Reflections Magazine Issue #79 - Fall 2013 | Page 11

Campus Feature

“It wasn’t anything I was expecting,”
said the soft-spoken McCann of the
award. “You have to share this award,
because you can’t say that you did it
all yourself.”
McCann’s “team” approach has
worked well in the Sport Management
program, which prepares students for careers in the business of sport – including
college, professional and recreational.
The Illinois native was a former foursport standout high school athlete who
was inducted into her school’s hall of
fame as a bowler. McCann realized early
that she wanted to carve out a career
in an area she is passionate about. The
teaching part came later.
“While I was at Michigan State
(completing her PhD), I found out I love
to teach,” McCann said. “I wanted to get
a position in a teaching college.”
And she wanted to stay in Michigan.
She heard from a friend about an open
faculty position at Siena Heights, and
hand-delivered her application to Adrian
to check out the campus.
“I liked the feel of campus,” she said
of her early impressions. “It was so welcoming and nice. That’s what I wanted.
It fits my personality.”
One potential issue was that the
open position was in Sport Management,
a relatively new field. Although she had a
management background, McCann’s doctorate was in sports psychology, and she
called her transition “a learning process.”
“There’s still so many people who
don’t understand what the field is,” she
said. “(I get asked) What do you do in
sport management? It’s fighting through
misconceptions.”

McCann said the program’s involvement in the local Boys and Girls Club,
as well as its community-based learning
philosophy and an emphasis on internships, have been successful strategies.
“We have to make it very clear at the
beginning that it’s a business, too,” McCann said. “It’s not about playing sports.
It’s much different when you’re organizing a basketball tournament instead of
playing in one. … It’s a field that you’re
going to work hard and going to work
long hours. But if you love sports, you’re
not going to feel the effects of it.”
One of the students who nominated
McCann called her “a trusted guide.”
“Peggy embodies the values of Siena
Heights University,” the student continued. “She is known for putting the success of her students and her central aim
and their needs often ahead of her own.”
McCann said she cherishes the relationships with her students.
“The students have taught me how
to be patient,” she said. “I’ve learned how
to get to know them and what they need
because I spend so much time
with them.” u

Here Are Some Other Award
Winners from Last Spring’s
Honors Convocation:
Outstanding Undergraduate Student Award—
Seniors Andy Switzer of Pettsville, Ohio, and
Abigail Norris of Tecumseh, Mich., earned the
Outstanding Undergraduate Student Award.
The Outstanding Undergraduate Student Award
is the highest honor given to undergraduate students at SHU. Switzer graduated in May from
SHU’s education program, with concentrations
in English and history. He graduated magna cum
laude with an overall grade point average of 3.88.
Norris graduated in May from SHU’s psychology
program. She graduated summa cum laude with
an overall grade point average of 3.9.
Thomas A. Emmett Award
(Outstanding Junior Scholar-Athlete)—
Sederick Dunbar, Brianna Nordby
Team Academic Award—Women’s Soccer,
Men’s Golf

Division Outstanding Student Awards
Division of Business and Management—
Ruben Becerra, Zachary Stultz
Division of Computing, Mathematics, and the
Sciences—Olivia Smith, Jessica Lampkowski
Division of Humanities—Kara Bell-Brey,
Andrew Switzer
Division of Nursing—Pre-Licensure: Morgan
Choszczyk, Taylor Langenderfer;
RN-BSN: Anita Brown
Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences—
Cassie Keeping, Abigail Norris
Division of Visual and Performing Arts and
Education—Jenna Long, Jessica (Dilyard) Tillotson
Graduate College Outstanding Student
Awards—Education: Amber Pedersen;
Leadership: Rachel Loftis;
Counseling: Karla Fisher
St. Catherine of Alexandria Medal—
Michael Lollo

Sister Eileen Rice ’68 was a professor of Education and director of the Education program at Siena
Heights from 1975-94. One of the most popular
faculty members in the institution’s history, Sister
Eileen was known as “a woman of boundless
energy” who loved to teach. She had an equal
love of cat ̸