During NCAA Division III Week, the University of Mary Washington would like to share a few of our success stories, including Shelby Harris, '16, Private Events Manager at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Shelby excelled on the courts at Mary Washington, gaining All-America honors three years while leading the Eagles to the NCAA Tournament in each of her four years. She advanced to the NCAA Doubles championship quarterfinals as a senior, and was named the 2015 CAC Player of the Year.

Being a student-athlete at UMW prepared me in multiple ways for life post-college. I learned the importance of time management and organization from when I had to balance school work with practices. These skills have transferred over to my career where I have to multitask and adhere to deadlines. Being a captain of my collegiate team taught me leadership and communication skills which have been key throughout my personal and professional life. The early morning workouts and the late nights traveling for matches instilled in me the importance of working hard and not being afraid of long hours. Especially when I started my career right out of college, I was always willing to come in as early or stay as late as needed to get the job done. 

Most importantly, being a part of a team at UMW gave me a family that I am still close with years after we have all graduated. Having a strong support system and network post-college has really been beneficial for all of us as we have journeyed through different careers in all regions of the country. For these reasons, I am super grateful for my time at UMW as a student-athlete! 

- Shelby Harris