Scholar Stories: Emrhein's Academic Path Leads Back to Classrooms
9/20/2017 10:22:00 AM | Field Hockey, Features
Continuing the popular series that began in 2016-17, each Wednesday MGoBlue.com will highlight a Michigan student-athlete and their academic pursuits. These are our Scholar-Athlete Stories, presented by Prairie Farms.
When she's not trying to score goals on the field, Marleise Emrhein is trying to reach her goals in the classroom. The junior is a forward on the University of Michigan field hockey team and like many of her counterparts on the Stephen M. Ross Athletic Campus, she takes great pride in being a student-athlete.
"For me, academics has always been very, very important," said Emrhein. "If it means getting a couple less hours of sleep or missing a social event, so be it. There are some things you have to do to be a successful student-athlete at a place like this."
Emrhein hails from Lititz, Pennsylvania, a small town of just under 10,000 people in the southeastern part of the state between Philadelphia and Harrisburg. Her sport is very popular across the northeast; there are over 200 high school teams and 40 clubs affiliated with USA Field Hockey in the state of Pennsylvania alone.
"I come from an area that's a huge hotbed for field hockey," said Emrhein. "My high school coach does a youth field hockey clinic every spring. I started in that when I was four years old and I just kept going back every year. I loved the girls that I met and the experiences I was having so I played through middle school and high school. I just knew I wanted to pursue it in college."
An accomplished student and player at Warwick High School, Emrhein would have been a catch for any big-time college program. She made her first visit as a junior in high school, making the eight-hour drive to Ann Arbor. One campus tour later and it was over.
It was love at first sight.
As she looked more into the school itself, she realized that it provided the perfect blend of academics and athletics. Ultimately, it was the atmosphere and love that both the students and alumni have for the school that drew her to Michigan.
Emrhein said she could sense the passion and excitement as she visited and noticed how the athletic teams rallied around the university as a whole.
Fast forward to today. Emrhein is enrolled in the School of Education, majoring in English with a minor in Psychology. After graduation, she hopes to be a secondary education teacher -- preferably in middle school -- while also coaching field hockey.
"I love the quirkiness of middle schoolers," said Emrhein. "They don't know everything yet academically or socially so they're still impressionable. I can make an impact on their lives while teaching them new things."
Emrhein's also been a contributor on the field, appearing in 37 games, including all seven this season, and owns three goals and an assist. But more than any on-field accolades, she has worked just as hard to position herself for success in the classroom, and she's been recognized as a result.
To date, she is a two-time NFHCA Collegiate National Academic Team selection and last year was named Academic All-Big Ten, both of which require at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA. Emrhein said those are the personal achievements of which she is most proud.
"Here at Michigan, there always needs to be a balance between the student and the athlete, and [those awards show] I am able to prioritize that."
An important underlying aspect of Emrhein's success is her relationship with head coach Marcia Pankratz.
"Marcia has been supportive of me since the moment I stepped foot on this campus, specifically with my academics and future aspirations," said Emrhein. "It's the kind of culture where I always know that I'm allowed to prioritize academics. Yes, there are certain times where field hockey needs to come first, but she allows for academics to play an important part in our lives."
Heading into the second half of her college experience, playing field hockey for Michigan means more than just competing to win on the field.
"To have the privilege to be here and attend this amazing university, it means everything," she said. "Being able to represent this school and all that it stands for is just an absolutely humbling experience."
