LANCASTER, Pa. – Growing up in a family that kept themselves busy is something that inspired Clearfield native McKenna Aleksivich to always go the extra mile in everything she was involved in.
Whether it was in soccer, her schoolwork, or volunteering, Aleksivich always strived for more for herself and others. Today, that striving and hard work is paying off in a big way in her role with Clark Associates, an industry leader in food service, equipment, and supplies, as a Vendor Manager in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
“I accepted my first job with Clark almost four years ago,” Aleksivich said. “The company culture is great, which is something that is so important to me. They do not always stick to the status quo, which I appreciate. There are a lot of young people at Clark and there are plenty of jobs for young people here (in Lancaster).”
Her time with Clark Associates began in March 2018 as a Procurement Analyst, with her role then becoming a Vendor Analyst for Foodservice Packaging. Each of these roles helped her to find the managerial level in under three years. Next month will mark four years at Clark Associates, time that has likely felt as if it has gone by quickly.
It is easy to think so if someone is as busy as Aleksivich usually is, something she saw her parents as growing up which encouraged her own strong work ethic.
“Growing up, I watched my parents be involved in various things, including my dad being the President of the Clearfield Soccer Association. I don’t think I knew much else than being busy from watching them. I think that rubbed off on me.”
During her time living in Clearfield, Aleksivich became very much immersed in soccer. She played the game both at the varsity level and on the club circuit. For the Lady Bison, she won four letters, was named All-Mountain League, became the Mountain League MVP, was a captain as a senior, and helped Clearfield win three league and District 9 titles.
Soccer, however, was far from the only thing that kept her busy. She was involved with the Spanish and Ski Clubs while also being selected to the High Honor Roll, National Honor Society, and the Spanish Honor Society. Along the way, she was also named valedictorian for the Clearfield Area School District Class of 2014, something that took a great deal of work and sacrifice.
Through this, she also began visiting colleges as just a sophomore in high school, something that allowed her to see over a dozen schools during her process. In the end, she found a school she felt comfortable at and had a high level soccer program. This school was Penn State Behrend in Erie, an institution that featured a women’s soccer program that regularly wins the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) title, and had won three in a row prior to Aleksivich enrolling there.
Her decision to attend Behrend was much bigger than playing soccer as it was here she could obtain a Penn State degree while studying a collection of topics in business she was interested in. Ultimately, because of the college credits she obtained through high school because of dual-enrollment, Aleksivich obtained dual degrees in Project and Supply Chain Management and Interdisciplinary Business with Engineering Principles (IBE) while graduating a semester early as well.
Not only did she graduate early with two degrees, but she did so with a 3.9 grade point average while playing soccer, tutoring for some business and engineering courses, serving as a tour guide, assisting her professors in TedX conferences held at Behrend, and leading a community service project for the women’s soccer team. Unquestionably, her busy high school schedule prepared her for the busy life as a collegiate student athlete. Through it all, she was also inducted into Chi Alpha Sigma Honor Society, Beta Gamma Sigma, and was a four-time Academic All-AMCC selection.
This was not all she accomplished in soccer as she wrapped up a four-year career that included four AMCC titles, four NCAA Tournament appearances, four career goals, and 45 career games played. If people are reading this and are seeing a lot of fours, it is certainly ironic that the Clearfield product wore the number four while a member of the Lady Bison in high school.
“College soccer to me became more about being a part of a team than playing soccer,” she said. “I became a mentor to many of the younger players. I had a good experience because it allowed me to stay competitive, be a part of a winning program, I had great teammates, and I helped improve our team in practice and in other ways.”
Being a college athlete is something employers asked her about when searching for internship and full-time job opportunities. Through college, she gained experience in the business world through internships at Giant Eagle and Duquesne Light. These experiences she took with her when entering the business world full time and helped her find a job with Clark Associates when speaking to employers at the Penn State University Park Project and Supply Chain Management Career Fair.
Now nearly four years into her time with Clark and living in Lancaster, she’s successfully advanced her career, found a recreation team to play soccer with, and has found some volunteer opportunities with ATTOLLO Prep, an organization that helps underprivileged youth become more ready for the real world, as well as with Girls on the Run International as a team assistant coach.
Her foundation of becoming successful and working hard, she credits to her parents Janice and Bob Aleksivich, who helped her to become a college soccer player and find the perfect fit for her college experience. In soccer, Aleksivich credits Colin Howell and Nathan Hughes from her days playing youth soccer, as well as her college coach, Patrick O’Driscoll, for being additional positive mentors in her life through her soccer career.
Soccer was a huge part of McKenna Aleksivich’s identity and helped her make great connections over the years.Soccer provided structure and a foundation of setting goals for herself both on and off the pitch.
Today, we see those goals and hard work pay off in a young, but successful business career for an industry leading company in one of the fastest growing cities in the United States. Clearfield provided the foundation for McKenna Aleksivich and she is rolling with the experience and knowledge she has racked up over the years that began in Clearfield.
