Graduating Staff Feature

As the end of the academic year approaches, we want to celebrate the dedicated graduating staff members at RecSports who have contributed their time, energy, and passion to making the program a welcoming and successful environment. These graduating seniors have not only helped keep RecSports running smoothly but have also left a lasting impact on their peers, participants, and the overall campus community.

Each year, RecSports relies on student staff to manage facilities, lead intramural sports, oversee the climbing & bouldering wall, inform the ND community about updates and programs, and ensure that daily operations run efficiently. Many of these students have juggled their academic responsibilities while serving as leaders within RecSports, embodying the mission, vision, and values.

While every senior who has worked with RecSports deserves recognition, a few individuals have stood out for their exceptional contributions.

Haley Hinkel is a senior science-business major with minors in compassionate care in medicine and science, technology, and values from Springboro, Ohio. She began working for RecSports in the spring of her freshman year as an attendant before getting promoted to Operations Supervisor shortly after. Additionally, she is a part of CRAB, the Campus RecSports Advisory Board, helping coordinate appreciation events for staff and improving RecSports programs. And finally, she recently took on an additional role as a RecSports Office Support Liaison. She works primarily at the Smith Center and North Dome and has much experience handling injuries and performing first aid services at RecSports facilities. Haley’s favorite thing about RecSports is the community, fostering close bonds with professional and student staff, as well as RecSports patrons. Haley’s favorite memories of RecSports are a culmination of small moments throughout her time with RecSports, whether it be connecting with prostaff and especially her connection with Shark, who has cheered her on at interhall basketball championships and mentored her throughout her years at RecSports.

Owen Nettles is a Climbing Wall Attendant, Head Route Setter, and occasionally a coach at the RecSports climbing wall. Owen is also a senior electrical engineering major from New Hope, Pennsylvania. His favorite part about working at the climbing wall is the strong community among staff and patrons, including encouraging new climbers and taking ownership of the experience that patrons have at our wall as head route setter. One of Owen’s favorite memories was being a planner and contributor to Gravity Fest, RecSports’s annual bouldering competition. Despite the challenges that came with planning an event, Owen was proud and excited to watch everyone participate.

Courtney Albertson is a senior originally from Fowler, IN. She currently lives off campus, but resided in Lyons Hall on campus. She majors in Business Analytics and Economics. Courtney has been a Lifeguard with RecSports for the past three years, and this past school year, she had the opportunity to serve as one of the Head Lifeguards. Courtney loves working for RecSports because it offers great flexibility with her schedule and allows her to work with an incredible team. She has worked a variety of shifts at Rockne Memorial, from opening at 5:30 a.m. on Mondays to closing on weekends. These experiences have allowed her to connect with all of the amazing lifeguards on staff and get to know some of our regular swimmers, which has made the job even more rewarding! Courtney’s favorite RecSports memory was during fall training, when the entire aquatics team had the chance to bond while practicing saves and playing fun games. After the guards refreshed their in-water skills, they had fun playing friendly competitions like brick wars and relays. For Courtney, it was a great opportunity to meet new team members and strengthen connections with current ones!

Maddie Taylor is a senior from Houston, Texas. She majors in Science Business and minors in Theology. Madeline has plans to attend medical school next year. While she lives off campus now, she is a proud Ryan Hall Wildcat! She has held a lifeguard position with RecSports since Fall 2021. This semester, Madeline even started a new role as an Office Liaison in the pro-staff office! She enjoys working with RecSports because the professional staff truly cares about the students. She acknowledges that they want their employees to succeed both within RecSports and in their personal lives. She acknowledges Bri, Assistant Director of Aquatics, who often comes down to the pool just to chat with the guards and catch up. She knows all of the pro-staff have made it clear that students can come to them for guidance or advice on anything. RecSports also understands that we are students first, Lastly, Madeline thinks her coworkers are great! Her lifeguard shifts consist of watching the pool and getting to know the other guards. She has gotten to meet so many amazing people that I may not have crossed paths with otherwise. Her favorite RecSports memory is from a lifeguard in-service this past semester, where the head guards came up with more ways to make the in-service more fun. They led the team in a game of Hungry, Hungry Hippos-pool edition. The pool was filled with plastic balls, and it was the guards' job to use kickboards to bat as many balls as possible into their team's goal. Madeline says this game was not only great swim conditioning, but also allowed the guards to show their competitive sides and bond with their teammates!

