EASTON, Mass. – The 2026-2027 Senior Reflections is a series of annual collections. Senior representatives of teams at Stonehill have been invited to contribute and reflect on their personal experiences over their four-year careers at Stonehill - both on and off the playing surface. 

Ma'Hkai Wilson, Football

Why Stonehill?
Where I'm from in Waterbury, Connecticut, playing football at a high collegiate level isn't the norm. Not a lot of kids from my area get that opportunity, so when Stonehill offered me the chance, I knew how much it meant, not just for me but for my family and the people back home. Stonehill gave me the chance to keep playing the game I love while earning a degree that would set me up for life after football. It also felt close enough to home that my family could be part of the journey. When I visited campus and met the coaches and the guys on the team, I knew this was going to be a place where I could grow as both a player and a person.

How Stonehill Has Shaped Me
When I first stepped on campus, I was a kid who mostly cared about football and didn't fully understand what it took to succeed here. What shaped me more than anything over these four years was becoming a leader. Leading meant it wasn't just about me anymore. I wasn't only responsible for managing myself. I was responsible for setting a standard and getting every guy in that locker room to believe in it and buy into it. That weight changed me. It made me grow up, hold myself to a higher level, and care about something bigger than my own success. Watching this team come together and commit to that standard is one of the proudest things I've ever been a part of. I'm a different man today than the freshman who walked onto this campus, and leading this team is the reason why.

Best Moments …
Athletically, my best moment came my freshman year against Central Connecticut. It was my first time playing college football back home in Connecticut, and I had a lot of family in the stands. I was able to make some key plays in front of them, and then in the final seconds, Perry Shelbred drilled a 52-yard field goal to win the game. I can't compare much to how I felt that day. Being so young, putting in all that work, and then seeing it pay off with a last-second win in front of the people who supported me my whole life is something I'll never forget.

Academically, my best moments came from the connections I made in the classroom. As an athlete, it can be hard to build relationships outside of your team. Between practice, lifts, film, and travel, most of your time is spent with the guys. But Stonehill's smaller size gave me the chance to really get to know students and faculty who had nothing to do with football. Those classes became a place where I could step outside the athlete label, share ideas, and build friendships I wouldn't have found anywhere else. Some of those relationships are ones I know I'll keep long after I leave.

Still, the moments I'll carry with me most are the everyday ones with my teammates, from early morning lifts to long bus rides to just hanging out in the locker room.

Lessons Learned
Over four years, I've learned to control what I can control. Not every game, season, or semester goes the way you plan, but your effort, your attitude, and how you treat people are always in your hands. I've also learned the value of planting seeds. Whether it's in a teammate, a classmate, or a friendship, the small things you invest in people can grow into something meaningful over time. Along the way, I found out that one of my biggest strengths is connecting with people. I'm easy to talk to, I speak with passion, and I genuinely care about the people I cross paths with. That's something I'm proud of and something I'll always carry with me.

Being a captain taught me how to handle pressure and how to get a group of guys with different personalities all moving in the same direction. Football also forced me to figure out time management early, because there's no way to get through a season and a full course load without it. Those are things I'll use for the rest of my life. After Stonehill, I'm heading to grad school, and I know the work ethic and leadership I built here, along with my business background, are going to carry over to the classroom and into my career.

Stonehill gave me a place to compete, to lead, and to find out who I really am. I'll leave here with a degree, a group of brothers for life, and a standard I'll hold myself to as I head into grad school and beyond. Once a Skyhawk, always a Skyhawk. DIG!
 
To view the past Senior Reflections visit this site: 2026-2027 Senior Reflections. 

For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.