Averie Collins earned a degree from Stanford and is pursuing an MBA at the Washington State University Carson College of Business.

For all the knowledge she has acquired and continues to gain off the field, it is what she has learned on the field that has provided an invaluable asset to her education.

"Sports teaches you life lessons," the Cougar soccer player said, taking a rare break to talk after an October practice. "Sports has taught me more about working with other people, how to be a team player, and time management, than any other experiences in my life to this point. 

"Technology is going to change how we work in the future," Collins added, "but what's not going to change is how we communicate and work with each other and that's what sports teaches you."

Soccer

Collins was no stranger to the WSU campus before she joined the Cougars this season.

As a freshman in 2015, she scored the game-winning goal against the Cougars at Lower Soccer Field in Pullman. 

However, during her visits as a Stanford player to the Palouse, Collins did not have time to see the rest of the WSU campus.

"When you come on an away trip, it's very much like a business trip," she said. "You don't really get to know the campus. You know the soccer field."

It wasn't until her official visit that Collins received the opportunity to experience the WSU campus.

And her impression?

"One of the coolest things about Washington State is how it really is a college town," she said. "That's something that was missing at Stanford.

"Stanford is the Silicon Valley tech bubble and coming to Washington State you can't go anywhere without getting a 'Go Cougs!'" she said. "It's just definitely a family culture, which was something I was excited to experience and be a part of."

At Stanford, Collins was a member of three-straight Pac-12 championship teams in three seasons and a national championship team as a junior in 2017. In all, she played in 57 total games for the Cardinal before redshirting the 2018 season.

In choosing WSU to continue her collegiate career, soccer, and life after soccer, factored into her decision.

"I wanted to stay close to home in the Pac-12," she said. "The coaching staff was super welcoming and showed the interest. They had a soccer style I could fit well into."

"Averie possesses leadership, is a great role model, a great teammate, easily coachable, and one of the hardest working kids on the team, which is a hard to do because we are a hard-working soccer team," head coach Todd Shulenberger said of Collins. "We pride ourselves on that so she fits in rather well."

Working Toward an MBA

It wasn't only soccer that was a fit for attracted Collins at Washington State.

Having earned her degree in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford, building on that education was of great importance for Collins.

"Coming from Stanford, academics have always clearly been a priority," she said. "Yes, soccer is important but at some point soccer only goes so long.

"Having an MBA was important to me."

During her visit, the family culture of WSU shown through not only with the soccer coaching staff but with the staff at the Carson College of Business.

"Talking to the professionals and the staff I felt comfortable," she said. "I felt the program built off of what I wanted."

One of the people Collins met with was Cheryl Oliver, Associate Dean, Professional Programs at the Carson College of Business. 

"She blew me away," Oliver remembered of her meeting with Collins. "She was curious about how she can leverage an MBA toward a future career.

"I was impressed by her combination of athletic ability and skill on top of her intellectual ability and drive," Oliver added. "She was asking what would you do if you were me? She is the type of person my 22-year old self would ask, 'What is Averie doing? I'll follow her.'"

The help Collins received at Carson during her visit and after only reinforced her feelings about WSU.

"They were very hands-on and I've been super appreciative of that, especially as an athlete," she said. "It was such a family atmosphere I felt like I already had personal connections walking in here. People really wanted to make sure I succeeded here, which was really cool to me."

Life After Soccer

Collins first priority after WSU is to play soccer professionally, either domestically or internationally, but she is preparing for the time when her playing days are over.

"Eventually I want to start my own business and I think that's why the MBA was so alluring to me," she said. "The MBA offers the financial skills, management operations, some of the technical knowledge and skills that I didn't get in my undergrad."

Specifically, fashion is what draws Collins' interest.

"Growing up I was really into scrap booking, artsy projects, painting, drawing, and fashion has become the outlet of all that, so I would love to start my own line someday," Collins says. "We'll see."

Regardless of where soccer takes her after this season, the fact that the MBA program is exclusively online allows Collins to keep working toward completing her degree, wherever she may be. 

"The program being online is huge knowing I can finish my degree no matter where I am in the world," she said. "If I wanted to play professionally I can finish it online."

"For students who are athletes, and we have a few in the program, they don't have to stop going to school or stay an extra year and defer income to get a graduate degree," said Oliver. "They can continue to go wherever they want to go and take the degree with them, regardless of whether they get signed to an international team go professional or take a job in a professional setting."

"I think they have a really unique position that many other students don't; that is, they have to learn to manage their brand early in life and very efficiently," Oliver added about the student-athletes in the MBA program. "A lot of our students, often professionals, maybe haven't had that level of exposure to managing their own brand or invest in themselves as a brand. I think student-athletes like Averie have the opportunity to leverage that in a business degree, which is very effective for them."

No matter if it's on a soccer field or conference room, as Collins continues to learn in the soccer and business environments she will continue to apply the lessons sports taught her on and off the field.

"You are on a team with people who you may not agree with but how are you going to come together to meet a common goal," Collins explained. "How do you lead a team of diverse opinions? How do you get everybody on board? How do be a leader but also how to be a follower in the aspect of how to listen to the people around me and learn from the people around me? And not losing sight of who you are but learning from everybody around you. 

"That's something that sports has taught me."