Throughout the spring semester, we are honoring our senior student-athletes with a "Senior Salute" series. Today's featured senior is Otilia Oita, a biochemistry and molecular biology major from North Olmsted, Ohio. Oita is a member of the women's tennis team.
Q: Why did you choose to attend The College of Wooster?
A: I chose to attend The College of Wooster because it felt like the best fit for me. The balance between being an athlete while having the ability to work in amazing lab facilities really drew me to Wooster.
Q: What does being a Fighting Scot student-athlete mean to you?
A: Being a Fighting Scot means being able to represent Wooster while enjoying the college experience with my friends. It means a lot to be able to do both.
Q: What are some of your favorite memories as a student at The College of Wooster?
A: Some of my favorite memories at Wooster include my first college match and my final first tournament of the fall season. My first collegiate tennis match was a crazy experience because it was during COVID and we had to travel four hours for it. It was such a fun experience overall. The first fall tournament of my senior year was amazing because I knew it would be my last one and I enjoyed every minute of it.
Q: What is the best part about being a student-athlete at The College of Wooster?
A: The best part of being a student-athlete at Wooster is the bond I have with my teammates doing what we all love. Additionally, the relationships I have formed with athletes from other teams has led to a lot of amazing friendships.
Q: What else were you involved with on campus besides your sport?
A: I am involved in the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Club and the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). This year, I am the co-president of both. I joined SAAC as a team representative as a first-year and I never thought I would have as much fun as I did. I joined the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Club as a sophomore and it has been a lot of fun because there are so many people from my major in it and I have made a lot of friends.
Q: Which College of Wooster faculty or staff member has made the greatest impact on you and why?
A: My Independent Study advisor, Dr. Ferdinand Nanfack Minkeu, has had a huge impact on me. He has always treated me like a scientist who knows what they are doing and has trusted me to take control of my I.S. project. He has enabled me to believe in myself in the lab, which has really helped me overall as a person and more specifically as someone who wants to work in the science world.
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: Nate Huston, the head athletic trainer, has had a huge positive impact on me. We met my first year here when I had my first injury. Since then, I have gone into the athletic training room almost every day. I had the opportunity to work closely with him in the training room due to my injuries. I also work there as a student assistant, and I even took Nate's class. He has always been there when I was injured to help me get back to playing and has always been super encouraging.
Q: Tell us a bit about your Independent Study project?
A: My I.S. looks at mosquito-borne viruses and the potential changes in genetic sequences in the viral genome. I had the opportunity to collect mosquitoes from Cleveland. I extracted RNA from them and sent the samples off to get sequenced. Essentially, I am looking to see how these polymorphisms affect viral transmission and potential tracking mechanisms to stop outbreaks.
Q: Tell us a bit about something cool you did as a student at The College of Wooster?
A: During spring break, we always go down to Hilton Head Island in South Carolina and it is such a cool experience. We always rent a house down there and just get to spend a lot of time together as a team and we do a lot of fun activities. This past year we went to the beach a lot, got so much ice cream, and even did an escape room. We escaped faster than most people do, so that made it even better. I love going to Hilton Head because it is so much warmer compared to Ohio in March and it's a fun little break in general.
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 more and be more open to saying yes to different things. Enjoy the moment more and come out of your shell to embrace the college journey.
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