This spring, senior Stephen Nadler '21 will be photographing and profiling student-athletes from the Union College Class of 2021. Do you have a good nominee to be profiled? Email sheridas@union.edu and your nominee could be next!
To see previous Senior Reflections, visit
https://unionathletics.com/tags/seniors_2021.
Amanda Ashmen has been a leader in and out of competition as a three-sport standout for the Dutchwomen. A four-year member of the women's soccer team, she played 43 games on the pitch for Union over three seasons and scored a goal in her final game against Skidmore during the spring. She also joined the indoor and outdoor track & field teams as a sophomore and quickly became a leader in the program, serving as a two-year captain and setting the school 2,000-meter steeplechase record as a senior. Ashmen also is a leader in the classroom, earning Union's Sophomore and Junior Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards and a combined six Liberty League All-Academic Team nods as a computer engineering major.
What is your earliest soccer memory that has stuck with you?
When I was little, when it was time for soccer, I would sit down on this little red chair and my mom would do my hair into two braided pigtails. Nowadays I do my own braid, but I am so thankful to have had such supportive parents to let me play soccer any time I wanted to.
How has soccer influenced your overall college experience?
Because of soccer, I've met some of my closest buddies – Emily, Matt, Conor – and formed relationships with many others. It's taken me to new places, like on an incredibly memorable team trip to Italy! Soccer has also pushed me to try new things, most significantly joining the track & field team. It hasn't always been sunshine and rainbows, but looking back on my college soccer experience, the highs always overshadow the lows.
What has been your favorite moment as a Union College athlete?
Losing a few seasons to the pandemic made me a lot more grateful for athletic competition once it was safe to compete again. So, I think that lacing up for the last soccer game in my 17-year career was a highlight. It was an unexpected surprise to play for Union women's soccer one last time, and it gave me enough closure to willingly enter retirement.
How do you want your legacy as a Union athlete to be remembered?
In that two-hour block from 4:30-6:30pm on weekdays, practicing with my team is where I wanted to be. It didn't matter what we were doing, what the weather was like, or what kind of schoolwork I had to do; sports have been my favorite outlet and reliever of stress. I would never turn down a soccer practice or a running workout, and now that I have no more practices to attend, I hope that my teammates continue to take on every opportunity to challenge themselves, get better, and have fun along the way.
Do you have any advice for incoming first-year students or recruits?
We're constantly surrounded by metrics and statistics that quantify our levels of performance, but success isn't just measured by numbers. Be true to yourself, push your comfort zone, and find something to enjoy in every practice or competition.
Fun fact?
I usually go by Amanda, but since sophomore year all of my teammates and coaches have called me Mandy!
