Alumni Spotlight | Alison (Loughrin) Cleaver | 2003-06

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Marquette University women's soccer players have scattered across the country since graduation. This Alumni Spotlight feature provides personal and professional updates on the student-athletes who represented the University on the field and continue to be ambassadors.

Alison (Loughrin) Cleaver | 2003-06

Current Location: Appleton, Wisconsin with my husband, John, & our four children

Employer/Profession: Registered Nurse - Obstetrics/Labor & Delivery. I have worked as an OB RN for the past 15 years at ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Appleton in various roles as a Labor & Delivery nurse, Leadership/Charge Nurse, and currently am also helping with staff education/orientation. I love Labor & Delivery and helping to bring new life safely into the world! Marquette did an excellent job preparing me to excel in a profession that I love.

What I Remember Most About Marquette: When I reminisce about my time at Marquette, it almost seems surreal. That chapter of my life seems so long ago, but I am so grateful for that chapter as it opened up many doors for me & has left a lasting impression on me forever. It truly has shaped me into the person I am today.

There are so many memories that just come flooding back. Camp Whitcomb preseason trail and hill runs, spaghetti team dinners, Millers, themed outfit days, Georgie's Dad's guacamole, countless one-on-on skill individual workouts with Frank, soccer tennis, St. Joan of Arc Chapel, dying our hair with box color and my hair turning out black (earning the nick-name "Elvira"), weight-room workouts with Todd, Miss Katie's Diner, pre-game/half-time pep talks, learning how to properly pass using "the hop" (apparently my first-touch skills were pretty raw when I started out), FAMILY...the lists goes on and on about all the little things that really made my Marquette experience. I remember the games, the Friday night lights, the wonderful fan-base, my supportive family that was at every game, but the overarching experience, in its entirety, is just incredible and gives me all of the feels to reminisce about once again. There is nothing like it.

Like they say, when one chapter ends, another chapter begins. Family, faith, work ethic, and team work are all extremely important values that were instilled in me during this chapter of my time at Marquette. My playing competitive soccer at the collegiate level may have come to an end, but these values are still very near and dear to my heart and impact everything that I am currently doing with this chapter of life. I have the most wonderful family (my husband, John, three sons Jackson (9), Matthew (7), Ethan (5), and daughter, Isla (3), and have a fantastic career doing exactly what I love. Our kids are becoming more competitive and active in multiple sports which is really fun and I am really enjoying playing pick-up games in the backyard with them. Life is good!

Fun Fact: My backstory of how I came to be a student-athlete at Marquette is a bit unusual and unique! Having torn my left ACL during my senior year of high school, my dreams of continuing to play soccer at the collegiate level were threatened. As I was going through the college search process and rehab, I came to Markus and Frank to let them know about my intense desire to play at this level, but to also be a part of the team in any capacity that I could. I'm not really sure why, but the coaches decided to give me a chance. My freshman year, I ended up living with the team and was the team manager. I was washing uniforms, getting to know the players and coaches, observing practices, absorbing as much as I could, and rehabbing with the hope of getting a chance some day. My sophomore year, I was able to walk on, make the team, and play! I actually started the first game I was eligible to play! A highlight of my playing career was definitely scoring two goals against the defending National Champions, Notre Dame, as our team was en route to the Sweet 16.

Pelaez on Loughrin: "Called her Mike Tyson. Everyone has a game plan until they get punched in the nose. And that's what she did to everyone she played against, including Notre Dame in 2005. The true definition of a blue collar worker!"

Keep up with the Marquette University women's soccer program through social media by following on Twitter (@MarquetteWSOC) and Instagram (@MarquetteWSOC) and 'liking' on Facebook (/MarquetteWSOC).

Alumni Spotlight | Alison (Loughrin) Cleaver | 2003-06

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