CSM Stepping Stone for Miss Maryland/USA

Posted by TBN On 06/21/2011

For Allyn Rose, of Newburg, attending the College of Southern Maryland was a stepping stone not only to college life but also to a crown. The 22-year-old and former CSM student is the current Miss Maryland USA and competed for the Miss USA title on June 19 in Las Vegas, reaching the semi-finals. Rose attended CSM for one semester in 2006 and said it helped her to find herself before transferring to the University of Maryland (UMD). Rose was recruited to play for the Hawks by CSM Head Volleyball Coach Michelle Ruble, who said it was Rose’s vertical leap that first caught her attention at La Plata High School but that she also saw pluses in Rose’s leadership skills, work ethic and strong academics. Already accepted to attend UMD in 2006, Rose deferred admission to play for CSM. “Ally was a hard sell because she was concerned about being challenged academically,” Ruble said. Rose not only found CSM courses to be challenging, she also found instructors who were supportive. She recalls her communications professor being very tough, but that the rigor helped her develop interpersonal and public speaking skills. To be successful in pageantry, Rose said, “You have to know how to speak, conduct yourself and your body language. There were a lot of intricacies she taught me that definitely helped out.” Rose also recalls the support she received from her English professor, William Barton and the volleyball coaching staff. “They were all great, great people—very supportive. It’s kind of a transitional period when you’re in your first semester of college and they’re here to mentor you,” Rose said. “A student that attends CSM out of high school develops skill sets in a friendlier, hands-on environment which will help tremendously when they transfer to a large institution where they could possibly feel like a number,” said Ruble. Ruble, who has been a member of the coaching staff at CSM for 20 years, said a big part of women’s sports is team bonding, “CSM promotes activities that allow players to develop that bond. Attending a community college allows students to experience diversity on a small scale and develop skills that help them to be successful in whatever their future plans are.” Rose specifically remembers a trip with the volleyball team to Florida in which she developed lasting friendships with her teammates. The team finished second in the Maryland Junior College Conference and third in the region that year. Attending CSM helped Rose to be more relaxed and better prepared to transfer

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