Katie Falotico tends to take a lot on her plate — but that’s intentional.

And, even when it seems overwhelming, she feels confident she can conquer any workload.

“If there’s something that I want to be involved in, I can do it, I just have to have a plan in place,” Falotico said. “That’s kind of how it went for me throughout the years, making adjustments if I was struggling in one area, and kind of finding time being able to put as much effort, and time and attention, into everything I wanted to participate in as possible.”

That’s how Falotico — who is one of three college honorees for the third-annual Capital District Sports Women of the Year awards — managed to succeed in every facet of her five years at UAlbany — in the classroom, on the softball field and in the community.

Falotico was a three-time All-America East Conference first team selection — in 2019, 2021 and 2022 — on the softball diamond, and led the conference in both doubles and triples during her final season with the Great Danes.

Academically, she finished an undergraduate degree in business administration with a 3.92 grade point average in 2021, then completed a master’s in organizational communication with a 4.0 GPA this past May while earning a spot on the UAlbany Dean’s List on seven occasions and being named to the America East All-Academic Team four times.

In the community, she was a member of UAlbany’s Student-Athletic Advisory Committee, including three years as that organization’s community engagement chair, helping to organize community events both among UAlbany student-athletes and in the broader America east.

“Katie Falotico has spent her collegiate career rising above and has truly demonstrated what it means to be a Great Dane,” UAlbany athletic director Mark Benson said.

As the SAAC’s community engagement chair, Falotico’s initiatives included UAlbany’s annual Food Frenzy canned food drive, helping to launch the America East’s Better Together games to raise mental health awareness and volunteering at local homeless shelters.

Her favorite work in the community, however, was getting the chance to read to local students in elementary schools. She also helped take that initiative online when the COVID-19 pandemic stopped in-school visits.

“The kids loved to see us, and they got really excited for Read Across America and stuff like that,” she said.

On the diamond, Falotico said she learned immensely from UAlbany’s 2021 season, when the team had to play under stringent COVID-19 guidelines.

“The season coming back from COVID, it was definitely different,” Falotico said. “We were kind of limited in the things that we were doing. We were submitting saliva samples every week. It was a stressful time.”
It helped, she said, being naturally organized.

“I think being a Division I student-athlete, time-management and prioritization is very important,” she said. “And I think I kind of had that instilled in me before I even got to school. But that kind of gets put to the test once you get going with sports and school, and you kind of figure it out as you go. But, for me, I knew that there were a lot of things that I wanted to participate in, and I wanted to have a hand in.”

Falotico also interned in the UAlbany athletic department in both marketing and promotions, and a rotating internship that saw her work with the athletic business office, student-athlete academic services and athletic compliance.

“Katie saw the value in gaining a holistic experience,” UAlbany associate athletic director for compliance Melissa Peach said. “She took it upon herself to set that up and made it happen. Katie is ambitious, well-rounded and always has a positive attitude. She sees the glass half full, and her positive energy is contagious.”

“She was doing this internship each day with the different areas while juggling the time demands that come with being a Division I student-athlete with classes, practice and a rigorous travel schedule for competition,” UAlbany athletic business manager Matthew Fischer said.

Falotico — who was honored this year with the America East Elite 18 Award, given to the student-athlete with the highest GPA competing in the conference championship of their respective sport — has taken the lessons learned in every aspect of her college career into the professional realm.

Even after finishing her master’s degree at UAlbany, Falotico is staying engaged in the sports world. After graduation, she started a position with the NFL’s New York Giants as an intern with the team’s player engagement department, with her first duties including helping the team’s rookies prepare for the rigors of life while playing pro football.

“We kind of take a holistic approach,” she said, “and look at all the players and help them with things on and off the field.”