University of North Carolina Athletics
My Carolina Experience: Elly Wagner
March 4, 2015 | Softball
My Carolina Experience: Elly Wagner
By Zoya Johnson, GoHeels.com
Elly Wagner has always had a passion for softball, so much so that she would go as far as to call it her first love. Growing up, it was her dream to play at the Division I level so she made sure she kept her academic standard high while playing on the best travel teams in her area.
“As a high school freshman I traveled from my home state of Pennsylvania to play on teams in Ohio and New Jersey in hopes of being noticed and recruited by Division I programs,” she says, “I visited UNC for the first time in the spring of my sophomore year. Despite growing up in the North and having no family ties to Carolina, I was always a fan. After my first visit on campus and meeting with the coaches and players, I knew UNC was where I wanted to be.”
Wagner verbally committed to Carolina the day before Thanksgiving of her junior year in high school. She graduated a semester early in December of 2012 and was vying for a spot in the lineup at Carolina the following spring. “I had many athletic and academic goals; I wanted to contribute in any way that I could to help develop a successful softball team.
“As time passed I realized firsthand the diverse opportunities UNC had to offer and my goals shifted. I still wanted to perform and contribute on the field as well as challenge myself in the classroom, but I realized that I wanted more.”
Now in her junior year as a Tar Heel, Wagner has seized every opportunity she has had time for, including getting into Carolina's Business School and maintaining a consistent spot on the Dean's List.
Through the Baddour Carolina Leadership Academy, Wagner has found ways to implement leadership, first developing herself as a leader and then using her strengths to lead others. “I use these tools on the softball field, in the classroom and in social situations and I appreciate the fact that the skills I am fine-tuning now through the bCLA will set me apart in the workforce and in any of my future endeavors.”
UNC SWAG (Something We Athletes Got) has given Wagner the opportunity to lead her peers in “locker-room talks” about drugs, alcohol, sexual violence, and equality dangers. As a leader in the program she was selected to participate in this year's APPLE conference which allowed her to learn about these issues with student-athletes from other universities and bring the information back to UNC.
“This organization has been a great way for me to become more invested and committed to the betterment of Carolina Athletics and the harmony between student-athletes and administrators.”
As a co-president of the Softball run Champions for Change, Wagner has organized events for the team to connect with fans that have special needs in a game day experience. This includes bonding during a pregame meal all the way through the first pitch of the day. She says community service is something important that everyone should have a chance to partake in as it gives those who are blessed the opportunity to share that gratitude with others who may be of less fortune or who simply need the experience.
“Living on my own has allowed me to decide what is most important in my life and truly find myself. It also gave me a choice to continue to follow my faith and I have also taken advantage of the great community I've found in Athletes in Action at UNC. The people I have met through AIA area so kind hearted; they have made me realize how important it is, even with hectic schedules, to take the time to talk with those around you and really build friendships.”
Of all her experiences thus far, Wagner feels none have been as rewarding as her experience with Coach for College. The opportunity to completely immerse herself in Vietnamese culture was one she will never forget. When it came to the campers involved in the program Wagner found that she had to become proactive and patient in order to give the students she was teaching the best experience possible. Coach for College also gave Wagner the opportunity to form strong relationships with other American student-athletes across the nation as well as with people she feels she will call her friends for years to come, despite them being halfway around the world in Vietnam.
In Wagner's experience it seems UNC gave her everything she expected and more. “Thanks to Carolina I feel I've had unmatched opportunities to succeed in so many ways and all while meeting amazing people who are also excited about making an impact and leaving a lasting footprint. I'll always be proud to be a part of that.”
