From saving shots to writing press releases, graduate student Ady Franken knows how to keep herself busy. As a goalkeeper for Guilford’s women’s soccer team and a Presidential Fellow, she hones both her mind and body in her day to day.
On the soccer field, she excels. She ended the 2023 season with eight consecutive shutouts. She was also honored as a Third Team All-ODAC Goalkeeper. Over her time at Guilford, she has accrued 17 shutouts and 284 saves.
“It’s really great to finally get some recognition,” said Franken.
Soccer, and athletics in general, has been part of Franken’s life since she was a child. Her grandfather, a football coach, encouraged her to explore any sport she wanted to do. After playing on travel teams, Franken discovered a love for soccer.
Joining the Fighting Quakers allowed her to continue with her passion.
“It was the players that talked me the most into it,” Franken said. “I just learned how close the culture was on the team, and how much fun they were having at the school and … on the team as well.”
Her teammates’ support and encouragement is a large reason for Franken’s success.
Playing for the Division III Quakers in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference gives Franken some flexibility with her non-athletic pursuits.
“You know your coaches and your professors understand that you have other things outside of academics and athletics,” Franken said.
The faculty at Guilford were key supporters along Franken’s journey, she said. They recognized her strong work ethic inside and outside of the classroom. As a result, she was chosen as a Presidential Fellow for the 2024-2025 school year.
The Presidential Fellow program offers students going into graduate school a stipend, covered tuition, mentorship and more according to an article from the Office of the President. Students work for the college’s administration as part of their duties.
Franken specializes in content creation for the College’s Communications & Marketing Office. At the same time, she is pursuing her Masters in Business Administration.
“Part of the arrangement for a Presidential Fellow is that you are assigned to an office, and you work 20 hours, between 15 and 20 hours a week with that office. So we count on her, as…one of our team members,” said Vice President of Marketing and Communications Ty Buckner.
With so many responsibilities, it’s important to Franken to manage her time.
“If it’s outside of those hours … unless it’s time sensitive, I try not to focus on it,” Franken said. “So that already gives me a good boundary there, to where I can focus on work during work hours. And then for soccer, it was just focus on soccer during soccer hours.”
Beyond soccer and work, Franken makes time for herself. Taking care of Maverick, her golden retriever, and spending time outdoors gives her a fresh look at things.
Being a student athlete isn’t easy. With her goals and support in mind, Franken is on the right track.
