Her Story
About Monica
Monica Harrison serves as Head Softball Coach at Carnegie Mellon University Athletics in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She founded the university's softball program nine years ago and has accumulated 17 years of coaching experience overall. Harrison played softball collegiately at Bucknell University before spending eight years on Wall Street at UBS, where she specialized in change management while also coaching part-time at Stevens Institute of Technology for six years. Her expertise encompasses organizational behavior, leadership development, program management, recruiting, team development, culture building, and staff development. She achieved her 100th win as a head coach this year. Harrison is actively involved with the NFCA (National Fastpitch Coaches Association), where she chairs the Access and Opportunity Committee and serves on the Board of Directors. She is passionate about community outreach, offering free camps and clinics in underserved areas including Alaska and Hawaii.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Monica
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to God and my family values. My mom and dad raised me to work really hard, to never look down on an opportunity, to give everything you got to what you're doing, being present where you are, and that is really how I move forward every day.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I received was to stay true to yourself and to never let an opportunity go by. Never say no to an opportunity, because the things that people see in you may not be what you see in yourself, but it's what those places need.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Never doubt yourself. There are lots of things in the world that remind us that we're not good enough or that we can't or we have to give up this for that. Never compromise and never doubt yourself. You can do it all, you can be everything that you want to be, and you can navigate through the world however you want to do. As long as you know that you are able to do it, and you're willing to put in the work to do it, you can do it.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The ever-changing landscape of collegiate athletics with NCAA moves and legislation changes are continuing challenges. On the other side, there has never been a better time for women's sports with increasing participation and viewership. Women are being seen for the great things that we bring and looked at for roles that men have traditionally held. It's a landscape of vast changes, so keep moving forward and keep doing the work.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Faith, communication, and honesty are three things that I really try to live by. I am faith-based, and I like to have really great conversations because those create great connections. I just try to stay truthful and honest with people, giving it to them straight the way I see it without beating around the bush, to have really clear communication.
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