Madeline Cooke, a center on the women’s basketball team, will complete her Master of Business Administration at Boise State University this spring and plans to pursue a career in human resources. Cooke’s journey has involved adapting quickly to changes, including an unexpected injury that ended her final season of college basketball just five games in, according to an April 8 announcement.
Cooke said the injury forced her to rethink her identity beyond sports. “It was literally my worst nightmare,” she said. “So much of your identity becomes the sport, and when you tear your ACL, you lose a lot of that overnight. I was forced to start considering life outside of basketball sooner than I was ready.”
Head Coach Gordy Presnell said Cooke’s response had a positive effect on the team. “Maddie has natural leadership gifts,” Presnell said. “The way she has handled this adversity is an example to her teammates of how to handle tough times in life. She has remained positive with a great work ethic, and injected enthusiasm and encouragement into our program.”
Cooke grew up in Boise but began her college career studying kinesiology and playing basketball at The Master’s University in California. When her coach there resigned unexpectedly before graduate studies began, she contacted Boise State about joining its program after having played well against them earlier that year.
Beyond athletics, Cooke chose Boise State for its Career Track MBA program designed for students from all majors. After redshirting during her first year as she adjusted both academically and athletically, she secured an internship with St. Luke’s Human Resources department—a role that fit well with both her academic interests and athletic schedule.
Trisha Stevens-Lamb, senior director of the CTMBA program at Boise State University, praised Cooke’s growth: “Madeline’s journey in the Career Track MBA program has been remarkable… Madeline’s resilience and willingness to push through challenges make her a powerful example of what leadership development truly looks like.”
Reflecting on supporting the team from the sidelines this season rather than playing on court herself due to injury, Cooke said: “With an injury you go from contributing to more of a support role. It’s hard to feel like you’re part of the team, but I’m glad to be there for my teammates… Coming to Boise State has been worth it, and I would make the choice again even if I knew it wasn’t going to work out exactly how I planned.”
