It is the start of another school year at Siena Heights University, which means some new additions to graduate assistant positions around campus. SHU has 23 grad assistants in total for the 2015-16 academic school year. Highlighted are two, Paul Farley and Tyler Hammond:

Paul Farley: Bowling
Paul Farley is returning for his second season as the graduate assistant for the SHU bowling, where he serves as an assistant coach for both the men’s and women’s teams. Farley has been a member of the SHU bowling program ever since its inaugural year in 2010. He has bowled all four of his years as a student and has found more love for the sport in the form of an assistant coach.
“I used to help coach our varsity boys team back in high school,” Farley said. “I loved coaching so much I wanted to stay on to coach. I get to recruit and coach which I have found to love recruiting a lot more than I thought I would. I love convincing students that Siena Heights is the place to be.”
Despite the love of being a grad assistant for SHU bowling, Farley does acknowledge one of the biggest challenges that comes with being a GA.

“I bowled with a lot of the players currently on the team, so it’s been a challenge making that transition from player to authority figure because I want them to like me, but I need to hold my position as a coach as well.
Overall, Farley doesn’t regret one bit of the GA experience he has got at Siena Heights.

“It’s such an enriching and wonderful experience,” Farley said. “The connections I make with the students are so important to me.”
Tyler Hammond: Men’s Basketball
Tyler Hammond is a first year grad assistant serving as an assistant coach with the Siena Heights men’s basketball team. Unlike many of the grad assistants at Siena, Hammond did not attend his undergraduate years at SHU.
“I played four years of college basketball at Marietta College which is a NCAA institution down in Southern Ohio,” Hammond said. “I really want to be a head coach for a college program one day, so I started looking for jobs and my coach told me that there was a position open here. When I had my interview with Coach Pechota he told me to get in where I can fit in and I certainly feel like I fit in here.”
Hammond was quick to applaud Siena Heights on the friendly environment upon his arrival on campus. “Everyone is so welcoming here, it’s a family atmosphere and that’s what got me to come here.”

In the long run, Hammond hopes to become the head coach of a college level program and so far the GA program at Siena Heights is steering him in the right direction.

“I’m getting the little extra details such as scouting, recruiting, and film,” Hammond said. “I hope I can use that to help bring Siena Heights basketball back to what it used to be.”
With the middle of the fall semester approaching, Hammond admits the hardest part for him thus far has been time management. “The toughest part is realizing I’m not just here for basketball but I’m here for school. It’s been a big adjustment getting my time management skills back because all I can think about is the sport and how bad I want to become a head coach.”

Here is a brief rundown of the rest of the GAs on campus:
Savannah Haig: Student Engagement
Haig is working alongside Gabe Dunbar as a graduate student in Student Engagement. According to sienaheights.edu, their job is to, “help you make the most of your SHU experience. Stop by the office anytime and let us know how we can help!”

Zachary Crothers: Athletic Trainer
Crothers is working alongside Jody Manes, Suzanne Harmon, and Lorie Robinette during his time as a grad assistant athletic trainer.

Amy Anderson: Alumni
Anderson is a grad assistant with the Alumni Office at SHU, which is responsible for over 16,000 SHU and St. Joseph College (1919-1939) alumni according to sienaheights.edu.

Eric Henderson: Baseball
Henderson is working alongside head coach John Kolasinski as a grad assistant for the SHU baseball team.

Lonnie Pugh: Diversity & Inclusion
Pugh is a grad assistant with the office of Diversity & Inclusion, which aims to, “promote an inclusive campus environment that values the uniqueness of each individual, diversity within our community, and the holistic development of our ever growing student population” according to sienaheights.edu.

Fred Butler: Football

Butler is a second-year grad assistant for the SHU football team where he serves as a defensive backs coach.

Patrick Lyall: Football
Lyall is a second-year grad assistant for the SHU football team where he serves as an offensive line coach.
Nicholas Campbell: Golf
Campbell was a player on the SHU golf team the previous four school years and has returned as a grad assistant as the assistant coach for both the men’s and women’s team.

Jordan Burkholder: Men’s Track
Burkholder works alongside coaches Tim Bauer, Kirk Richards, Ryan Flanary and Lonnie Pugh as a grad assistant for the men’s track team.
Michael McCarthy: Men’s Volleyball
McCarthy is a second-year grad assistant with the SHU volleyball programs. He currently serves as an assistant coach for both teams.
Amber Holland: Music
Holland works alongside Wes King and Kelly Ford as a graduate student for the SHU Music program.
Matthew Martinez: Softball
Matthew Martinez is the grad assistant for the SHU softball team and has spent five years in total as an assistant coach for the program.
Crystal Wilcoxen: Sports Information
Crystal Wilcoxen works alongside Josh Reilly as the grad assistant for the sports information department.
Grace Howrigon: Women’s Basketball
Howrigon works alongside Coaches Sue Syljebeck, Debrah Ray, Sarah Chrenko and Erin Cassidy as a graduate assistant for the SHU women’s basketball program.
Olivia Duncan: Women’s Lacrosse
Duncan is a graduate assistant and assistant coach for the women’s lacrosse team. Last year, Duncan was an assistant at NCAA Division III program Alma College.
Alexis Donnelly: Women’s Soccer
Donnelly joins the women’s soccer team as a graduate assistant one year after her career as a player with the Saints ended. During her career, Donnelly had 26 goals and 15 assists over the course of 71 games for a total of 67 points.
Emily Reader: Women’s Track

Reader works alongside coaches Tim Bauer, Kirk Richards, Ryan Flanary, and Lonnie Pugh as a graduate assistant for the women’s track team.
Stefanie Pellegrom: Women’s Volleyball
Pellegrom is a second year grad assistant for the SHU women’s volleyball team. She is a 2012 graduate of Trine (Ind.) where she played collegiate volleyball.
Cory Lehman: Baseball
Lehman is a second-year grad assistant for the SHU baseball team. Lehman has previous coaching experience as the junior varsity coach at Bedford High School in Temperance.
Ryunosuke Sawairi: Men’s Soccer
Sawairi is a second-year grad assistant for the SHU men’s soccer team. Sawairi has previous coaching experience as an assistant coach for NCAA Division III program Wells (N.Y.).

Emily Leep: Writing Center
Leep is a graduate student with the SHU writing center, serving as the graduate school’s writing assistant providing writing assistance to those pursuing graduate degrees.