Our next feature in the "Where Are They Now" series is women's golf alumna, McKay Weiler. She was the program's first All-SCIAC honoree and was named to the Second Team twice (2013, '14). Weiler had another first as she was the first Regal to win an individual tournament title, the CMS Invitational, in her senior season (149 strokes). In the program record books, she ranks second for lowest round (72 strokes), third for lowest 36-hole score (149), tied for sixth for lowest 54-hole score (241) and seventh in season stroke average (82.14). For her career, she ranks fifth in stroke average (83.85). Now, Weiler is an Enrollment Communications Coordinator at Fuller Theological Seminary.
What year's where you at Cal Lutheran and what made you want to come here?
I attended Cal Lutheran from 2012-16 and I was drawn to the golf program and I loved the campus. After my campus tour, I was taken by the overall feel of Cal Lu and the people that I had met in just a short period of time.
While at Cal Lutheran, what was your experience like?
I loved Cal Lu! Playing golf there was far and away the highlight. My teammates became lifelong friends and I will always be thankful for that. The professors were all fantastic as well and truly cared about their course material, which made attending class both interesting and enjoyable.
How was your experience with the team and other athletes?
My experience with the team was amazing. Since only 5 of us travelled at a time, you really had every opportunity to get to know everyone well, which made us a really tight-knit group. Our coaches were also the best and wanted to help us become the best that we could be, and they were always available for support and encouragement.
What is your current job, and how did Cal Lutheran prepare you for that?
I'm currently an Enrollment Communications Coordinator at Fuller Theological Seminary. As a communications major, the courses I took helped refine my writing skills, and the internships I participated in provided me with some extremely useful experience that I could speak to in my interview. I even got to write for the school newspaper as part of my degree requirement, which was such a fantastic experience!
How did being a student-athlete prepare you for your professional career?
Being a student-athlete prepared me for my professional career through learning time-management skills, as well as leadership skills. Both of those have helped a lot in my professional development and helped me adapt to my role more quickly and efficiently!
What is your favorite part about the job?
My favorite part of my job is creating content for prospective students using the communication skills I obtained from my bachelor's degree combined with the student service skills that I gained from my master's degree. I am a firm believer in higher education and the possibilities that it creates for those who pursue it, so being able to tell prospective students about the impact they can have on others through theological training is such a blessing for me.
What is a typical day at your job?
A typical day at my job is keeping prospective students in the know about our programs and degree options, as well as keeping current students informed and encouraged with resources that can help them succeed during their time at Fuller. I am typically in meetings that revolve around how our department can do both of those things even better, or writing emails and creating content to continue to refresh and improve our level of service and belonging for prospective and current students.
Did you know you always wanted to do this, or when did you know what you wanted to do?
I was actually introduced to the idea of working at an institution through my Academic Advisor. I changed my major quite a few times, so I was meeting with my advisor a lot throughout my four years. It wasn't until my second semester of my senior year that she asked me what I wanted to do once I graduated, and despite numerous career tests and internships, I still didn't have enough direction to choose a career. That's when she told me that there were jobs similar to hers at colleges and universities that work specifically with student athletes that I might be a good fit for me. At that point, I finally felt like God had given me enough direction to take the leap and commit to working with students! After graduating from Cal Lu, I decided to continue my education, and in 2019 I graduated with my Master's Degree in College Counseling and Student Development from Azusa Pacific University.
What does it mean to you to be a Regal?
Being a regal means displaying sportsmanship and playing with grace. Golf is easily one of the most frustrating sports to play, and it takes a lot to not let that frustration get the better of you on the course. As a Regal, if I can play to the best of my ability and accept the outcome with sportsmanship and grace, then I feel like I represented my team and my school well.
