Throughout the spring semester we are celebrating our senior student-athletes with a Senior Salute series. Today's featured senior is women's tennis' Abby Williams. Williams is a biochemistry and molecular biology major.
Q: Why did you choose to attend The College of Wooster?
A: I chose to attend Wooster for the research opportunities. I have grown a lot as a researcher through being a sophomore research assistant and Independent Study.
Q: What does being a Fighting Scot student-athlete mean to you?
A: To me, being a Fighting Scot student-athlete means I have the opportunity to focus on and prioritize academics while still getting to compete and play my sport.
Q: What are some of your favorite memories as a student at The College of Wooster?
A: One of my favorite memories was getting to know my team as a first-year. They were really supportive and I had a lot of fun being on the court with them. Another great memory is my time as a research assistant in the Evans' lab. Dr. Ellyn Evans was an amazing mentor, I got to work with some of my best friends, and this was when I first discovered my passion for research.
Q: What is the best part about being a student-athlete at The College of Wooster?
A: I really like having the ability to focus on my academics, Independent Study, and working towards graduate school while still getting to compete in a sport that I love.
Q: What else were you involved with on campus besides your sport?
A: Outside of tennis, I am involved in the ultimate frisbee team, the biochemistry and molecular biology club, the Queer Student Union, Wooster Volunteer Network, and I have been both a STEM Zone intern and a laboratory teaching assistant.
Q: Which College of Wooster faculty or staff member has made the greatest impact on you and why?
A: Dr. Evans and Dr. Dean Fraga have had the greatest impact on me. Dr. Evans was an incredible mentor and introduced me to research, which is related to what I now want to do for my career. Dr. Fraga is my Independent Study advisor and has been very supportive while having high expectations for what I accomplish during I.S.
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: A lot of resources at Wooster have greatly impacted my academic experience. Kara Melrose, and the STEM Zone in general, have especially impacted me, starting as a student in introductory classes and now as a Zone intern.
Q: Tell us a bit about your Independent Study project?
A: The goal of my I.S. is to learn more about the molecular basis of cooperativity of phosphagen kinases, a large and diverse family of enzymes that catalyze a reversible phosphoryl transfer mechanism. Specifically, I am investigating Stichopus japonicus arginine kinase, a uniquely cooperative phosphagen kinases, by isolating, purifying, and characterizing Stichopus japonicus arginine kinase variants.
Q: Tell us a bit about something cool you did as a student at The College of Wooster?
A: One fun experience I had at Wooster was attending the 2023 International Society for Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions Congress. This conference was held in Providence, and I attended it with Dr. Evans and my lab team. I had the opportunity to present my research for the first time, and we were also able to explore Providence.
Q: Reflecting back on your time at Wooster, what advice would you give your first-year self?
A: I would tell myself to not be afraid to try new things and that I would meet some of my closest friends when I least expect it. Honestly, I learned a lot and grew as a person over the last four years, and there is not much that I would want to change.
Interested in becoming a Fighting Scot?
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