On The Road To Greatness: Mya Purdy At Saginaw College

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Senior Mya Purdy signing to Saginaw Valley State University.

With a strong love of softball and an ambition for nursing, senior Mya Purdy was faced with a choice most juniors and seniors must make: What college will be best for me? Her answer? Saginaw Valley State University. 

Purdy made this decision after looking at several other schools that had to have her must-haves: softball, a good nursing program, and no public bathrooms. While her school had to include softball, it also had to be able to keep up with her academic ambitions. 

“I found out that they had a JV and varsity team which was also on my NO list because it’s like high school all over again and I was not for that,” Purdy said. “[However], a new coach was hired and she came in and cut twenty-one girls and only made one team.”

At first, Purdy didn’t agree with the situation at Saginaw. But once they made the changes to their team, she knew it was a school to consider. As well as the right softball conditions, a good program for nursing was necessary. Purdy was looking for a program that would work well with her athletic priorities while being fast and efficient. It didn’t need to be easy, only possible.

“Being a student-athlete, I knew that anything in the medical field would be hard to do both playing a sport and being in a medical program,” Purdy said. “But when I visited Saginaw, I had met the softball team and a lot of them were actually in the nursing program and what they were talking about it is hard but [still] possible.”

As well as her drive for softball, Purdy also has her heart set on nursing. Inspired by her mother and encouraged by watching her cousin take a similar path, she’s decided the medical field is the place for her.

“It’s a fast, efficient route in college to make a good amount of money, where I can support myself and actually enjoy what I’m doing,” Purdy said. “I know that there’s a lot of downsides to labor and delivery, but for the most part, you’re bringing a new life into the world.”

College is one of the most expensive points in a person’s life, and any reduction in the cost is greatly sought after. Scholarships are something many students seek. A point of interest when considering costs, Purdy was well aware of the benefits of going to Saginaw.

“I think that Saginaw is reasonable in price but what made it more reasonable being an athlete and getting the athletic scholarship to go there,” Purdy said. “I’m not spending so much money and I’m also getting a good education.”