Student Spotlight: Leah Hartsock

Class of 2025

Degree:

Hometown:

Loudoun, Va.

What brought you to Marymount?

I grew up in Loudoun County and am super close to my family, so I wanted to go to college somewhere local and still be able to visit family and friends. I played soccer in high school and was recruited by multiple teams. When I visited Marymount, I loved the team dynamic, the soccer coach and how close it was to home. From then on, Marymount was the only option for me.

What have you been involved with at Marymount?

I’ve been on the Women’s Soccer team since freshman year and have enjoyed playing for Marymount! In junior year, I got involved in the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and am serving as President this year. It’s been a lot of fun and brought many amazing opportunities, like the chance to attend the 2024 NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum in Charlotte, N.C. There were around 250 athletes, coaches and administrators from all divisions–DI, DII and DIII–spending four days together sharing our perspectives on student leadership and the NCAA’s core values. I had so much fun and it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that taught me so much about how to be a better leader. It’s one of the best things I’ve done in my college career!

What do you hope to do after graduation?

My dream job would be working in sports, particularly in the NFL. Football is my all-time favorite sport to watch. I used to sit down with my family on Sundays and watch the New Orleans Saints play, and it was something I always looked forward to. I’ve also looked into pursuing industrial and organizational psychology, which is very workplace-oriented. You break down what teams are doing well, what they’re not doing well and offer solutions to improve performance. I have countless pathways I could go down, but I’m hoping to find something within those fields that I enjoy.

What is your favorite thing about Marymount?

You’re constantly meeting people who are willing to connect with you. It’s never a surface-level interaction. Every administrator, every coach, every student wants to make a genuine connection with you. There are also so many opportunities because it’s a small school. I pursued leadership roles, worked for Admissions and joined great teams because I wasn’t competing with 40,000 other students for those roles. Marymount helps you build connections and allows you to grow as a person and a leader.