Ayanna Arceneaux is a Political Science major with a minor in Health. She is from Puyallup, Wash. As a 2020 graduate, we interviewed Arceneaux on her favorite memories from WOU and the lessons she wants to pass on to incoming students.

 

Why did you choose WOU? 

I chose WOU not just for softball, but the campus was beautiful, and I liked the atmosphere. I went on a visit, and seeing the beautiful campus sold me; I just knew I wanted to come here! 

 

What has been your most memorable class?

My most memorable class was Intro To Model United Nations. It was fun to be able to research other countries and debate. I had the ability to go to a conference, and it was amazing. I wanted to join the club, but I would have had conflicting schedules due to softball.

 

What have some of your extracurriculars been?

Being on the softball team, I had a set schedule. Between class, weights, and practice, I found myself on campus a lot. I also worked in the athletic department for games and events. I love being able to interact on campus and help out when I can. I was also part of SAAC, where I got the opportunity to join other student athletes and find ways to showcase our incredible athletes more. 

 

Do you have any advice for current and prospective students? 

All of the late night studying, even the stressful moments, is all worth it. The biggest accomplishment is proving to yourself that you are capable of doing a lot more than you think. Success will come when you work hard, stay focused, and have a goal.

 

What is the biggest lesson you have learned throughout your time at WOU?

I have learned that it doesn’t matter where you start, it’s about how you finish. The beginning is different than the end, but it is determined by the work I put in and changes I had to make. I didn’t have the best GPA when I first started, but after finding what study techniques worked for me, I got my GPA up tremendously.

 

What has been the highlight of your time at WOU? 

Being able to give a speech to our donors at our athletic auction my sophomore year was a highlight of my time here. This is also tied with having the chance to MC our athletic Wolfies celebration. Both are memories that I will never forget.

 

What will you miss the most about WOU? 

I’m going to miss walking around the campus. The people that I was fortunate to meet and work with. I’m going to miss working at different sporting events. There are a lot of things that I am going to miss; my experience here has been amazing. 

 

What has been your biggest achievement, success or accomplishment in college?

One of my biggest achievements was receiving the Future Leader Award from the Politics, Policy and Administration department. This was huge for me, because I have grown each year of college, and getting this award showed me that the ups and downs throughout my journey [were] worth it and my hard work was noticed. My other biggest achievement was becoming an All-American for softball, with being put on the 2020 NFCA Players to Watch List.