Madalynn Marrone
Name: Madalynn Marrone
Hometown: Mifflintown, Pa.
Year in School: Junior
Major: Exercise and Sport Science
Minor: Women’s and Gender Studies
As Madalynn Marrone watched her high school classmates select Penn State as their college destination, she yearned for something different. After careful consideration, she not only decided to leave her small town of Mifflintown, Pa. (pop. 928), but she also decided to leave the entire state of Pennsylvania. It was time for an adventure!
Madalynn enrolled at Coastal Carolina University because she wanted to attend college in a warmer climate at a campus that had close access to the beach. Although she got exactly what she bargained for, she quickly realized that Coastal has much more going for it than beautiful weather and the nearby ocean.
“We have such a diverse campus with different attitudes, different backgrounds and different cultures,” Madalynn explains about what makes CCU stand out. “It has really opened my eyes to the world and really just made me a more open-minded person.”
Impressed by both Coastal’s location and student body, it goes without saying that Madalynn is enjoying her time as a Chanticleer. Enhancing her CCU experience is the fact that she is studying the perfect major. A young woman who lives an extremely active life, it only made sense that she selected the exercise and sport science program.
“Playing sports and being active was a huge part of my life growing up, and I have always been interested in the body,” Madalynn says. “So I thought it would be a really good major to learn how it (the body) works.”
Her passion for physical activity helped her make quick friends at Coastal. Not knowing a soul prior to arriving on campus, she joined various intramural teams and kept up with hobbies such as kickboxing, fishing and yoga. Her biggest splash into the CCU social scene, however, came when she joined a sorority. Remarking that receiving a bid to join Alpha Delta Pi has been her favorite moment at Coastal thus far, Madalynn has genuinely appreciated the special bonds she has developed with her sorority sisters.
Looking to become a midwife and join the Peace Corps, Madalynn will continue to branch even further away from Mifflintown. With the success she experienced from starting anew at Coastal, she has the confidence and skill to adjust smoothly at whatever journey life takes her on next.
Q&A with Madalynn
How did you hear about Coastal?: My cousin graduated from here.
Why did you come to Coastal?: I wanted to be somewhere warm and in the South. I also wanted to be close to the beach.
Favorite professor: This is so hard because I have loved ALL of my professors (and no, I am not lying). If I had to choose, I would say it is a tie between Dr. Susan Mgrdechian and Dr. MacGregor Hall.
Favorite class: Honors 101 with Jeremy Killian, Ph.D., we literally learned about different theories and philosophies about happiness and I love being happy!!!
Favorite aspect of Coastal?: The student life and the sense of community.
Favorite aspect of living in the Conway/Myrtle Beach area?: There is always something new and different to do, you just have to do it.
Clubs/Intramurals/other extracurricular activities involved in?: Alpha Delta Pi, Golden Z Women’s Club, multiple honors societies, intramural soccer, basketball, softball, SOL.
Do you work anywhere currently (either on or off campus)?: I baby-sit for a local family.
Plans after graduation?: I want to become a midwife and join the Peace Corps.
What are your hobbies?: Playing with my dog, listening to music, going on adventures with my best friends/traveling, mission work, reading, kickboxing, fishing, yoga.
Do you have any hidden talents?: No, I don’t think so. Perhaps seeing the good in every situation?
Bonus Info: I adopted a dog in November from the Horry County Humane Society. He is a Brindle Pitbull Boxer mix and his name is Niko!! He is the best gift I have ever received. I also went skydiving last Christmas Eve in Australia. Netflix documentaries is my guilty pleasure.