Graduate Assistant Spotlight: Maggie Cross
4/12/2024 10:00:00 AM | General
Boise State Athletics is spotlighting the graduate assistants who work to help each department within athletics run smoothly while obtaining their master's degree. These features will tell the stories of graduate assistants while also giving information on what each department within Boise State Athletics does.
Maggie Cross is a first-year graduate assistant (GA) working in the sports performance, health & wellness (SPHW) department in Boise State Athletics, specifically in the insurance office, while pursuing a degree in the Master of Athletic Leadership (MAL) program.
The insurance office oversees anything that pertains to Boise State student-athletes' medical care experiences. This includes collection and verification of insurance coverage, submission of injury information, coordination of payment with medical providers, advocation on behalf of the student-athletes with insurance companies and medical providers to ensure proper claims payment and payment of medical bills.
"There are a lot of emails and phone calls involved in my day-to-day responsibilities," said Cross. "We contact various hospitals to coordinate MRIs, surgeries and anything else that the student-athletes may need based on injury reports. We are also responsible for contacting the student-athletes' insurance policies to get their bills so we can pay them."
Cross has also taken on the responsibility of transitioning all of the insurance office's paperwork into Smartabase, a human performance optimization software. She is tasked with designing the insurance page and starting a foundation for everything to be digitally tracked, rather than paperwork that is filed in cabinets.
"Maggie has been amazing picking up the responsibilities I have given her quickly, while working really hard by diving into the work we have and making sure we keep our heads above water," said her supervisor and director of student-athlete medical support services, Syringa Larson. "I have also valued her input on many aspects within our office. I have been doing this for a while now, so Maggie's been able to bring in new perspectives that are refreshing and useful. She is also spearheading a project to help our documentation process be more efficient and I cannot wait for the final result!"
In addition to her assistantship, Cross occasionally fills in as a color analyst on the broadcasts of home matches for the women's soccer program at Boise State, due to her background with the sport. She played for Francis Marion's women's soccer team in 2019 during her freshman year.
Boise State soccer is currently in the middle of its spring schedule. The Broncos will host Utah Valley on Saturday, April 13, at 11 a.m., at Boas Soccer Complex. Admission to the match will be free.
Cross chose to pursue a degree in the MAL after graduating with a bachelor's degree in kinesiology from Boise State in May 2023. She had spent the spring semester of her senior year as an intern in the performance nutrition branch of the SPHW department, working under Samantha Wade, director of performance nutrition.
Cross made the decision to stay in Boise because both of her sisters were currently living in the Treasure Valley and she was not ready to go home just yet. Her sister, Carly Cross, is a forward on the women's soccer team at the university.
"I knew I did not necessarily want to go straight into health care after graduating," said Cross. "Through my internship, I had heard they were looking to hire a GA in the insurance office and after interviewing with Syringa and applying for the MAL, I was accepted. The MAL and this assistantship have both given me the opportunity to get more experience within athletics and the medical field."
While she still has another year left in the MAL program, Cross knows she wants to pursue a career in medical sales. Her dream role is working for a company that sells technologies for surgeries. Even though she does not know if she wants to work in athletics long-term, her work in Boise State Athletics has really helped her start building a better understanding of her professional goals.
"I think the concept of working within the athletics department while obtaining a master's degree is really cool and unique," said Cross. "I have been able to grow as a professional while furthering my education. It has also been fun being able to attend all of the different athletic events here and continuing to support my sister."
Maggie Cross is a first-year graduate assistant (GA) working in the sports performance, health & wellness (SPHW) department in Boise State Athletics, specifically in the insurance office, while pursuing a degree in the Master of Athletic Leadership (MAL) program.
The insurance office oversees anything that pertains to Boise State student-athletes' medical care experiences. This includes collection and verification of insurance coverage, submission of injury information, coordination of payment with medical providers, advocation on behalf of the student-athletes with insurance companies and medical providers to ensure proper claims payment and payment of medical bills.
"There are a lot of emails and phone calls involved in my day-to-day responsibilities," said Cross. "We contact various hospitals to coordinate MRIs, surgeries and anything else that the student-athletes may need based on injury reports. We are also responsible for contacting the student-athletes' insurance policies to get their bills so we can pay them."
Cross has also taken on the responsibility of transitioning all of the insurance office's paperwork into Smartabase, a human performance optimization software. She is tasked with designing the insurance page and starting a foundation for everything to be digitally tracked, rather than paperwork that is filed in cabinets.
"Maggie has been amazing picking up the responsibilities I have given her quickly, while working really hard by diving into the work we have and making sure we keep our heads above water," said her supervisor and director of student-athlete medical support services, Syringa Larson. "I have also valued her input on many aspects within our office. I have been doing this for a while now, so Maggie's been able to bring in new perspectives that are refreshing and useful. She is also spearheading a project to help our documentation process be more efficient and I cannot wait for the final result!"
In addition to her assistantship, Cross occasionally fills in as a color analyst on the broadcasts of home matches for the women's soccer program at Boise State, due to her background with the sport. She played for Francis Marion's women's soccer team in 2019 during her freshman year.
Boise State soccer is currently in the middle of its spring schedule. The Broncos will host Utah Valley on Saturday, April 13, at 11 a.m., at Boas Soccer Complex. Admission to the match will be free.
Cross chose to pursue a degree in the MAL after graduating with a bachelor's degree in kinesiology from Boise State in May 2023. She had spent the spring semester of her senior year as an intern in the performance nutrition branch of the SPHW department, working under Samantha Wade, director of performance nutrition.
Cross made the decision to stay in Boise because both of her sisters were currently living in the Treasure Valley and she was not ready to go home just yet. Her sister, Carly Cross, is a forward on the women's soccer team at the university.
"I knew I did not necessarily want to go straight into health care after graduating," said Cross. "Through my internship, I had heard they were looking to hire a GA in the insurance office and after interviewing with Syringa and applying for the MAL, I was accepted. The MAL and this assistantship have both given me the opportunity to get more experience within athletics and the medical field."
While she still has another year left in the MAL program, Cross knows she wants to pursue a career in medical sales. Her dream role is working for a company that sells technologies for surgeries. Even though she does not know if she wants to work in athletics long-term, her work in Boise State Athletics has really helped her start building a better understanding of her professional goals.
"I think the concept of working within the athletics department while obtaining a master's degree is really cool and unique," said Cross. "I have been able to grow as a professional while furthering my education. It has also been fun being able to attend all of the different athletic events here and continuing to support my sister."
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