Excelling Beyond the Game
The student-athletes of the College of Coastal Georgia truly are phenomenal. Long after practice ends and the cheers fade away, many are still hard at work, trading uniforms for textbooks and game plans for study sessions. Their efforts have earned them academic honors and recognition, showcasing the determination and time management required to succeed at the highest levels, both in athletics and in the classroom. Our student-athletes continue to prove that they are students first and athletes second.
Last fall, six of Coastal Georgia’s seven athletic teams were named 2024-25 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Scholar-Teams, recognizing teams that achieved the minimum grade-point average (GPA) required for the honor. Softball had the highest team GPA of 3.79; women’s tennis had 3.56; women’s basketball 3.37; men’s tennis 3.15; women’s golf 3.14; and men’s golf 3.06. Aside from leading all Coastal teams with the highest GPA, softball placed No. 3 nationally among all NAIA softball programs.
Grounded in Faith: Rylee Mills
Senior softball player Rylee Mills has dreams of becoming a teacher while sharing her love for softball as a coach. Mills is majoring in elementary and special education and hopes to soon teach kindergarten through second grade.
“I have always loved being around children, and I would love to combine my passion for teaching with my love for softball,” Mills said.
The Education and Teacher Preparation program at the College is very rigorous and challenging, which is why many graduates of the program have been recognized as Teacher of the Year of their respective school and for the county. In light of this, Mills strives very hard to balance academics and athletics. She attributes being able to do so to a lot of time management, discipline, and faith. Being a student-athlete in high school and now college has taught her to plan ahead and take advantage of any free time between classes, practices, games, student-teaching, and travel.
“I try not to procrastinate and stay on top of my schoolwork because I know there is always another assignment coming around the corner,” Mills said. “My faith is also a very important part of my life and helps keep me going when things become stressful or overwhelming. I trust that God has a plan for me and that I cannot mess up that plan. His plan motivates me to work hard and make the most of every opportunity I have been given. Being a student-athlete has taught me many life skills and helped me grow in areas such as discipline, communication, leadership, perseverance, and time management.”
Mills has been recognized as a Daktronics NAIA Scholar Athlete, which recognizes student-athletes with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5. She has also achieved a 4.0 GPA and was nominated for the A.O. Duer Scholarship Award for the 2024-25 season. The prestigious award is presented annually by the NAIA to one male and one female student-athlete who excel in scholarship, character, and citizenship.
The key to utilizing her free time is finding the right space to study. Mills prefers to study and complete her work in quiet places on campus where she can focus. One place she’s utilized the most is the main library. The study rooms provide a quiet, distraction-free place to work. Mills has also built relationships with her professors who’ve been supportive and understanding of her demanding schedule.
“I have learned that reaching out to them, asking questions, and communicating when I need help has made a big difference,” she said. “My professors here at Coastal have been nothing short of amazing. They have always been willing to support me and help me succeed. As a student-athlete, being able to use time on campus wisely and build relationships with my professors has been the most crucial resource to my success.”
Her advice to her peers is to first manage your time wisely and remember what keeps you grounded. For Mills, it’s her faith that grounds her and motivates her to keep going.
“There are going to be times when your personal life, school, and athletic responsibilities are going to feel overwhelming, but I remind myself that God has given me these opportunities for a reason and that He has a purpose for every season of my life,” Mills said. “I would also really encourage students to build relationships with their professors. Your professors truly want to see you succeed, so please reach out to them and ask for help even before you are struggling.”
In addition to playing softball and being a teacher candidate, Mills is an active member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, volunteers at youth camps, and has been a National Fastpitch Coaches Association First Team All-Region honoree. This honor recognizes elite performance in softball.
Planning Ahead: Finley Burke
Men’s golf player Finley Burke wants to pursue a career in the golf industry, with the ultimate goal of working with the PGA Tour. The senior, who is majoring in general business, has been named a Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athlete and an Academic All-Sun Conference honoree. Academic All- Sun Conference recognizes outstanding student-athletes who excel both in academics and athletics. He said balancing school and golf depends on managing his time and staying organized.
“Being a student-athlete means there are a lot of demands on your schedule between classes, assignments, practices, workouts, tournaments, and travel.” Burke said. “I have learned that I cannot wait until the last minute to get things done, especially when I know we will be traveling for a tournament. I try to plan ahead and use the free time I have during the week to say on top of my schoolwork.”
