One of the most pivotal points in a young person’s life is leaving home and moving into a college dormitory. This marker on the timeline of life is one of the most memorable and fun experiences. When you move away from home to start your first year of college, you get a rush of excitement and independence. The anticipation of getting college life started is a life event worth hearing about. 

Noah Mayo is first-year at William Jewell College and comes from Plainfield, Illinois, where he attended Wheaton Academy. Plainfield is located in the suburbs of Chicago –  about 45 minutes outside of the city. He admits that “being far from home is hard.” Although Mayo misses home at times, he appreciates getting to experience living in a smaller city. I can relate to Mayo as I hail from south Texas. Noah, you will get used to it, man! 

Mayo was attracted to Jewell because he wanted to receive a liberal arts education. He is interested in the thought-provoking style that accompanies the liberal arts curriculum. Mayo seeks to view the world through a broad lens so that he can understand and appreciate it more. His eagerness to learn to think and not merely acquire information aligns with what Jewell stands for. 

Mayo is majoring in Oxbridge: Institutions and Policy – part of the Oxbridge Honors Program at Jewell. The Oxbridge Honors Program requires more commitment and thought than the traditional college major. 

“[I] knew that the Oxbridge Honors Program, especially the Institutions and Policy major, would give me the tools I needed to be successful for my future career,” Mayo said.

Mayo wants to eventually go to law school, and he knew this from the very start. He can already see that the Oxbridge Introductory Seminar –  the first Oxbridge-specific class in the four-year Oxbridge journey – prepares him to understand, speak and write about arguments with a critical eye. As a future lawyer, the skill-set of understanding the structure of an argument is an imperative one. So far, Mayo is delighted to see that what he thought he would get out of the Oxbridge Honors Program is coming to life. 

When Mayo is not studying, reading or writing, he runs as a sprinter on the Jewell track team  His featured event is the men’s 400-meter. Getting the opportunity to run college track was another influential component of Noah’s decision to come to Jewell. He is grateful for the chance to compete at a high-level as Jewell is part of the NCAA Great Lakes Valley Conference Division II. As Mayo’s daily training partner, I can attest that he is dedicated to competing at such a high-level. Noah is hopeful to speed-up his 400 time and enjoys living as a college student-athlete. 

Mayo’s favorite part about Jewell is the small class size.

“At a bigger school, it is easy to hide – but here, that’s not really an option!” said Mayo. 

Mayo understands that you cannot fake your way through understanding the content here at Jewell, because the professors will know. He appreciates what a small class setting will do for him as a future lawyer. Mainly, because in a small classroom, he is forced to speak up and voice his opinions. Noah recognizes the benefits that come with a smaller school, and he appreciates the uniqueness of how it can help a person grow as an individual. 

A fun fact about Mayo is that he loves soul music. Some of his favorite artists include Sam Cook, Marvin Gaye, The O’Jays and the Temptations. If you are into that genre of music, send a few tracks his way! 

Mayo comes from a place that is far from Jewell, but he is managing to adapt and is learning to live in a new environment. As a first-year at William Jewell College, he recognizes what this place is all about. Although Mayo began his inaugural college year during a global pandemic, he still finds a way to get the most from his education and time on campus.

Good luck during your first year in college, Noah, and don’t forget that there “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” 

Balancing their transition into college-level coursework and athletics with disruptions and uncertainty caused by COVID-19, student-athletes in the class of 2024 have a lot on their plates. The Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) decided in July that golf, tennis and swim and dive would compete in the fall – with GLVC championships postponed to the spring semester due to COVID-19 concerns. The sports of football, soccer and volleyball will have their competition season moved to the spring.

The Hilltop Monitor connected with first-year members of William Jewell College’s cross-country, football and swim teams – who are all competing in the fall season – to ask how they’re handling their transition into college athletics.

