Short story behind Racer athletics

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w w w. Racer Insider. c o m
November 29, 2011
Short story behind Racer athletics
4
MSU athletics’ academic
counselor finds joy
in working behind scenes
By Will Aubrey
Racer Insider Senior Writer
Most great endeavors would be doomed to failure without the efforts of people who work behind the scenes. They
never hear their name called over the public address system.
They never see themselves on television. No one is buying a
jersey with their number on it.
But make no mistake, the work they do is vital.
One of the people working behind the scenes to ensure
the success of Racer athletics is academic counselor Meagan
Short.
So just what does an academic counselor do?
“It involves a lot of different things,” she explained. “I
advise students on what classes to take if they are undeclared. If they're declared I meet with their adviser and
check to make sure they're making satisfactory progress.
“I'm also in charge of the book room. All student athletes on scholarship receive books. Every August and every
January I either pull from our book room or go to the book
store and buy the books we need. They pick them up and
return them at the end of the semester.
“I monitor study hall. I let each student know how many
hours they need to devote to study hall. I make sure they
meet that requirement and that they are actually studying
when they are in here. I also do tutoring and proofread papers. I meet with certain students each week to work on time
management skills. I try to make sure that they are progressing as they should.”
“I'm not sure people
realize how much
extra work student
athletes have to do.
Practice takes up a
lot of their time and
then they spend a lot
of time traveling as
well. It's very
demanding.”
Meagan Short
MARILYN AUBREY
Jenna Bradley, a star centerfielder for the Racer softball
team last spring, talks about Short's contribution to the program.
“Megan did a lot for us,” Bradley noted. “She was
always easy to get in contact with and always helped out in
every way she could. Personally, she helped me in setting up
class schedules and assisted me in creating a resume for my
senior seminar.
“She did things for the softball players that I'm' sure
weren't in her job description and that takes a lot of selflessness. There aren't many people who would do what she
does. She is just a great person.”
Short grew up in Norris City, a small town in southern
Illinois. After running track and playing volleyball and
softball in high school she spent two years playing volleyball at Southeastern Illinois College. Then she transferred to
Murray State where she graduated with a degree in business
administration.
“Norris City only had about 1,100 people so when I
came to Murray I thought, 'Wow! This is a big city,'” Short
said with a laugh. “The first football game I ever saw was a
Murray State game. They didn't have football where I went
to high school. Of course, I go to the basketball and volleyball games too. I'm really more of a basketball fan. I still
don't understand football. I know what the quarterback does
but after that...”
After graduation Short worked in the library for a while
and then spent six or seven years in the registrar's office.
But she wanted to work more directly with students so when
the athletic department needed an academic counselor she
jumped at the opportunity.
“I get a lot of satisfaction from working with students,”
she said. “It's a long process. But when you have a student
come in who doesn't know what they want to do and you
help them find something they enjoy and then work with
them as they go through school and graduate; that's very
rewarding.
“It's a great atmosphere to work in. The kids stop by just
to say, 'Hi.' After all, it's all about relationships. If they aren't
comfortable with you then you won't find out that they're
having a problem until it's too late.
“I'm not sure people realize how much extra work student athletes have to do. Practice takes up a lot of their time
and then they spend a lot of time traveling as well. It's very
demanding. They have to do a lot of things other students
don't have to do.”
Short works with athletes from volleyball, softball,
track, and baseball, as well as walk-on football players. But
her “Racer Moment” happened in the spring of 2010.
“I was watching the NCAA tournament game against
Vanderbilt in the track office,” she recalled. “When Danero
Thomas hit that shot to win the game we all went crazy.
Everyone was running through the halls screaming. I'll never
forget it.”
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