NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State volleyball's Ali Line has done her part to exemplify what it takes to be a Redbird student-athlete over the past three years. The Bargersville, Indiana, native came to Illinois State in the fall of 2015 to begin her collegiate academic and athletic career, as she is now entering her final season on the Redbirds' volleyball team.
"I chose Illinois State for many reasons," Line shared. "It isn't too far from home, and I love the campus and the size of the university. I think the part that drew me in the most was the family culture of the volleyball team and the willingness of the coaching staff and nursing program to work with me and allow me to do both."
That family atmosphere has translated into Line's favorite part about putting on an Illinois State Redbirds jersey day in and day out.
"My favorite part about being a Redbird is playing in Redbird Arena," said Line. "We have an arena and atmosphere that is unique and is so much fun to play in. As student-athletes, we also have so much support from not only the athletic department as a whole, but from the rest of the university and the community. Playing in Redbird Arena truly feels like you are playing for something bigger than yourself."
Line's excellence in the classroom has helped her earn the distinction of a Robert G. Bone Scholar for the upcoming 2018-19 academic year. She becomes the third Redbird student-athlete in two years, and just the third since the 2011-12 academic year, to be named a Bone Scholar. The Bone Scholarship is the top undergraduate honor bestowed at Illinois State, and is reserved for only the top 14 rising seniors.
A nursing major, Line has maintained a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade point average and is a two-time Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete First Team member. She has also garnered the MVC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award each of her three seasons, while earning a spot on the MVC and AFNI Honor Rolls in every possible semester. She is expected to graduate with her bachelor's degree in May 2019.
"It is such an honor to represent Illinois State volleyball and bring recognition to a program that has such a rich history and tradition," commented Line. "I am just so thankful to be able to play volleyball and study nursing at Illinois State."
Line is the 25th Illinois State student-athlete to earn the scholarship named in honor of the late Illinois State University President Robert G. Bone. The Karin L. Bone Athletics Study Center, which supports the academic endeavors of all Illinois State student-athletes, is named in honor of the late Illinois State University First Lady.
Bone Scholars are students who combine broad and excellent academic achievement with campus and community engagement, while displaying outstanding qualities of character and leadership.
Line is the fourth Illinois State volleyball player to receive the Bone Scholarship and the first since Erin Lindsey earned it for the 2009-10 academic year.
She initially learned that the scholarship existed after attending the Illinois State Athletics' Reggie's Banquet last year, where she witnessed women's golfer Kiley Walsh and track and field and cross country student-athlete Wes Ward receive acknowledgement for the honor. After receiving an email that she could be a potential nominee, and mentioning it to one of her professors, Line felt encouraged to apply for the scholarship.
"The first steps in the application process included writing a letter of interest, submitting my resume and sending two faculty nomination letters to a selection committee within the Mennonite College of Nursing," Line explained. "Once I received a nomination from Mennonite, I applied to the university. I was given a nursing faculty mentor, who helped me throughout the entire process – which took a few months – and assisted me in putting together the final application. The application required two additional recommendation letters, four essays and a project."
Line's interest of majoring in nursing came during her junior year of high school, when she made the decision that she wanted to follow in her mom's footsteps and become a nurse.
"I have always been interested in the medical field and I love working with people, so it turns out that nursing is the perfect combination of both," shared Line. "I also love that there are many opportunities beyond nursing, such as becoming a nurse practitioner."
Aside from making nursing her main area of focus at Illinois State, Line will also graduate with a minor in Spanish. After studying the language for five years throughout middle school and high school, she almost put that to a halt. It wasn't until a pair of mission trips to Nicaragua showed Line the value of speaking a different language and helped her gain motivation to improve her Spanish-speaking ability by selecting it as a minor in college.
"In the healthcare setting, I have seen and experienced the value of being able to speak the language of the person you are caring for," Line explained. "I would like to use my Spanish in the medical field, either here in hospitals in the United States, or abroad in Spanish-speaking countries such as Nicaragua."
Line's success has not come easy, as she has had to balance a demanding schedule that comes with being a nursing major – between a full schedule of normal classes and clinical work – and a dedicated member of the volleyball team. With an abundance of resources that are made available to Line and her fellow Illinois State student-athletes through the Karin L. Bone Athletics Study Center, she believes that it has helped her remain focused on her main goal of doing well in school and graduating in May.
"As student-athletes, we are surrounded by so many people that want to see us succeed," shared Line. "We are constantly working with academic advisors in the study center, who support us by helping us manage our time and effectively communicate with our professors. I have learned how to utilize these resources, along with developing time management skills, which allow me to balance school with volleyball."
Her hard work on the court and in the classroom has undoubtedly paid off as she heads into her senior season on the volleyball team and final year of her academic journey at Illinois State. With a MVC regular-season champion trophy, and tournament championship with an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament in mind, Line would be thrilled to add an all-conference selection on her resume.
"I am really looking forward to my senior volleyball season," Line expressed. "I am going to make the most of every moment working hard, traveling and winning matches with my best friends. We have all worked so hard this offseason and are excited to see what we will accomplish this fall. I am also excited for my pediatric nursing class and clinical, because I would like to be a pediatric nurse when I graduate."
With plans to move to New York City, where her fiancé is currently working, Line would be satisfied to secure a job in a pediatric hospital for a couple of years to gain experience in the industry after graduation, before applying to graduate school to become a nurse practitioner.
It is obvious that Line's hard work and dedication to her studies and the Illinois State volleyball program will propel her to a successful professional career in the medical field.
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