An increasing number of female athletes are utilizing their sports experience to become leaders in business and entrepreneurs. They have a passion for their ventures built on the freedom and independence that resulted from their experiences in athletics.*
69% of women who earn more than $100,000 annually in leadership roles played competitive sports**
85% of women who played sports said the skills they developed were important to their professional success**
ADAPTABILITY.
CONFIDENCE.
DISCIPLINE.
PERSEVERANCE.
Female Bucknell athletes past and present said these are a few of the traits they acquired on the field, court, track, pool, etc. that have carried over into their professional careers.
Abby Platt ’26
Business Analytics, Incoming Sales Analyst at Keurig Dr. Pepper, Co-Founder of Club Ralley, member of Bucknell University’s Women’s Tennis Team
“In tennis, it’s really mentally tough to be out there on your own. Every shot is something you can control… but you’re playing for your team, not just for yourself.”
Caitlyn Scott ’27
Accounting, incoming audit intern at Ernst & Young, Co-Founder of ForcedOut, member of Bucknell University’s Women’s Soccer Team
“Playing Division I soccer and a sport all my life… I’m striving for excellence in everything that I do and holding myself to a high standard that I’m proud of.”
Caroline Sheridan ’26
Computer Science, member of Bucknell University’s Women’s Lacrosse Team
“The path can be crazy, coming from not being recruited or being on the team to taking a leadership role, I know that I can figure things out.”
Christa Matlack ’11
Career Coach, STEM at Bucknell University, former member of Bucknell University Women’s Soccer Team
“If something doesn’t work, I don’t give up. As an athlete, you’re trying to always find a solution – ‘How can I score a goal? How can I beat this defender?'”
Colleen Kazanjian ’25
GTM Operations Lead at Volca.ai, former member of Bucknell University’s Women’s Lacrosse Team
“As a lacrosse goalie, neutral thinking is a thing that they preach… You have to let things go. You have to play the full game and not just that one possession.”
Dawn Newsome ’90
Co-Founder, CTO at Wisdom.io, former member of Bucknell University’s Women’s Track and Field and Cross Country Teams
“It trained me to be a very disciplined, mentally tough person. A lot of that carries on to your later years, whether you’re a stay-at-home mom or working as a CEO somewhere.”
Jaycie Mair ’27
Mechanical Engineering, Sales Program Analyst at Salesforce, Co-Founder of Club Ralley, member of Bucknell University’s Women’s Tennis Team
“In tennis, it’s very personal. Your results are what you put in. You can’t blame anyone else… I am able to see problems and take initiative.”
Jess Benattar ’26
Incoming Investment Banking Analyst at Deutsche Bank, Co-Founder of ForcedOut, member of Bucknell University’s Women’s Soccer Team
“Being a goalkeeper, specifically, is a lot of stress mitigation and compartmentalizing what’s important. I’ve learned not to ruminate on things I did wrong, rather learn from them to create a stronger version of myself.”
We realize this list could go on and on, with so many Bucknellians out there doing awesome things. If you are (or were) a female athlete at Bucknell, share the traits and skills you adopted through your athletic endeavors that have translated to your professional careers and tag us!
*Ratten, V. & Miragaia, D. (2019). Entrepreneurial passion amongst female athletes. Journal of Small Business & Entrepreneurship. doi.org/10.1080/08276331.2018.1551460.
**Deloitte. (2023). New Deloitte TV Spots Turn the Tables on Fandom as Survey Reveals Girls Who Play Sports are Likely to Have Successful Careers.