Madison Amborski, assistant athletic trainer for UNG Athletics, initially met McGill in January 2024 when Amborski's key card wasn't working during her first week at UNG and McGill opened the door for her at Memorial Hall. Little did Amborski know that McGill was not only one of her student-athletes, but that McGill was recovering from the ACL injury. Amborski said those early months helped her see how resilient McGill is, and everything since then has cemented that view.

"It's been the most amazing process to see how well she's done coming back from something as traumatic as that injury," Amborski said.

Amborski marvels at McGill's ability to balance her cyber studies, soccer and being a cadet leader. Any of those three pursuits could be considered a full-time endeavor. McGill excels in all of them while taking care of herself physically and mentally.

"She is still the most balanced person I have ever met," Amborski said. "I truly don't know how she does it."

One of the most rewarding moments for McGill came in April when she was named brigade commander and her soccer teammates showed up for the occasion. She has missed some team events due to also being a cadet, but the team's bond is unbreakable.

"Even through all that, they still love me and know I have their backs and they have mine," McGill said. "It's something truly special."

McGill chose cyber for her degree thanks to her long-held love of computers and status as a self-proclaimed "video game nerd." Her grandfather helped her build her own computer when she was in high school, and she takes it everywhere.

While her grandfather inspired her academic pursuits, fellow cadets like Jaelyn Baker, Gillian Garner and Liv Sullens have been role models for her on the military side.

"They have paved the way for what women in the Corps should aspire to be," McGill said.

She also knows her exploits on both the soccer field and as a cadet have served as fuel for other women coming behind her. The daughters of Lt. Col. James Thomasson, commandant of cadets, look up to her. She has heard similar stories from parents of other female cadets. McGill sees it as a testament to her ability to stay positive and do hard things.

"It's really awesome, and I hope to do that for everyone I can," McGill said. "I want to be a helping hand and someone others can rely on."