His main advice is to manage your time and avoid putting things off. It is easy to feel overwhelmed when looking at everything that needs to be done at once, he said. Instead, take it one day at a time and prioritize what needs to be completed first.
“For student-athletes, it is also important to work ahead when you know you have practices, tournaments, or travel coming up,” he said. “Finding a routine that works for you makes balancing everything a lot easier.”
Being Intentional: Iesha Rhodin ‘26
Before she became the new Residence Hall Director for Mariner Village, Iesha Rhodin ’26 was a Mariner basketball player all four years of her collegiate career. She majored in business with a concentration in sports management and was named Academic All-Sun Conference with a 4.0 GPA for three consecutive years. On top of playing basketball and her studies, Rhodin was a resident assistant (RA), looking out for her fellow Mariners and making sure they felt at home at Coastal. She was able to balance everything by prioritizing her studies and being extremely intentional with her time.
“Time management was a huge part of my success. I was very grateful when it came to planning, scheduling, and making sure I communicated with my professors and coaches ahead of time,” Rhodin said. “I also wasn’t only balancing athletics and my RA position. I was working an off-campus job and running my own side hustle as well.”
Because of all her responsibilities, Rhodin became very disciplined and committed to her schedule.
“I learned how to plan my days, stay ahead of deadlines, and make the most of the time I had,” she said. “I knew what my priorities were, and I made sure my schedule reflected them.”
Like Mills, the library was the main space that allowed her to focus on her work. She also made it a habit to visit her professors’ office hours and stay in touch with her academic advisor.
“My advisor was a great resource because he helped me stay on track and make sure I was keeping up with everything I needed to accomplish academically,” Rhodin said.
Rhodin also found great support from her residence hall directors. They understood the demands of being a student-athlete while working and going to school. Having supervisors who were willing to work with her made a huge difference, she said.
Her advice to current students is to be extremely clear about what you want and then go for it. Don’t let anyone deter you from pursuing your goals. Achieving your goals will be hard and requires a lot of discipline, but if you stay committed, it can happen. Rhodin also shared how it’s easy to get distracted by things that don’t move you toward your goals. That’s why it’s important to stay focused on your priorities and protect your time and energy.
“You have to time block, schedule, and stay on top of your calendar. You also have to be honest with yourself about how you are spending your time,” she said. “Prioritize your sleep, your academics, your health, and the things that are most important to your goals. There will be times when you have to make sacrifices, but you have to be intentional about what you are willing to sacrifice.”
In addition to being an RA for two years and a basketball player for four, Rhodin also served as head resident assistant for one year, and was a presidential ambassador for a semester.
“Throughout my entire college career, I maintained a 4.0 GPA while balancing athletics, multiple campus leadership positions, an off-campus job, and my own side business,” she said. “Those experiences taught me a lot about leadership, discipline, time management, and how to remain committed to my goals even when I had a lot on my plate.”
Now in her current role at Mariner Village, Rhodin continues to serve students and her campus community. She started in her role in May 2026, which was her goal after graduating this spring. Her new goal is to create the same type of environment for others that she experienced as a student—healthy, welcoming, and supportive, where students feel comfortable, cared for, and able to be themselves.
“I also want to continue growing as a leader, learning as much as I can, and being someone that my students and RAs can look to for support, guidance, and encouragement,” she said. “I want to be a light to the people I work with and leave people better than I found them.”
The achievements of Mills, Burke, Rhodin, and countless other Mariners demonstrate that success at the College of Coastal Georgia extends far beyond the playing field. Through discipline, perseverance, and a commitment to academic excellence, these student-athletes are preparing themselves for meaningful careers and lives of service. Whether in classrooms, residence halls, community organizations, or athletic competitions, they exemplify what it means to be students first, athletes second, and leaders always.
More Mariner Athletic Achievements
Daktronics NAIA Scholar Athletes 2025:
Softball:
Mackenzie Southerland
Rylee Mills
Zoe Johnston-Hadaway
Emma Jones
Rily Andrews
Women’s Tennis:
Azul Malatini
Women’s Golf:
Laura Kate Kessler
Carlin Paulk
Elise Forberg
Men’s Golf:
Lee Smith
Finley Burke
Bo Shuler
2024-25 Cobalt Golf All-American Scholars:
Finley Burke
Antonio Juarbe
Bo Shuler
Lee Smith
Stay updated on our Mariner student-athletes’ achievements at https://coastalgeorgiasports.com.