General | 2/1/2021 9:00:00 AM

RIT is celebrating the 35^th anniversary of National Girls & Women in Sports Day (NGWSD) this week by highlighting five former student-athletes that used sports to springboard themselves to success. Every day this week, a Q&A from each individual will be added, highlighting their insights and successes in their own words. Be sure to check back each day to read their stories.

Marie (Signor) Foster
Women's Ice Hockey/Women's Soccer
1996 - International Business
CEO/Founder - SigMar Solutions LLC 

Marie Foster was an ice hockey and soccer standout from 1992-96. On the ice, she tied for 25th in program history with 75 points on 41 goals and 34 assists in 56 games played. Her 22 goals during the 1995-96 campaign is the eighth-best single-season total in program history, and she is also tied for 12th all-time with three career short-handed goals. The Fort Covington, N.Y. native capped her career in an RIT sweater by helping the Tigers to 13 wins and a berth in the ECAC Tournament playoffs during her senior year. On the soccer field, she appeared in 61 games and totaled seven goals and five assists. 
 
Connect with Marie:
LinkedIn Bio
 
How has your involvement with sports shaped who you are today?
Being an athlete since I was a little girl has shaped my life in a big way! It has provided me the ability to work with teams, have confidence and not be afraid to take risks. I am very fortunate that my parents have given me the opportunity to play sports. Throughout my athletic career I worked very hard to earn a spot on teams, especially since I was the first female hockey player in my county and most of upstate New York. There were many times that parents and their children wished me to get hurt and shout that I didn't belong on the boy's teams. BUT that provided the grit and extra effort that was needed to make the travel teams. Those lessons through the years guided me through my early professional career, which of course was a men's world as well! But the experience with playing with boys all my life gave me a lot of really great tools and frankly opened doors for me. The men typically always shared my athleticism and success stories, especially since I was a hockey player in the professional world. It was typically an ice breaker in major meetings and sales deals. Sports was a HUGE factor in my success today!
 
Tell us about your current professional position or career: 
I am owner of several businesses and president of my current larger corporation called SigMar Solutions. SigMar is a leading provider of loyalty programs and rewards to major corporations throughout the world. My favorite part of my career today is the entrepreneurship and the ability to have fun and free control to lead my companies successfully.
 
Has being an athlete opened doors for you professionally? How so? 
Being an athlete has absolutely opened doors throughout my career! As mentioned above, many men executives used my sports history as ice breakers in board rooms and in major sales deals that were majority men as decision makers. Always, it provided me instant respect in the room and throughout the partnerships.

It was just 50 years ago that Title IX removed barriers to allow girls and women to participate in sports. What are your hopes and dreams for girls and women in sports for the future? 
My biggest hope is that girls and women are simply treated equally.

What advice do you have for young female athletes today? 
Always remember to work with grit and be committed to your team! Being a great teammate will help you become successful in your future career! All great athletes today have to put the time in and want to be great!
 
What would most people be surprised to learn about you? 
In my career, I have to be very outgoing and social to be successful. I am a type of person that is typically shy in my personal life until you get to know me. Once you are on my team, I am totally different and love to hang out with you. It is hard for me to want to meet new people, but once I do and get to know them, it is a different story with me and I enjoy chit chatting.
 
When you're not working, you can be found... 
When I am not working, I love to be in my kitchen making meals for my family. I love to cook and play sports with my kiddos! I also enjoy hiking and exploring with my family and friends.