Mikayla Attwood
Volleyball star's decision to attend Marywood was a happy accident
For Mikayla Attwood, the choice to attend Marywood was a happy accident. While searching for colleges and being sought by recruiters, Attwood’s mom suggested that she look at Marywood through a search on a recruiting site. Attwood had eight other schools that were on her radar, but agreed to one last visit to see what Marywood had to offer.
“I came to visit Marywood in February, as I was on my way to Vermont to look at another college. Immediately, I knew Marywood was the right fit—it felt homey, and I fell in love with that aspect of the University. The welcoming community, volleyball team, coaches, and professors only confirmed that I was at the right place,” Attwood said.
Attwood was born in Maryland, but moved to Antigua when she was one-month old. She has dual citizenship in Antigua and the United States. Her father, Dave Attwood, is Antiguan, and her mom, Nancy Knapman lives in Curacao, where Attwood attended high school at the International School of Curacao.
Attwood's passion is volleyball. From as far back as she can remember, she has been playing and perfecting her game. “My best friend, Silka, and I would play indoor and beach volleyball, along with all other sports. Silka was always named MVP, and I was proud of her for that, but, last year, when I received the MVP award at the Athletics Award Ceremony, I was so proud of receiving the award at the collegiate level,” Attwood said.
Along with receiving the MVP award in 2018, Attwood was awarded the Sister John Award for Acceptance and Inclusion at the Student Leadership ceremony during the 2018 spring semester. Nominated by her classmate and roommate, Chloe Wiggins, Attwood was honored to receive the award and cites it as one of the highlights of her time at Marywood.
“While I’m not really involved with a lot of diversity clubs on campus—for me, it’s personal—I live by the motto that everyone is equal and I have a ‘no judgement policy,'" Attwood said.
Attwood graduated with a degree in Athletic Training with a minor in Nutrition in 2020. She was a member of the Athletic Training Club and tried to be as involved as she could.
“I didn’t quite know myself what athletic training was until I got there. I’m staying in touch with athletic trainers in the Caribbean, and Professor Shelby W. Yeager, M.Ed., LAT, ATC, NASM-PES, CES, FMSC, offered to help me with this initiative. I’m also confident that Marywood athletic training students would also get involved. It’s a long-term life goal for me,” she said.
