It was never easy for Mississippi State University sophomore MaKayla Waldner to become a forward in college soccer. Her journey started with long drives multiple times a week to practice the sport she loves.
There are not any school soccer teams in Waldner’s hometown of Dexter, Missouri. She played in local city leagues when she was small, but by the time she was in high school, she was driving three hours both ways to St. Louis three times a week.
However, her talent was apparent far before those drives. Her childhood coach, Brad Hahn, said he recognized her potential immediately.
“I knew right off the bat,” Hahn said. “She was that athletic, she stood out big time over the boys. She was an incredible athlete, but I knew right off that her sport was soccer.”
Waldner, on the other hand, did not aspire to play collegiate soccer until she was a sophomore in high school.
“I always thought I was going to go run track,” Waldner said.
Once Waldner set her sights set on soccer, though, she embarked on a college search like every other high school student across the country.
Certain she did not want to stay in-state, MaKayla looked at schools in Kentucky and Alabama, but the moment she stepped onto MSU’s campus, she knew she was home.
“I’m from a small town in Missouri and it is very people oriented,” Waldner said. “When I came here on my visit, people were very loving. That really sealed the deal for me. It was just the fact that I felt like I was at home.”
Hahn wanted her to go to a school with more national prominence and a bigger program. He said he changed his views after seeing the way she reacted coming back from Starkville.
“I wanted her to go to a really big school, like Notre Dame, but once she visited MSU, she was so dedicated,” Hahn said. “I said, ‘That’s where you need to be.'”
At MSU, Waldner did not pick an easy academic path as an athlete. She is majoring in mechanical engineering.
While she is considering playing professional soccer, mechanical engineering is an option if she decides against playing.
Waldner is quick to point out the benefits of her course of study.
“Mechanical engineering is time-consuming, but it makes me a better person,” Waldner said. ”I can overcome any obstacle and have grown as a person because of how independent I have to be.”
Originally, Waldner wanted to design prosthetics, but now she wants to become a sports engineer. She wants to design equipment to either lowers risk for concussions or helps athletes recover faster.
“The dream would be to work for the NFL at some point,” Waldner said.
If she decides to pursue engineering, she will stay in Starkville.
“If I go to grad school, I’ll end up staying here,” Waldner said.
Student-athlete is a term used to describe the sports stars on campuses around the country, but for Waldner, it truly encompasses her priorities at MSU.
“’School and soccer’ is the definition of my life,” Waldner said. “Anytime I’m not on the field, I’m in class or hitting the books.”
Her dedication shows too. This summer, Waldner was named to the First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll.
Even with her achievements on and off the field, her old coach said, without a shadow of a doubt, what stands out about Waldner is her humility.
“She’s incredibly smart, but the humblest person I’ve ever met,” Hahn said.
The fans at MSU are just getting to know the young forward, but she has already endeared herself to them as both a student and an athlete.