The "St. Olaf Spring Senior Spotlight" was designed to honor the St. Olaf spring sport student-athletes who had their senior seasons abbreviated or canceled altogether by the global COVID-19 pandemic. We sent the seniors a series of questions about their time at St. Olaf, ranging from their athletic careers to their academic interests to their involvement in other areas on campus. Check back throughout the spring to read their responses!

What is an athletic highlight or favorite memory from your time as a student-athlete at St. Olaf?
A highlight is when the women's cross country team won regionals my freshman year. We were the underdogs for that race and definitely not expected to win. However, we worked our way to the top to get an automatic bid to nationals.

What is one thing you will miss about being a student-athlete at St. Olaf?
The team, of course. I will miss seeing my teammates every day and having them to help me through workouts and races. It will be hard to stay consistent in training after college, knowing that I am not running for St. Olaf anymore.

Away from athletics, what is something you will miss about St. Olaf?
I will miss the campus a lot. The layout is so beautiful, from the stone buildings to the natural lands. I hope wherever I am next is just as aesthetically pleasing.

What are you studying and what drew you to that?
I am a biology major. I am drawn to biology because it is such a diverse subject and encompasses many of my interests, from molecular biology to human physiology and even ecology. 

What else have you been a part of at St. Olaf (student organizations, music, study abroad, internships, etc.)?
Each year at St Olaf I have been a part of Ole Spring Relief (OSR). I have been a committee member for the past three years. I also studied abroad in the Bahamas in January 2019.

What would you tell a prospective student-athlete interested in attending St. Olaf?
Take advantage of the opportunities ahead and don't hold back. 

What are your post-graduation plans?
I am hoping to gain more practical experience before potentially attending grad school. I have many interests and hope to determine which particular career to pursue.

What is your favorite story about Coach Maker?
My favorite story about Coach Maker is from nationals my senior year (this past fall). Our team had been left out of the meet, which was unexpected and hard to accept. The week leading up to the race was extremely difficult for many people, including Coach Maker. When the race was over, I finished as an All-American and the first person I saw was Coach Maker. She had tears of pride streaming down her face and was even more excited than I was. This is one of my favorite stories because it just shows how invested Coach Maker is in her team and how much passion she has for what she does.