THE MAGAZINE OF FRANKLIN PIERCE UNIVERSITY spring 2013

A Jill of All Trades: Women’s Cross Country’s Ashley MarescaBy Dave Sweet ’15, Athletics Student Feature WriterThe life of a student athlete is a demanding one to say the least:homework, practice, study, practice, more studying and morepractice – all the while maintaining a social life. One would thinkit is nearly impossible to have time for much else.Women’s cross country’s Ashley Maresca disproves that theory.Not only does she maintain her studies and practice daily, she is auniquely talented musician.“I think it’s beneficial for athletes to do things outside of theirsport, because it’s important to be wellrounded,” Ashley said. “The collegeexperience is one of those situationswhere you get out of it what you putinto it. When you involve yourself indifferent activities, you allow yourselfthe opportunity to meet new peopleand try things that may be out of yourcomfort zone.”So what exactly is Ashley’s comfortzone, you might ask? Well that alldepends on where you begin.Her love for music was triggeredearly. She began taking piano lessonsas a child, and as school continued, she partook in chorus anddeveloped her vocal skills along with the piano. But her love formusic did not stop there. A few years ago, she taught herself toplay the guitar and even managed to learn the ukulele (yes, theukulele). No formal lessons necessary, however; she taught herself.Today she attempts to apply that sense of self-teaching to her ownmusic. Her YouTube channel features covers of songs like “WhoYou Are” by Jessie J and “Glitter in the Air” by P!nk. But eachcover has a unique sense of individuality to it. Her cover of “KeepYour Head Up” by Andy Grammer, for example, is a delightful,faster-paced acoustic version. That sense of identity in her music issomething Ashley strives for.“My music is different from most of the mainstream because it’spersonal to me. Making music is a way for me to positively portraymy emotions,” Ashley said. “Most mainstream music nowadaysisn’t even written by the artist and has a meaning that is intended toappeal to the listener, rather than music that comes straight fromthe artist’s heart.”The Franklin Pierce newcomer is no slouch on the track either.She was a district all-star at North Warren High School(Chestertown, N.Y.) for all four years. Her team was leaguechampion her senior year and participated in the statewide meet.So does it end there? Not even close.In the classroom, Ashley plans on becominga Health Sciences major. “I want to be adoctor,” she said, “but more specifically, Iwant to work with alternative medicine.Instead of just giving patients pills orsomething like that to ease pain, I wantto try to find the root of the cause and fixit more permanently. It sounds corny, butI really just want to make the world ahealthier place.”Oh … and she just happens to be a publishedPhoto by Richard Orr photographer. She bought a camera a fewyears ago and became fascinated with thehobby. So much so, in fact, that Muscle Machines – an automagazine – published one of her photos.So there it is. In a world where student athletes are so oftenbounded by their need to practice and study, and then study moreand practice some more, Ashley Maresca personifies the powerthat someone with a well-rounded skillset can have. Sure, she canprobably run faster than you, sing better, and take better photos.But all the while, she demonstrates a kind of subtle humility youwouldn't expect to be paired with such talent.“Fame isn’t what’s important,” she made clear. “That’s not somethingI expect out of life. I simply love making music because it’s aform of expression. Some people yell. I go run, or take pictures, orwrite a song. In the end, I just want to help people. Until then, I'mgoing to keep doing what makes me happy.”www.franklinpierce.edu 35