Senior Salute: Alyssa Chritz

Throughout the spring semester, we are honoring our senior student-athletes with a "Senior Salute" series. Today's featured senior is Alyssa Chritz, a biochemistry and molecular biology major from Midland, Michigan. Chritz is a member of the women's basketball team.

Q: Why did you choose to attend The College of Wooster?
A: I chose Wooster because I loved the campus, Ruth W. Williams Hall of Life Sciences, and Timken Gymnasium. The team and coaches made me feel welcomed and at home when I visited.

Q: What does being a Fighting Scot student-athlete mean to you?
A: Being a Fighting Scot student-athlete means I get the opportunity to play the sport I love while also getting a great education. These opportunities will prepare me for the future in so many ways.

Q: What are some of your favorite memories as a student at The College of Wooster?
A: My favorite memories at Wooster are getting lunch and dinner with my teammates and friends at Lowry, especially when we sit at the corner table. I always had fun staying on campus over winter break for basketball with my teammates and the bus rides to away games.

Q: What is the best part about being a student-athlete at The College of Wooster?
A: Having a group of teammates that turn into best friends. I have met my best friends here through basketball and I am so thankful for all of them. 

Q: What else were you involved with on campus besides your sport?
A: I joined the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee as a sophomore and the Alpha Gamma Phi sorority as a junior.

Q: Which College of Wooster faculty or staff member has made the greatest impact on you and why?
A: Rachel Novario, our former assistant athletic trainer, because she was someone I could go to and rely on about anything. She is very supportive, encouraging, and someone I have looked up to a lot over the past few years.

Q: What other people or resources impacted your Wooster experience in a positive way and how did these people and resources set you up to be successful at Wooster?
A: All my coaches – Coach Mary Kate Tierney, Coach Megan Schiebelhut, and Coach Michael Baus – have impacted my Wooster experience in a positive way. They have helped me to be more confident in myself and they have pushed me to become a better leader.

Q: Tell us a bit about your Independent Study project?
A: I have collected sediment from seven different rivers and lakes in Ohio. I am quantifying a class of pollutants called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in each of the sediment samples and comparing this data to the corresponding county's human health and cancer rate data. The goal of my project is to observe the environmental impact on human health. 

Q: Tell us a bit about something cool you did as a student at The College of Wooster?
A: My team went to New York City over winter break. We played Fairleigh Dickinson University Florham and then spent the next day exploring the American Museum of Natural History, Times Square, and the Rockefeller Center.

Q: Reflecting back on your time at Wooster, what advice would you give your first-year self?
A: I would tell myself to get out of my shell and make new friends sooner. I would also tell myself to not stress as much about school and homework and just enjoy it. 

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