Kent State of Mind: Alex Haffner - Thankful
12/15/2022 10:32:00โฏAM | Women's Volleyball
Figuring out what's important to you is a complex yet utterly important process.
Luckily for me, I had a pretty decent idea of what I wanted that to look like for me.
This allowed me to transfer schools, focus on volleyball, and earn multiple degrees here at Kent State.
If I had told my younger self everything what was in store for me, she would've never believed it.
Pursuing volleyball
Growing up, my mom gave me every opportunity to try all sports.
I don't think there's one I haven't played at least once.
I quickly realized that there were two sports that really drew me in โ equestrian and volleyball.
But with time and money making it hard to juggle both, my mom told me I had to pick one.
And I chose volleyball.
I loved competing more in volleyball and knew there would be more opportunities to earn a scholarship that would pay for my education.
I love horses, don't get me wrong, but I didn't really enjoy the competition part as much.
My biggest joy in that sport was the connection to the animal, more so than the spirit of competition.
So, from that point forward, I was all-in on volleyball.
I worked hard in the classroom, changed positions to be a setter, and kept an open mind on the options in front of me.
When it came time to make a college choice, I committed to Kansas State.
Never too late to change
Kansas State was a great choice for me.
It's the school my family went to, it was close to home, and the volleyball program was fantastic.
After graduating high school early to enroll at K-State in the spring of 2017 and redshirting my freshman season, I decided to transfer.
It wasn't long before Kent State came calling.
I had conversations with the coaching staff during my high school days, and it was so awesome that they still wanted me to be a part of the program and a spot was here if I wanted it.
I took it as a sign that Kent State was the place to be.
Transition
Making these important decisions was tough โ executing them was even more challenging.
Now, I had to be far from home, make new friends, and adjust to a new environment.
It wasn't easy, but it was worth it.
Kent State became the perfect place for me to grow as a student and an athlete.
They had a good volleyball team and fantastic academics.
Fast forward to today, and I'll be leaving here at the end of the semester with four degrees, valuable internship experiences and lifelong friendships.
I can honestly say I've made the most of my opportunities here.
I took a chance, and one of the hardest decisions of my life became one of the best I've ever made.
Education first
It's no secret that most student-athletes won't become professional athletes, and I never lost sight of that while balancing both aspects of my time in college.
I gave my all to volleyball, but I'm also a big believer in priorities.
We are student-athletes.
The student is first for a reason.
We are here to get an education and become active members of our community and society.
I'm happy I never lost sight of that, and Kent State allowed me the opportunity to be my best self in both the classroom and the court.
When I think of the one word I'd use to describe my time here, it's thankful.
I'm thankful that I took a leap of faith and transferred, and that Kent State gave me a chance.
I never stopped pushing myself as an athlete or a student, and now I'm ready to take on the next chapter of my life.
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