Throughout the spring semester we are celebrating our senior student-athletes with a Senior Salute series. Today's featured senior is swimming and diving's Lacey Mindock. Mindock is a psychology and women's, gender, and sexuality studies major.
 
Q: Why did you choose to attend The College of Wooster?
A: I chose to attend Wooster because the second I stepped on campus I felt at home. My first interaction with the College was a Zoom meeting with the swimming and diving team my sophomore year of high school. I fell in love with the team dynamic, the camaraderie, and Rob Harrington's coaching. When I visited, I truly felt like Wooster was where I needed to be, and that both the athletics and academics would get me to where I wanted to be in life. That has very much proved to be true.
 
Q: What does being a Fighting Scot student-athlete mean to you?
A: Being a Fighting Scot student-athlete means having a second family to support me, cheer me on, and always be there for me. The swimming and diving team is an amazing group to be part of, and they have defined my experience at Wooster. Being a Fighting Scot means experiencing college through the lens of discipline, hard work, and grit, but also joy, fun, and support from both academics and athletics.
 
Q: What are some of your favorite memories as a student at The College of Wooster?
A: My favorite memories include accomplishing hard sets with my distance groups, the fun moments with my friends over all four years, and the moments of academic successes I experienced over the years.
 
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 Wooster is the camaraderie and friendship each team fosters within its members. The swimming and diving team is truly a second family to me. I know if I ever need anything that my team has my back, and each one of us would do the same for the others.
 
Q: What else were you involved with on campus besides your sport?
A: I work as a peer tutor and a peer advisor. I am also a member of Iota Iota Iota, the women's, gender, and sexuality studies honor society.
 
Q: Which College of Wooster faculty or staff member has made the greatest impact on you and why?
A: Dr. Meredith Hope from the psychology department. Dr. Hope was the first professor I had at Wooster, and she has shaped who I am as a student. I have taken at least one of her classes every year, and she is currently one of my Independent Study advisors. She has made me a better student, a better writer, and inspired me to be a better person. She has been an incredible role model throughout my four years here.
 
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: Dr. Mark Graham has guided me in many ways and has impacted my mindset and approaches to life. The ladies in the Academic Resource Center - Krista Martin, Carly Jones, Amber Larson, Kate Gullatta, and Jackie Hamilton - have all helped me through many difficult situations both as an employee of the Academic Resource Center, and in using its resources. Tayla Thome, an amazing assistant athletic trainer has helped me for three years through every stage of an injury and I owe everything to her for ensuring it did not end my career.
 
Q: Tell us a bit about your Independent Study project?
A: I am looking at how Latina women navigate their anxiety surrounding immigration policies and what tools they use to bring hope and joy into their lives when dealing with daily stressors. My methods include asking participants to share a picture of something that brings them joy, explain it, and then I follow up with a few psychological questionnaires.
 
Q: Tell us a bit about something cool you did as a student at The College of Wooster?
A: One of my favorite things I was our Florida trips with the swimming and diving team every winter break. We stayed in condos directly on the beach, and swim outside. There is a super cute candy and ice cream shop half a mile down the road and we love walking there every night of our stay. The really cool thing about it for me personally is the pool we swim at in Florida is one that I competed at when I was 12 at a national meet. Every time I am there it feels like a full circle moment for my swim career.
 
Q: Reflecting back on your time at Wooster, what advice would you give your first-year self?
A: I would tell my first-year self to stay present in the moment, accept change as it comes, and understand that college is a place of growth. Moments of growth are often difficult, but they are worth it.
 
Interested in becoming a Fighting Scot?      
High school prospective student-athletes can click here to learn about our recruiting process, click here to view the virtual campus tour, and click here to learn more about admissions events, tours, and visit programs.    
    
Transfer prospective student-athletes can click here to learn about our transfer recruiting process and use the links above for the virtual tour and admissions visit programs.