Friday, July 2, 2021

Part of a regular series.

Throughout the year, GNACsports.com uses this space to profile conference student-athletes who are members of their respective institutions’ Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). In addition to providing feedback on the student-athlete experience, conference and institutional SAAC members also offer input on the rules, regulations and policies that affect student-athletes’ lives on NCAA member institution campuses.

Name: Keegan Wise
Sport: Softball
Institution: Central Washington University
Year: Junior
Major: Information Technology and Administrative Management (ITAM) and Web and Data Base Management
Hometown: Ridgefield, Washington

Why Did You Choose To Attend Central Washington?: I chose to attend Central Washington because of its amazing IT program. When I visited the campus, the team was very welcoming and Ellensburg had that homey feel to it.

What Is Your Favorite Class You Have Taken And Why?: My favorite class was Programming Fundamentals because I learned a lot about algorithms and Java. That class also confirmed that computer science is a passion of mine.

Who Is Your Favorite Professor And What Did You Enjoy About Learning From Him Or Her?: My favorite professor is Dr. David Douglas. He makes every class something to look forward to. He gives us a quote at the beginning of every class and always helps us see the bigger picture. He’s there for us as a professor, friend, confidant and supporter.

Years Involved In SAAC: Three years.

The Reason You Chose To Get Involved In SAAC: I originally joined SAAC because my team needed a freshman presence, but then I learned about all that SAAC was a part of. It’s nice to be a voice for our team, school and conference.

Most Memorable SAAC Activities To Date: The Welly’s and lip sync.

How Do You Feel Participating In SAAC Will Help You In Life After You Graduate?: By participating in SAAC, I will be more willing to be a part of something bigger after graduation to help make life a little better for everyone.

What Does It Mean To You To Be A Division II Student-Athlete?: Being a Division II student-athlete means I get to continue to play the sport I love while pursuing a degree in something that makes me happy.

What Is The Most Important Thing You’ve Learned About Balancing Athletics And Academics?: The most important thing I’ve learned is that I can’t let these two things define me or I’ll drown. Flexibility is a skill I had to learn quickly because it helped me figure out how to manage my way through everything.

Biggest Obstacle Overcome During Your Collegiate Career: The biggest obstacle I’ve had to overcome is figuring out who I am outside of being a student-athlete. I’m still working on this one.

Favorite Thing About Competing In The GNAC: The high level of competition among all the teams we play.

Most Memorable Sports-Related Moment: Being GNAC champions during my freshman year.

Current Mentor(s): Alison Mitchell, Traci Tawney and Dr. David Douglas.

Best Advice You’d Give To An Incoming Freshman: There are going to be a lot of different things trying to grab your attention, but don’t forget who you are and what values you hold. Also, ice cream can temporarily solve most problems.

If You Could Spend The Day With One Person (Past Or Present), Who Would It Be (And Why)?: I would spend the day with Jesus because he’s the most strong, fearless and loving person.

Future Goals After Graduation: My goal is to be a part of something that makes me happy. It would be nice to land an IT-related job in the medical field.

Favorite Sports Team: Seattle Mariners.

Favorite Athlete: Ichiro Suzuki.