Sela Chamberlin is a senior studying Finance and Real Estate from Naples, Florida. She was a resident in McGlinn Hall but is now off-campus. Sela has worked as a Marketing Assistant for 2 years, and this past year she was promoted to the Marketing Lead position, where she was a program assistant. Sela took on additional responsibilities such as assisting during team meetings, keeping assignments organized, and maintaining lines of communication with the Marketing Assistants, and ultimately built a more successful, collaborative team! Sela likes working for RecSports because everyone is super friendly and supportive. As a sophomore, Sela was inexperienced and nervous to start her new job with RecSports, but working with her team, Veronica, and the other RecSports employees helped her grow into her position as a Marketing Assistant and now Marketing Lead. She has been able to contribute new ideas and receive the resources needed to bring marketing concepts to life in video form and more. Sela’s favorite RecSports memory was the Marketing Team meeting last semester when the team put puzzle pieces together in groups. She thought it was an activity that brought everyone together, and she fondly remembers everyone laughing and having a great time.

Connor McCloskey is a biological sciences major from Crown Point, Indiana, and a proud Keenan Hall resident. Over the years, he's been deeply involved in his dorm community as President, Senator, RA, and a head writer for the Keenan Revue. At RecSports, Connor has worked as a personal trainer, sharing his passion for fitness—a journey that started back during COVID-19. For him, training has been more than just exercise; it's been a space to set goals, reduce stress, and build confidence. One of his favorite memories was when a client returned to buy another training package; that moment meant a lot and helped him grow into the trainer he is today. As he prepares to head to medical school, Connor says he's thankful for all the people he’s met and the meaningful experiences he’s had through RecSports.

Stephanie Atampugre is a Mechanical Engineering major from Atlanta, Georgia, and a resident of Welsh Family Hall. She has worked as a Sports Programs Manager with RecSports, a role that’s given her the chance to connect with nearly every part of the RecSports team, from pro staff to supervisors and facilities crew. For Stephanie, those daily interactions and the chance to learn about her coworkers’ lives and goals have been a highlight of her time on campus. She also loved getting to watch some of the more competitive sides of ND students during games. One of her favorite memories goes back to her first RecSports encounter at the Activities Fair freshman year. After spotting the black-and-white striped ref shirts, she spoke with former pro staffers at the booth and signed up to be a flag football official on the spot. Their kindness and excitement made a lasting impression and introduced her to the welcoming community that RecSports has been ever since.

Phil Trzaska is an Aerospace Engineering major with a minor in Energy Studies from Minster, Ohio. He’s called O’Neill Family Hall home for the past four years and has spent three of those years working with RecSports—first as a Sport Programs Supervisor and then as a MOD. Phil was drawn to RecSports after experiencing how impactful intramural sports were during his freshman year. It was through those games that he met people across campus and built lasting friendships, and he wanted to help create that same welcoming environment for others. Some of his favorite memories include winning the B-Team basketball championship, playing sand volleyball with his dorm, and joining “All-Red FC,” O’Neill’s soccer B-Team. He also loved playing on “Rec ‘n Roll” teams with his coworkers. For Phil, some of the most unexpected and meaningful moments came from conversations with the professional staff—something he didn’t expect going in, but is incredibly grateful for now.

As they move on to new opportunities, we extend our deepest gratitude to the graduating senior staff. Their dedication has helped shape the program into what it is today, and their legacy will continue to inspire future student staff members. Congratulations, seniors—we wish you all the best in your next adventures!

Seniors