Northwestern University Athletics
McCarthy Remains Heavily Involved at NU After Hanging Up Jersey
2/16/2016 11:19:00 AM | General, Field Hockey, David G. Kabiller NU for Life Program
By: Kelly Boutelle, Northwestern Correspondent
Lisa McCarthy, a senior from Dublin, Ireland, was not ready to leave the Northwestern athletics community after her senior season of field hockey came to an end. In this winter quarter, instead of playing on the field, she now contributes to the department in a different way, without a number on her back.
"I was not ready to park it yet," she said. "I didn't want to be done with the athletics department and seeing all the friendly faces. I thought it was a great opportunity to see what goes on behind the scenes."
McCarthy approached Julie Hammer and Scott Koenning after her season ended and asked if there were any opportunities for a possible internship with NU For Life, Northwestern's program dedicated to helping student-athletes prepare for life after college through career advancement advising and programming, as well as connection to employers and Wildcats alumni.
NU For Life assisted McCarthy with her post-graduate job search that ultimately landed her a position at the LinkedIn headquarters in San Francisco where she will begin employment after graduation. Through that process, she found confidence and connections that led to her success and was hoping she could add to the already thriving NU For Life program.
They gladly accepted her inquiry and put her to work.
"I'm currently working on interview and internship evaluations," she said. "NU For Life has a great wealth of knowledge and does a great job sharing it. Athletes come to Scott asking about a specific job and how to prepare for the interview process. If we have had an athlete work there before, we can give them so many helpful tips and tell them what internships work with a full athletic schedule in addition to classes. We thought it would be really great to have that information online, so that's what I'm working on."
Additionally, McCarthy has assisted with creating an updated alumni tracking system, sat in on employer meetings and provided valuable evaluation of student-athlete programming."
Not only does McCarthy work with the NU For Life team, but she also is still involved with the field hockey squad, assisting the coaches with all facets of the program and facilitating communication between the players.
"I've been lucky enough to be on the side where everything runs so smoothly—our hotels and meals are planned, our uniforms are always together, and we always make it on time to wherever we need to be," she said. "I respect our coaches so much for that and I want to see all the work that they put into the season and off-season."
McCarthy, a two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection, has a strong desire to learn the ins and outs of the field hockey program from head coach Tracey Fuchs.
"There are so many small tasks that athletes don't realize go on," McCarthy said.
Although she appreciates her team and still finds the time to hang out with them outside of practices, she is very excited for the competition in the alumni game coming up in spring.
"The past couple years the alumni have lost, but I'm hoping this is the year we pull through," she smiled.
Obviously, McCarthy has a lot to be proud of.
As a stand out player on the field, she is now transferring her skills into the office as her professional career is falling into place. She will be missed by the Northwestern community when she leaves for San Francisco, but while she remains in Evanston she vows to give back to the university that has given her so much.
Lisa McCarthy, a senior from Dublin, Ireland, was not ready to leave the Northwestern athletics community after her senior season of field hockey came to an end. In this winter quarter, instead of playing on the field, she now contributes to the department in a different way, without a number on her back.
"I was not ready to park it yet," she said. "I didn't want to be done with the athletics department and seeing all the friendly faces. I thought it was a great opportunity to see what goes on behind the scenes."
McCarthy approached Julie Hammer and Scott Koenning after her season ended and asked if there were any opportunities for a possible internship with NU For Life, Northwestern's program dedicated to helping student-athletes prepare for life after college through career advancement advising and programming, as well as connection to employers and Wildcats alumni.
NU For Life assisted McCarthy with her post-graduate job search that ultimately landed her a position at the LinkedIn headquarters in San Francisco where she will begin employment after graduation. Through that process, she found confidence and connections that led to her success and was hoping she could add to the already thriving NU For Life program.
They gladly accepted her inquiry and put her to work.
"I'm currently working on interview and internship evaluations," she said. "NU For Life has a great wealth of knowledge and does a great job sharing it. Athletes come to Scott asking about a specific job and how to prepare for the interview process. If we have had an athlete work there before, we can give them so many helpful tips and tell them what internships work with a full athletic schedule in addition to classes. We thought it would be really great to have that information online, so that's what I'm working on."
Additionally, McCarthy has assisted with creating an updated alumni tracking system, sat in on employer meetings and provided valuable evaluation of student-athlete programming."
Not only does McCarthy work with the NU For Life team, but she also is still involved with the field hockey squad, assisting the coaches with all facets of the program and facilitating communication between the players.
"I've been lucky enough to be on the side where everything runs so smoothly—our hotels and meals are planned, our uniforms are always together, and we always make it on time to wherever we need to be," she said. "I respect our coaches so much for that and I want to see all the work that they put into the season and off-season."
McCarthy, a two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection, has a strong desire to learn the ins and outs of the field hockey program from head coach Tracey Fuchs.
"There are so many small tasks that athletes don't realize go on," McCarthy said.
Although she appreciates her team and still finds the time to hang out with them outside of practices, she is very excited for the competition in the alumni game coming up in spring.
"The past couple years the alumni have lost, but I'm hoping this is the year we pull through," she smiled.
Obviously, McCarthy has a lot to be proud of.
As a stand out player on the field, she is now transferring her skills into the office as her professional career is falling into place. She will be missed by the Northwestern community when she leaves for San Francisco, but while she remains in Evanston she vows to give back to the university that has given her so much.
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