Brisbane Roar midfielder Jenna McCormick’s goals go beyond the football field – they’re part of her business plan too.
Growing up, the former Matilda had always imagined she would become a police officer after she hung up her boots professionally. But finding love in Denmark changed all that.
“I wanted something that gave me options, and I’ve always had an interest in business so decided to pursue it through postgraduate study,” Jenna says.
“It’s a good grounding to have when considering opportunities post sports-career.”
Dr Jane Menzies said business-related degrees were a great way for athletes to add to their skill set, opening a range of opportunities at any point in a career.
“We know that adjusting to life after a sporting career is not always easy,” Dr Menzies said. “Having a qualification behind you – especially in business – is a smart and simple way to give you a global skillset of transferable skills attractive to employers and entrepreneurs.”
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In terms of sports career, Jenna’s resume is impressive. Making her debut in the A-League with Adelaide United in 2012, Jenna has enjoyed stints playing for several Australian clubs before getting drafted for the Matildas in 2019, earning four caps under the green-and-gold banner.
In 2021, Jenna was recruited to play for Danish club Aarhus Gymnastikforening (AGF), where she met her partner Hannah Holgersen – a Dane – who was on the same team.
“It’s a big reason why I wanted pursue postgraduate education – to open up more possibilities for living in other countries,” Jenna says.
“I haven’t studied in a long time so it has been a lot to get my head around at times.
“But I really enjoy learning – I want to do the best that I can too, which is a mindset I think that resonates with a lot of athletes – so it’s getting easier the more I go along.”
Jenna is part of UniSC’s High Performance Student Athlete Program – designed to help balance the commitments of training, competing and study.
“It’s a great program to have behind you because when you’re an athlete there’s a lot to juggle,” Jenna says.
“I’ve been ok at the moment – if I have any spare time I use it to finalise assignment or do my readings – so I haven’t had to use any of the resources available to me. But it’s great to know there’s support there.”
Jenna says she chose to study at UniSC because – apart from having Commonwealth Supported Places, which funds 40 per cent of the Grad Certificate, the style of learning and academic delivery stood out to her.
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