PSIA Champions On and Off the Court
(MPA Graduate Student Kiley Graham)
(Photo previously published by University of North Georgia Athletics.)
UNG’s women’s basketball team has wrapped up their 2025-2026 regular season, even making it to the PBC Semifinals, and PSIA members have had a part in the team’s monumental success.
Assistant Coach Amber Skidgel, who graduated with her Master of Public Administration from UNG in 2022, is finishing her sixth season on the coaching staff and third in her present role. Cooper Turner also leads from the bench as the women's basketball graduate assistant while studying to earn a Master of Public Administration.
Kiley Graham, the team’s talented new guard/forward, wraps up an accomplished season as a student-athlete. The Ohio native became a Nighthawk after graduating Summa Cum Laude with a double major in history and political science, along with a minor in English, from the University of Charleston (WV). Now she’s set her sights on a Master of Public Administration from UNG.
Kiley shares how she has been able to translate what she’s learned in the classroom to the court as “public administration emphasizes accountability, collaboration, and problem solving under a lot of pressure. Studying organizational behavior has made me more aware of group dynamics, which has helped me communicate effectively with teammates and understand different personalities.”
Being a student-athlete is no easy feat, but Kiley has found success through her hard work and the department’s intentional support: “From all the resources I can access online and professors that understand my rigorous schedule during competition, I have felt extremely supported as a student first and an athlete second.”
After graduation, Kiley has her sights on an administrative role as she’s “drawn to the behind the scenes work that keeps institutions functioning effectively and responsibly.” Her experience as a student-athlete at UNG, a senior military college, is a slam dunk and has provided Kiley with a unique experience to equip and develop new post-grad interests, “like the U.S. Secret Service because of the dual role in protection and federal law enforcement.”
Written by Hailey Walter, PSIA Communications Intern, English Major