With the final examinations at Northern Kentucky coming to a close today, many graduating seniors are on the hunt for full-time jobs. For Isabell Alexander, an outfielder on the softball team, she has already locked down a position out of state, and credits the importance that head coach Kathryn Gleason places on life outside of softball with her ability to transition smoothly into the next phase of her life. In today's Q&A, Alexander shares the story of how she came to play at NKU and the extracurricular activities that she took on while here that helped shape her into a well-rounded prospect in the professional workforce.  
 
What's your background with softball and how did you end up at NKU?
I've been playing softball since I was about five years old. My dad and I used to practice all the time. He was my coach since I was little, from tee-ball to literally my last travel ball game. (Growing up), I played soccer, I have a black belt in Taekwondo – fun fact. People never believe me when I tell them that, but I am a black belt. I played basketball in middle school, volleyball, I was a dancer, I was a gymnast, I did it all. One day, I was only doing Taekwondo and softball. I told my mom, "I got my black belt, I don't want to do this anymore. I want to focus on softball." And then I've been in travel ball since I was in fifth grade. I was drawn to NKU because I've known Coach Gleason since my sophomore year of high school. I was actually committed to her at Boston University when she was the coach there, so when I found out that she was no longer the coach at BU, I was devastated. One travel ball game, I was sitting there on the bench and it was a big college exposure, so my coach didn't play me because I was already committed. And I saw Coach Gleason, so I told my dad and he was like, "no it's not." And I said, "yes, that's her over there in that yellow shirt." They didn't believe me and then my dad walked over there since he was the first base coach, and they were like, "you're right." Long story short, I ended up decommitting from Boston University because that's not the coach that wanted me. I wanted to play for Coach Gleason because she believed in me all of those years. I loved her aspect of the game and the way she approached academics and everything as well.
 
What's the way she approaches academics?
One of the things that stood out to me when I was young was that she let you be any major that you wanted. There are so many Division I schools that don't support that. Back in the day, I wanted to be a doctor. But I'm an accounting major, I didn't go that route, but the fact that she was allowing you to do whatever you want to do stood out to me the most. She always tells recruits that she puts you as a person above athletic ability and everything, so the fact that she looks at me and wants me to be a good person when I leave school and have good academics behind that as well, I liked that. Because my life now, I don't have softball anymore. I'm a senior, I'm graduating, I have a job. So, she has helped me get that job because she pushed me to have those good academics and everything, so I wouldn't be there without her.  
 
So you've already locked down a full-time job?
I start June 15. I'm going to be a proposal analyst in New York. I had an internship with them last summer, and I basically do financial reports on stuff for the military. The finances behind the building of radars, lasers, helicopters.
 
Did you have to intern in the summer due to your busy schedule with athletics?
It was very difficult. For accounting majors at NKU, we have to have an internship to graduate. They want you in the spring for tax season, and that's softball season. Luckily, I found one in New York, but it was a finance internship. But finance and accounting are very similar, so it worked. I had talked to all my professors, and because my accounting classes were so small and I knew my professors, they knew I was going to be getting good work out of it. It took forever. I applied for that internship in January and I didn't hear back until May. I had a backup plan to work around NKU, but this one was such a good one that I couldn't pass that up.
 
Along with balancing your internship, school and softball, you've also been heavily involved in community service. What are some of the focuses you've had there?
At NKU, I've done the Buddy Walk, Breast Cancer Walk, RBI Academy, we've had Destiny (Owen from Team IMPACT). But the one that stands out to me is RBI. I've been doing that since freshman year and I've gone to every single RBI for four years, so it was devastating when I had my last one. I cried, I bawled my eyes out. RBI Academy is where we go and teach these girls how to play softball, starting with throwing. I've always done the defensive side, so I've been with Coach Gleason and if she wasn't there, I had to run the camp by myself. I had to teach them how to throw balls and play catch, which is dangerous at times. You're teaching seven-year-olds how to play catch, and they like to play fetch. It's hard to keep them interested and engaged.  But I like the little ones more. I created bonds with them. There are girls who were there since my freshman year, and I saw them grow year by year. 
 
How has community service enriched your experience as a student-athlete?
I really encourage my teammates to go, because it's such an experience to have these little girls look up to you and ask you questions. They want to be you. They want to be a Division I softball player and play at this level. They want to have the skill that you have, and the fact that you're giving back to them and giving the attention that you do – because sometimes they don't have good days at school… I would talk to them and they'd be bullied or have terrible days at school – I just think it's a humbling experience for me because I know they look up to me and they want to talk to me every day. I just knew that I made an impact on them because they'd keep coming back.
 
Has being a mentor always come naturally to you?
I do gravitate towards helping little children. I was a summer camp counselor for three years. I have a younger sister, so always being there for her is something I've always done. I want to be someone that people can look up to.