Off the Court with Stephanie Riley
10/7/2008 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Oct. 7, 2008
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Stephanie Riley knows why she is at the Capstone. She came to Alabama to help the Crimson Tide win volleyball games, but more importantly, she came to get a high quality education. Riley ventured to Alabama to attain the tools she needs to start a fascinating career.
Riley is majoring in Mechanical Engineering at Alabama. She wants to design and help construct artificial limbs and organs. Helping people through engineering is something that has interested Riley for a while.
"I went to an engineering seminar a couple years ago, said Riley. "They talked about all the different types of engineering and what those types did. When they mentioned making artificial cells, organs and limbs, it just clicked. It sounded like the perfect thing for me."
Because of her athletic background, Riley says she would love to work within the world of sports.
"It would definitely be ideal if I could work within the world of sports as well. I've been through a difficult injury myself and it would be awesome to someday be able to help other athletes get back to playing the sport they love."
Alabama was one of many schools interested in Riley because of her athletic ability, but it was Alabama's encouragement of her academics that sealed the deal for Riley. Some schools, Riley said, tried to discourage her interest in the difficult, time-consuming major.
"When I came to visit at Alabama, they not only encouraged me to pursue it, but let me met with the Dean of Engineering right away. They told me about girls who had been extremely successful doing both volleyball and engineering in the past."
While Riley admits to a "slight procrastination problem", she is determined to stay on top of her class work in addition to working everyday to get better on the court. Working with advisors and a weekly volleyball routine has helped Riley with time management.
"There are times when I get a little overwhelmed," said Riley. "With challenging courses you just have to make sure you stay on top of your work. It's all about getting work done as soon as possible."