Marissa Doria, first-year nursing major, is a member of the cross-country team. Sharing a little bit about her daily routine, Doria said that, depending on which day of the week it is, she will wake up around 6 a.m. to join her team for strengthening workouts. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Doria has classes from 9 a.m. to 2:50 p.m. and then heads straight to physical therapy – which is scheduled for 3 p.m. – after her last class. After physical therapy, Doria heads to work from 4-5 p.m. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Doria spends most of the day in class and work and makes sure to get homework done in the spare moments when she finds free time.

“Since practices are in the morning and physical therapy is right after my last class, I think I have been able to balance between that and classes along with my work schedule,” Doria said.

Doria spent the first two weeks of school in a boot for an injury she was recovering from, which made the beginning stages of her transition into college athletics a little bit rockier.

“[O]nce I was able to take off the boot, it was a little easier to get a routine down and became manageable. For me the most difficult thing to adjust to is not really knowing anyone because I am from out of state and I’m still not that used to having my close friends only 10 minutes away from me,” Doria said.

Reflecting on her high school athletic career, Doria shared that she finds that her team at Jewell is generally more dedicated and that the trainers are more committed to making sure their athletes are healthy.

“I think that being a student-athlete at Jewell is a little better than in high school because the athletes on the team take the sport and workouts a lot more serious[ly]. The athletic trainers are also able to treat the athletes a lot better for their injuries,” Doria said. “My coach also checks up on me and my wellbeing a lot more than my high school coach did, which I appreciate. In addition to the athletes and staff, there are a lot more responsibilities as a student-athlete at Jewell in the way that I have to balance between classes, practices, homework/studying, and working to pay for tuition.”

Josh Polk, first-year history and secondary education major, is a defensive back on Jewell’s football team. Similar to Doria, Polk wakes up at 6 a.m. most days to work out with his team until 7:30 a.m. Afterward, he’ll head to the dining hall for breakfast before heading back to his dorm room to drink a protein shake and shower. His first class begins at 9 a.m. on Zoom. When that finishes, he often takes a quick nap before his next class at 11:15 a.m. After a quick lunch at 12:30 p.m., Polk will get a little homework in before his next class at 1:45 p.m. 

Once this class finishes, Polk heads to his 3 p.m. football meeting. Then, Polk grabs dinner before embarking on a quick evening workout. After a shower, Polk heads to his job in the Mabee Center and will use his downtime to work on homework. After finishing up his shift at 11 p.m., Polk finally heads to bed.

“I would say I’m mostly adjusted to life as a student athlete by now. It’s definitely manageable but you have to stay focused or you will get behind,” Polk said. “It is very tiring and the most difficult thing to do is to get quality rest, my days are long and active and I don’t get much time just to myself. Thankfully the football team makes me attend a study hall two days a week and that helps me keep track of everything.”

In his adjustment to collegiate athletics, Polk has noticed that he feels more pressure to be responsible.

“It’s way different [from high school] because I’m way more accountable for everything I do and no action goes without a consequence. There’s a lot more pressure on me to be perfect in everything I do so it can be stressful but you just have to embrace the grind and push through,” Polk said. 

Haley Angelo, first-year psychological sciences major, is a backstroke and freestyle specialist for Jewell’s swim team. The earliest riser of the bunch, Angelo wakes up at 5 a.m. for practice at the Mabee Center. Afterward, she heads to the dining hall for breakfast before classes begin. Throughout the day, Angelo will find a couple of hours to get homework done before heading to afternoon practice. On weekdays, she notes that she is always either at swim practice, eating at the cafeteria, or getting homework done in the Pryor Learning Commons.

“It has definitely taken a couple of weeks to get into the swing of things, but it has been awesome. It is all about time management for me, setting aside time for priorities,” Angelo said.

Angelo enthused about her athletic experience at Jewell, emphasizing that the closeness and openness of her team have made the transition much easier.

“Being a student-athlete at Jewell is completely different from being a student-athlete in high school. The atmosphere here at Jewell is very welcoming. My team is so close and has been very welcoming to the freshman, and helping us adjust to this new environment,” Angelo said. “The swim team has been a great group to be [a part] of, and I am excited [to] see where the year goes.”