Senior Salute - Maddie Moran

Our "Senior Salute" series continues with Maddie Moran, a statistical and data sciences major from Youngstown, Ohio. Moran is a member of the women's golf team.

Q: Why did you choose to attend The College of Wooster?
A: I found Wooster to be very welcoming, especially the coaching staff and players at the time I was touring. I knew the smaller, tight-knit community with an emphasis on academics was a place I could thrive.

Q: What does being a Fighting Scot student-athlete mean to you?
A: Being a student-athlete at Wooster is a community in and of itself. I have made more connections and met more people just from being part of a team than I may have otherwise. I know I always have my teammates there to support me, but I also have people on other teams and within the department to support me too.

Q: What are some of your favorite memories as a student at The College of Wooster?
A: As a first-year, there was a week or so where there was so much snow on the ground that we went to a Wooster hockey game, ice skated at Alice Noble, went sledding at L.C. Boles Memorial Golf Course, and even packed Kauke Arch with snow.

Q: What is the best part about being a student-athlete at The College of Wooster?
A: The best part of being a Wooster student-athlete, aside from the connections with others in the athletic department, has been the opportunities presented to me. I have gotten a lot of leadership opportunities through the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and found some places that have really helped me out along the way, especially when it comes to my mental and physical health.

Q: What else were you involved with on campus besides your sport?
A: In addition to captaining the women's golf team, I serve as the vice president for both the North Coast Athletic Conference and Wooster Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. I am a campus captain for the Hidden Opponent, an ambassador for Morgan's Message, secretary for Phi Sigma Tau philosophy honor society, member of Alpha Alpha Alpha first-generation college students honor society, co-host of PM in the PM on Sunday evenings on Woo91 with my teammate Paige Nicely, and sports editor for the Wooster Voice.

Q: Which College of Wooster faculty or staff member has made the greatest impact on you and why?
A: One of the biggest reasons I came to Wooster was Coach Lisa Campanell Komara. I was not even planning on playing golf in college until she came to me and convinced me to come play for her. She was welcoming and genuine, and she still stays a big part of my life today even after retiring from the College this past year.

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: The athletic trainers and Coach Josh Mace have helped me a lot in my recovery and with just building up my strength over the past few years. I have felt academically impacted by Dr. Lee McBride, who was the reason I became a philosophy minor.

Q: Tell us a bit about your Independent Study project?
A: My Independent Study looks into NCAA Div. I volleyball to see the influence of each front row attacker on the outcome of the game. I am looking to see if putting in a stronger hitter in a certain position would lead to a different outcome.

Q: Tell us a bit about something cool you did as a student at The College of Wooster?
A: I went to Ireland at the end of my first year at Wooster with the golf team, which was a fun way to bond with my teammates. We played many courses, including Esker Hills, which is my favorite PGA golfer Shane Lowry's home course, and the European Club, which ranks in the top 100 courses in the world. We had such a small tight-knit team, especially after that trip that it was really sad to see them go when they graduated.

Q: Reflecting back on your time at Wooster, what advice would you give your first-year self?
A: Put your mental and physical health first. I have learned a lot about giving myself a little more grace because if you push yourself too far or rush into something before you are ready, it causes burnout, which is so much harder to cope with than if you were to give yourself mental brain breaks or taking a recovery more slowly.

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