Investing in the Future: Caroline Motley’s Nontraditional Path to Success
On any given afternoon, especially if the sun is out and the ground is dry, Staunton residents might see Caroline Motley running through their neighborhood on one of her regular, rambling routes around town — she’s training for MBU cross country and track and field. Fortunately, Motley is no stranger to a meandering path.
The political science major from Virginia Beach arrived at Mary Baldwin University after detours, gap years, and more than a few jobs. She came not straight from high school, but from ski slopes and summer camps, enrichment classrooms and lifeguard chairs.
“I was supposed to go to the University of South Carolina,” Motley said. “But when COVID hit, everything changed. Online school, being away from home — it didn’t feel right. So I took a step back.”
That step back led her to Waynesboro, and eventually to Mary Baldwin — at first, to play basketball. But when multiple concussions ended her time on the court, Motley pivoted once again, this time lacing up her running shoes.
“I always ran on my own,” she said. “Skateboarding and trail running were my outlets. But this year, I reached out to Coach [Rob] Van Cleve and asked if I could join the cross country team.”
Not only did she join. She excelled.
In her first season of collegiate competition, Motleywas named USA South Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year and earned a spot at the NCAA Regionals, running alongside teammate and cross country stand-out Nicole “Nicky” Black. Her favorite team memory? A long training run on a hot Virginia afternoon followed by a plunge into a nearby river.
But for Motley, success hasn’t been limited to the trails.
She’s taken 18 credits each semester to graduate early. She also works on campus through the Spencer Center, holds an off-campus job serving food in downtown Staunton, and referees local basketball games. She’s deeply invested in her academics and plans to attend law school next year.
Caroline brings so much joy to my teaching at MBU. She is always engaged, always going above and beyond, and her comments — so witty and nuanced — just keep me laughing. She’s the kind of student where you want to write in the margins,“yes, yes, yes … you get it, and I love it!”
Laura ShowalterProfessor of Political Science
It was a class with Dr. Laura Showalter — “Women in Politics” — that lit the spark.
“I came in as a math major,” Motley said. “But that course opened my eyes to issues in society that I’d never really considered before. It made me want to study policy, to understand systems — and, hopefully, to change them.”
Her participation, leadership, and curiosity have made Motley a model student. Showalter raves about Motley in the classroom:
“Caroline brings so much joy to my teaching at MBU. She is always engaged, always going above and beyond, and her comments — so witty and nuanced — just keep me laughing. She’s the kind of student where you want to write in the margins, ‘yes, yes, yes … you get it, and I love it!’”
Motley is set on law school, though her exact path in law is still unfolding. But everyone in the MBU community knows, if it isn’t a path that Caroline Motley has already tread, she’ll find her way — no matter how winding or undiscovered it may be.
“I want to help those who are often overlooked. That’s what drives me.”
She credits her MBU experience — and her willingness to try new things — with helping her find her way.
“I gave a speech at Founders Day where I talked about the difference between spending your time and investing it,” she said. “When you invest your time — in people, in your goals, in your community — you get something back. Something real.”
A Busy Year: The Motley Gallery
