the school where she played and the school where she works has influenced the way she approaches mentoring each student. “I think this concept of “magis” that we share is what really drives us. We ask: How can you be more? What can you do more? How do you maximize your experience? How do you push and be the best person that you can be?” she says. “We really try to make sure that students understand that they are more than just athletes—there are so many things that make up who they are. I think I learned that because I went to Le Moyne. I was able to do so much with Campus Life, in the community and be an RA while I was a student athlete. That’s not possible in many places.”
Engelhardt, a Syracuse native, transferred to Le Moyne in her sophomore year, not intending to play lacrosse for the Dolphins. With some encouraging words from a future teammate, Meghan Haven, who had remembered her from the Syracuse high school lacrosse league, Engelhardt joined the struggling team after her first week on campus. Throughout her three seasons in the women’s lacrosse program, Engelhardt saw the program grow under Coach Patty Kloidt. As a senior and captain, Engelhardt helped lead her team on to win the MAAC Conference title and continue onto the NCAA tournament, where Le Moyne played against Princeton, the eventual NCAA champions. “It was a phenomenal experience for me,” she says while reflecting on that moment. “We accomplished so much more than we thought we would. It really taught me not to limit my goals and not limit your team goals especially when you have a great team behind you.”
She went on to receive her master’s in higher education administration at Syracuse University. In 2006 she was offered a position in student athletics and was subsequently awarded the Outstanding New Professional in Jesuit Student Affairs at the annual Jesuit Association of Student Personnel Administrators (JASPA) Conference.
While much of her time is spent off of the field or the court, the pressure of competition is still ever prevalent in her position. “Athletics a high stress environment where winning is important. There is a real sense of urgency in almost everything that we do. In almost everything that I do, I try to reflect and be solution-oriented. And sometimes there’s not always easy solution.” In these cases, reflecting on concepts like “magis” become all the more important for Engelhardt and for her students. “I thought about this being at Le Moyne. Some people want to see results really fast. And that doesn’t necessarily happen. You need to build a culture—you don’t want to take short-cuts,” she says.
“This Jesuit connection is what brought me here to Seattle U, and is what has kept me here for over 12 years. The culture built in athletics at a Jesuit institution is truly special.”
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