Madison Kistler

Student
Building Construction
Applied Technology Studies

She’s played soccer as long as she can remember. And she's not planning on stopping any time soon. Thankfully, Madison chose Penn College where she quickly found a home on the women’s soccer team and the flexibility to explore new and exciting career paths.

Q&A with Madison

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT SOCCER?

Everything. I love the team aspect of it. I've done other sports, but I really feel like you create such a bond with your teammates. Your team becomes a family and I love that. The sport itself is just so much fun, too.

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM?

My favorite team is probably the Penn College team, but I like famous ones too. I'd probably say the USA women's soccer team. I love watching their games and they're good people to look up to. They make you just want to be a better player.

HOW HAS PLAYING SOCCER ENHANCED YOUR COLLEGE EXPERIENCE?

Joining the soccer team my first semester was great. They literally became my family and that's who I hang out with all the time. I'm with them all the time. I live with some of my teammates. So that really made it great. And that made it a lot easier to try new things. I felt more comfortable going into clubs and events that I never participated in before. It opened my eyes to the possibilities that are out there.

WHAT APPEALED TO YOU ABOUT THE SOCCER TEAM AT PENN COLLEGE?

I played soccer my entire life. I knew if I was going to come to school, that soccer was something that I wanted to do. I met the coach here and he was really nice and all the players are great. I really liked the atmosphere and really wanted to join.

WHY PENN COLLEGE?

I chose Penn College because I really like doing stuff with my hands. I always need to be working with my hands. I really like this school because it's all hands on. It's great. I love being in the labs and doing stuff and your professors do it with you. I learn so much better that way.

WHY CONCRETE SCIENCE?

I really like being outside and I like the construction industry. That's why I originally got a degree in surveying because you're outside all the time doing a variety of things. And then I joined the Concrete Club at Penn College. After I joined that, I knew I loved concrete. So, I decided to major in that too.

ARE YOU INVOLVED IN ANY ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE OF CLASS, APART FROM SOCCER?

I'm the co-president of the Concrete Club. I try to be in the lab as much as I can, too. On the weekends, I like checking out local things that go on. Me and my friends go downtown, too. So that's always nice. And I just like getting outside, going hiking or fishing and anything outdoors.

HOW HAS YOUR MAJOR MET OR EXCEEDED YOUR EXPECTATIONS?

When I first got involved with concrete, I didn't really know what to expect. I just didn't know everything that went into it. It just blew my mind when I found out the different classes I was taking and all the processes that actually go into it. So that was kind of crazy. I had an internship over the summer and learned so much more. I’m always learning new things. So there’s just so much more than I thought.

DO YOU HAVE A CAREER GOAL IN MIND?

I'm definitely going to stay in the construction field and will probably go more towards concrete than surveying. I kind of want to intertwine the two of them, even though I don't know if that type of career exists. I just really love working with my hands. So that's what I want to do. I want to be out on job sites and out with the people. I don't want to be stuck in an office all day.

Student Experience

"I love being with my teammates and the feeling you get when you step onto the field. I've never felt a feeling like that. That’s one of my favorite things about soccer."

Madison Kistler

Women's Soccer Player, Applied Technology Studies

Penn College News

Homegrown ConCreate Design Club video earns national attention

Madison and fellow members of the Penn College ConCreate Design Club put together a fun and informative video as part of an industry-sponsored competition.

Read the story