Not knowing whether she was eligible to play volleyball or even if she was accepted to a university, Amber Walker packed up all her belongings and left home. Having to ferry her loaded truck from Juneau, Alaska to Seattle, Wash., she arrived in the lower 48 and has not had time to look back.

Assistant coach Coley Pawlikowski said Walker is “hands down, the hardest working kid.”

Now eligible to compete with the NIU volleyball program, Walker is hoping to help the team get back to the MAC Championship. The Northern Star sat down with Walker to talk about her experience of getting to NIU and how she intends to assist the Huskies.

Northern Star: So…you are not from around these parts. In fact, you are not from anywhere near these parts. Explain your trip from Juneau, Alaska to DeKalb, Ill.

Amber Walker: My journey was quite interesting. At first I thought I would have to make it alone, relying on MapQuest, but my dad decided to join me. We started by loading up my truck and strapping my mattress and my bed [to the truck]. We got on a ferry for five days from Juneau to Seattle. Then we drove for 52 hours to Illinois. I think I drove about one hour of the trip and then maxed out.

NS: This season you were not eligible to play volleyball. What was life like being on the sidelines?

AW: I transferred from a D-II school, and I had already transferred previous to that. There was a concern I would have to sit out a year. Knowing that we have good compliance people here, I put my trust in them and did as much as I could.

When I found out I wasn’t eligible, it was kind of heartbreaking. It was so much work getting here and then finding that out, it was discouraging. But, I knew we had a lot of great players and that we were going to have a really good season. Knowing that, I cheered as loud as I could and [supported] everyone as much as I could.

NS: What work have you been doing this spring to prepare yourself for the fall?

AW: This spring I got out of NCAA jail, and I’ve been able to play. It feels like every second has been so worth it. I’m a utility player, which means I can do all the positions. This spring basically is for me to choose what I finally want to be. I’ve been playing libero and hitting. I’m liking libero a lot more, and hopefully that’s something that I can reach for the fall.

NS: How difficult is it to manage school and being in a sport?

AW: It’s very difficult. However, study tables are pushed on you, and actually they are very helpful. I try to do my homework at home, and it’s not the same. I get on Facebook and the TV’s on. Being on the volleyball team, all the girls work really hard for their GPA. That’s something I’ve never seen before at any of my other schools. It’s really helped me a lot to strive for a higher GPA.

NS: You were in both volleyball and track and field for a time. What was the added stress placed on you?

AW: Being a two-sport athlete is not like in high school. In high school, for me, I went from sport to sport. There is no club in Alaska. Plus, you are on an island so you pack up for an entire weekend and fly to your tournament and play or to a track meet. Here I still have that mentality that I can do so many things in such a little time. Too many things were conflicting.

I talked to my parents and my coaches, and I just need to hone in on what I want to do. Trying to have 16 credit hours, two two-hour practices a day, study tables and tutors was not going to happen.

NS: You are almost an entire year into life in DeKalb. How have you adjusted?

AW: DeKalb compared to Juneau…there are large differences that I needed to adjust to right away; fast food for example. We literally have McDonald’s and Subway. That’s it. My mom always cooked or it was family-owned restaurants, so coming here was fun, but at the same time I can’t be eating that all the time. I will get sick really easily from that.

Getting on a bus to go to a game is so simple compared to having to pack up for an entire weekend. Weather is not that different; I’m not going to lie. It’s almost worse here because it’s so windy. In Juneau it’s still and cold, so if you move really fast it hurts. Here you are blasted by it. In Juneau it doesn’t get hot, so that’s a plus here.

NS: What are your plans for the summer?

AW: This summer we get a month off. When school ends I’m jetting home because I don’t get any other opportunities. The trip is not just a quick day flight. It consists of nine hours. I’m not telling my mother I’m coming home. She thinks I have to stay here all summer. I’m going to knock on the door, and she’s probably going to start bawling. I have two little brothers and my sister there so I’m really excited to see my family.