- Jada Davie (Exercise Science Major)
Q: “What are your plans for after graduation?”
A: “I plan on becoming a personal trainer, or working at a gym with other athletes.”
Q: “What was the most challenging aspect of obtaining your degree?”
A: “The most challenging aspect was probably making sure I worked hard until the end and not slacking with my work”.
Q: “How has Catawba prepared you for life after graduation?”
A: “”Catawba prepared me by helping me schedule my days around what I was obligated to do vs. what I wanted to do. It also made me realize just how important making connections early on are.”
Q: “What are you most excited about to achieve in the future?”
A: “What I’m most excited about is- just seeing where I am in the future and seeing how all the hard work I’ve done has gotten me to that point.”
2. Lauren Ford (Exercise Science Major)
Q: “What are your plans for after graduation??”
A: “I plan on coming back to Catawba to play basketball while I obtain my MBA. After graduating, I plan on pursuing a job in healthcare administration.”
Q: “What has been your greatest accomplishment at Catawba?”
A: “My greatest accomplishment was making it to the NCAA tournament and making history, as we were the first team to ever win in the first round of the NCAA tournament for Catawba Women’s Basketball. Being able to have our names in the history books is big and I am glad to do it with my sisters!”
Q: “What was your favorite class at Catawba?”
A: “I would say leisure activities was one of my favorite classes at Catawba. The class allowed me to find new and different activities to do after college athletics end, and basketball isn’t my identity anymore. This class opened my eyes of what to do outside of basketball, and I am so thankful for the class and experience.”
Q: “What would you change about your college experience?
A: “I wouldn’t change a thing, Catawba being so small allowed me to have great experiences and meet great people along the way. I know further down the road if I ever need anything from them I can call on them and they will be there for me.”
3. Ivonne Valverde-Justo (Biology Major)
Q: “What are your plans for after graduation?”
A: “I plan to go into the workforce within my major’s field, which is biology. So I’ll be working in a lab setting”.
Q: “What are some of your goals for the future?”
A: “To eventually go back to grad school, receive my master’s, maybe work at the CDC one day. I’d also like to do a lot of traveling”.
Q: “What do you think it takes to be successful at Catawba?”
A: “In order to be successful at Catawba, I feel like you really have to branch out and make friends, get close to your professors, that’s an advantage we have because Catawba is a small school, so get to know them. You’d be surprised at all the opportunities that come with that.”
Q: “What will you miss most about Catawba?”
A: “I’ll miss all the friends I made here, I met some great people that I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”
4. Aryn Dorr (Sport Management Major)
Q: “What are your plans for after graduation?”
A: “I will be residing in Charlotte, working with Start2Finish, an event management company.”
Q: “What was the most difficult part about obtaining your degree?”
A: “The most difficult part of obtaining my degree was dealing with COVID and not being able to have a real college experience. I feel that I missed out on my sophomore and junior year of college due to COVID-19.”
Q: “What advice would you give to someone struggling to continue their education?”
A: “The advice I would give to someone struggling to continue their education is ask for help! The professors, students, and faculty at Catawba always helped in any given situation when I was struggling.”
Q: “How has Catawba helped you as a person, student, or athlete?”
A: “Catawba has helped me as a person by enhancing my knowledge in sports and in the professional sports atmosphere by experiential learning opportunities in the sport management degree. As an athlete Catawba has helped me to become more recognized in the SAC and Division II. My coaches have helped to prepare me both on and off the field these past four years.”
Feel free to share anecdotes about your own Catawba College experience in the comments below!