Zachary LaValle

Oakdale, Minnesota | Marketing Major

Zach LaValle came to Miami as a recruited scholarship athlete for our hockey team. But it’s his contributions off the ice for which Zach is being honored today. Zach has been the team’s community service coordinator since 2015, a role that does not officially exist but has added immense value to players’ experience. 

He organized weekly service opportunities, including the Junior RedHawks hockey program, serving food in the community, and volunteering at local elementary schools. This is in addition to the expected activities for varsity athletes, such as alumni events, fundraisers, and Skate with the Hawks.

Zach took it upon himself to be a single point of contact when requests come in for hockey players to attend an event. He selects the teammates, provides them with the time, location, and attire, and gives the event contact a list of players and short bios of each. His dedication and logistics have proved invaluable, particularly to event planners in University Advancement.

Through it all, Zach has earned Dean’s List recognition several semesters as he completes his degree in Marketing.