Throughout the spring semester, we are honoring our senior student-athletes with a "Senior Salute" series. Today's featured senior is Brooke Swain, a biology major from Seville, Ohio. Swain is a member of the softball and volleyball teams.
Q: Why did you choose to attend The College of Wooster?
A: I wanted to attend a school where I would be valued as a student first, and then an athlete. I loved that I would be able to play both softball and volleyball while getting a great education. I also loved that it was close to home so my parents can easily attend my games.
Q: What does it mean to you to be a Fighting Scot student-athlete?
A: Being a Fighting Scot student-athlete means I am always working hard on and off the field. It means I am a dedicated and driven person with goals of earning good grades while also working hard to achieve my athletic goals.
Q: What are some of your favorite memories as a student at The College of Wooster?
A: Some of my favorite memories are I.S. Monday, my spring break trips with the softball team to Florida, and my trip to Washington, D.C. with the volleyball team. I have loved being able to travel to different places with both of my teams. Another favorite memory is making it to the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament championship match in volleyball my senior year!
Q: What is the best part about being a student-athlete at The College of Wooster?
A: The best part about being a student-athlete at The College of Wooster is the friendships I have made with so many wonderful people throughout the years.
Q: What else were you involved with on campus besides your sport?
A: I am a STEM Zone intern, the vice president of the Pre-Dental Society student organization, treasurer of the campus Beta Beta Beta biology honor society, and a member of the Pre-Health Club.
Q: Which College of Wooster faculty or staff member has made the greatest impact on you and why?
A: Dr. Paul Bonvallet has made the greatest impact on me because he was a great professor for organic chemistry, and he wrote me a letter of recommendation for my dental school application. Dr. Bonvallet made going to an 8 a.m. class worth it, and he made all his students feel like they were meant to be in the STEM field.
Q: What other people or resources (impacted your Wooster experience in a positive way and how did these people/resources set you up to be successful at Wooster?
A: Coach (Victoria) Rumph and Coach (Sarah) Davis have impacted my life in a positive way by being awesome coaches who have led me to be a better teammate and a better player. Dr. (Stephanie) Strand and Dr. (William) Morgan have also impacted my experience at Wooster by being awesome advisors and mentors. They have helped me through scheduling, and they have been great professors in my science classes.
Q: Tell us a bit about your Independent Study project?
A: My Independent Study project focuses on a pathogen called Phytophthora sojae which infects soybean plants. I am looking to find where a main protein, PHO4, is located that is part of the pathogen's entry process into the host cells and if it is phosphorylated or not. By performing these experiments on a model organism, budding yeast, I will be able to add to future strategies of finding a way to suppress this pathogen from spreading in fields and putting our source of food at a risk.
Q: Tell us a bit about something cool you did as a student at The College of Wooster?
A: Something cool that I did was make it to the NCAC Tournament with my volleyball team. We made it to the championship match for the first time since 1985. I thought this was the coolest experience to end my volleyball career on. I truly felt like I left my entire heart and soul on that court after playing four matches in two days.
Q: Reflecting back on your time at Wooster, what is one piece of advice you would give your first-year (freshman) self?
A: I would give my first-year self the advice of not letting the future stress me out. I would tell myself to be in the moment and to enjoy every day. I would explain how everything ends up falling into place over time and that it is so important to take time to relax and take care of yourself first.
Follow Wooster's softball team on social media!
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Follow Wooster's volleyball team on social media!
Connect with Wooster's volleyball team on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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