MCC has named Megan Crowley the John G. Thompson Student-Athlete of the Year for the 2020-21 school year. The MCC sophomore from Ravenna served as MCC’s volleyball team captain for three years and earned an Associate in Science and Arts while on the academic honors list. She prospers through obstacles and highlights the importance of self-motivation with the help of her teammates and coaches through the lifestyle of a college athlete.

Crowley achieved over a 3.4-grade point average and is a first team all-conference player twice in a row, receiving all-conference and all-regional honors in the 2020-21 season. She was 20^th nationally on the NJCAA Division II leaderboard, with a second national rank of 11.02 assists per set. Crowley overcame an injury during the 2018 season that caused her to be redshirted but continued to be a three-year beacon of support for the team, leading them to an undefeated season this year.

As per student life, Crowley highlights the substantiality of her own dedication and impetus for reaching goals. “The driving force to succeed in the classroom is honestly my own self-motivation,” Crowley stated. Off the court, Crowley has highlighted her dedication and drive that helps accomplish her goals. Crowley’s self-recognition of high classroom standards supports her achievements by performing at the highest level possible.

“On the court, my biggest motivation is my teammates and my coaches. We would go to practice and work hard to make each other better —and that is exactly what we did,” said Crowley.

Whether playing in a game or doing drills at practice, she is spirited by the drive of the team. The motivation that Crowley felt, pushed the team as they finished 12^th with a perfect 16-0 record along with conference, state, and regional championships titles during the 2020-21 season.

Unable to compete at the NJCAA national championships due to a positive COVID case, the season revolved around constant protocols and uncertainties. However, as a team captain, Crowley understood the initiative she needed to take to overcome this specific challenge. “We just came together and made it known that, ‘this season is super important, and we need everybody to be on board, for everyone to be safe,’” Crowley concluded.

“Being a team captain at MCC has been a lot to me, it’s something that I am very honored to have done,” Crowley acknowledged. “One thing I’ve learned is just to not take things for granted,” she explained about the past season. “While the season we got was way shorter than normal, I was so grateful to have a season regardless—the times I’ve had at MCC were some of the greatest times ever and I’ve met so many amazing people. I’ve learned a lot about not taking things for granted and to enjoy the people around you and the places you are at,” said Crowley.