“It was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up,” Abby Isger ’23 says.

Due to a redshirt year on the soccer team and the extra year of eligibility awarded to student-athletes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Isger had the option to use two more years to further her education by earning her MBA and continuing to play soccer at Butler.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Isger hopes to accomplish her goals of playing soccer professionally and using her Entrepreneurship and Innovation and MBA degrees to start her own business with her sister, Anna.

Since she began playing at the age of four, soccer has been a huge part of Isger’s life, with success following her wherever she goes. At Butler, some of her accolades include BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year, All-BIG EAST First Team, and a selection to the BIG EAST Championship All-Tournament Team. During the offseason, Isger has also played for the local United Soccer League women’s team, the Indy Eleven. In two seasons, she’s helped the Eleven win two division titles and a league championship.

Above all the plaques and trophies, what Isger has enjoyed the most is seeing her hard work pay off and playing with her teammates.

“I got to play with a lot of my closest friends throughout my whole time here…so that has been really fun,” Isger says.

When her collegiate career is over, Isger hopes to travel and continue playing soccer at the next level—overseas.

“If I could pick a place, I’d definitely choose somewhere in Europe, like Spain or Italy,” Isger says. “I think somewhere that has a really cool culture and cities … it would be really awesome to live there and also get to play soccer.”

When she begins pursuing her marketing and entrepreneurial career, Isger plans to put what she has learned at Butler into practice. As a master’s student, some of her favorite courses include Dr. Jane Siegler’s Supply Chain and Professor Dennis Robleski’s Leadership classes. They have given her confidence and excitement for what is to come after graduation.

“I think my undergrad and my master’s program have given me a really good base, especially if I start my own business,” Isger said. “Especially in the MBA program, it’s a really good overview, so you are equipped to figure it out on your own.”