What drives the decision to attend a specific college? Is it the academic program, the balance with extra-curricular activities, the opportunities available following graduation? For students who want to play sports on the college level, perhaps it is the coaching staff, the success of the program, the future teammates, the environment around the program.
 
Eight alumni who played women's volleyball took the opportunity to explain why they chose the University of Rochester as the perfect place for them. They discussed a favorite memory from their playing days, recalled academic courses and professors whom they valued highly, and revealed how their professional careers have gone since completing their degree.
 
These are the women who answered. The list includes the alum's class and her undergraduate major(s): Nina Baek '17 (Linguistics and French – double major); Dr. Karen Clary '90 (Cell and Developmental Biology); Leslie Hartman '94 (Psychology); Xiaoyi Li '15 (Neurobiology); Liz Loveless Watson '05 (Chemical Engineering), Pauline Lucero '85 (Spanish Literature, admitted to 3-2 Counseling Program); Kelly Mulrey-Kim '13 (Cell and Developmental Biology, B.A. Nursing '14), Janice Vanselow '82 (Chemical Engineering).
 
Why Rochester As A College Choice?
Nina Baek '17: I chose University of Rochester for its open curriculum, which would allow me to pursue multiple majors and to explore subjects outside of my main fields of interest. This ultimately proved to be true – not only did I get to conduct research in linguistics and French, but I also got to learn about Indigenous rights, environmental justice, logic, and gender studies. I was, of course, also very excited to join the volleyball team!
 
Dr. Karen Clary '90: Strong academics for pre-med, and opportunity to play volleyball at the collegiate level 
 

Leslie Hartman '94: Strong science programs, I liked the feel of the campus, plus feeling like I fit in well with the existing volleyball team when visiting campus.
 
Kelly Mulrey-Kim '13: I loved the idea of a college with no required general education courses. I loved the freedom of picking classes that interested me to fulfill requirements. The campus and class size were big enough to be diverse, but small enough to feel like a community. The River Campus is also such an incredibly gorgeous campus, so coming to visit in person and seeing the campus sealed the deal for me! 
 
Xiaoyi Li '15: Small research-oriented school that could give me one-on-one attention from faculty. Rochester cultivated independence, problem-solving skills, and taught me to think logically and critically. I met lots of like-minded peers and life-long friends here. Being able to play volleyball was a cherry on top.
 
Loveless Watson: When I was looking at colleges, I knew I wanted it to be somewhere I could study chemical engineering and play volleyball.  The strength of the academics program was very important to me and I knew Rochester excelled in that area.  I was also looking for a smaller sized college that was relatively close to home.  I didn't want to get lost in huge lecture halls with hundreds of students and as an introvert, knew I wanted the opportunity to learn in smaller class sizes to help make the transition from high school to college a little easier.   When I stepped on to Rochester's campus for the first time, I was blown away by how beautiful it was and immediately felt like it was somewhere I would be happy to call home for the next 4 years.  When I chose Rochester, I wasn't aware of all the diverse program opportunities that were available, but as I reflect on Rochester now, it's another reason I am so happy with the choice I made to go there.  The cluster programs required in our curriculum was a great way to learn about subject matter outside of my major.  I am so grateful for the Take 5 program that allowed me to explore German language and history and eventually led me to spend a year in Germany after graduating.
 
Pauline Lucero '85: I wanted an adventure. I came from a big high school and wanted a smaller college experience.  I didn't know what I wanted to study and UofR had a variety of academic programs, including Div III sports and Eastman School of Music offering undergraduate credit for lessons.
 
Jan Vanselow '82: Excellent academic school, my parents went here, I won the Bausch & Lomb scholarship from my high school; and the "kicker" was having lunch with Hazel Varner, Jane Possee and Debbie Poletto (class of 1979) during my decision period.  They sold it for me!  (Picked UR over Cornell, Bucknell, MIT, and RPI).
 
 
Your Best Athletic Memory Playing for UR?
Baek: One of my best memories playing for UR was the game point of my career final match in the UAA championships. It was the fifth set against a team we had previously lost to, and we were fighting for a match win. To win this point would represent a higher finish in the league championships than we'd finished during all my years on the team. It was a long rally, and we played with cohesion, determination, and confidence. When we ended the rally with a decisive kill, it was the best feeling.
 
Dr. Clary: Beating Wash U to advance to the finals in the UAA volleyball championship, and then defeating Brandeis to win the championship in 1988 and get a bid to NCAAs.
 
Hartman: Getting a bid to nationals in 1993. We advanced to the Elite 8, the farthest UR has ever gone in the tournament.

 
Mulrey-Kim: I remember our first UAA win (against NYU). It was a 5 game match, but the feeling of victory and togetherness of the team was unparalleled. For me, the cherry on top of my Rochester volleyball career was serving back to back aces to the Wash. U (top ranked in the country at the time) libero. I also remember during pre-season being able to work with the city of Rochester youth and pairing up with a team of kids to teach them some volleyball skills. 
 
Li: Beating NYU at UAAs for the first time in around a decade.
 
Loveless Watson: Senior Night was my best athletic memory playing for UR.  After Linda Downey started coaching us (2003), Nazareth became a bigger rivalry since that is where she coached before coming to UR.  She never put pressure on us that beating them was important, but we knew the team had made some great improvements over the last two years and beating Nazareth on Senior Night felt like the pinnacle of all that hard work.  All of the games were close that night and I remember we really clicked as a team, making fewer errors than Nazareth and ultimately coming out on top.  We had a reception with all the players and parents after the game and that added to how special this memory is.  The UR volleyball team was its own little community and we had the most amazing support from our family and friends.  Some of my closest relationships in college were with the volleyball girls and I still keep in touch with many of them today.  I have a framed picture of Grace (Kraay), Kristin (Vogt), and me from Senior Night and it always makes me smile when I look at it.
 
Lucero: My entire junior year volleyball season.  We worked so hard and loved being together.  That group of women taught me everything about working together toward a common goal and reaping the rewards of that commitment and those relationships.  Coach (Bob) Brewington was also my first experience with a coach who never yelled at us and really respected and taught us.  He called us women.  I thrived under his coaching.  A core group of us remain very connected and have traveled across the US to see one another for reunions over the years. This team and the joy of working together began my lifelong professional success working on teams and collaboratively on behalf of vulnerable individuals. My best friend is Romy Toussaint and she and I were co-captains our senior year.
 
Vanselow: Winning the NYS State Div. 3 volleyball championship in 1979 as a single event, but really all of my volleyball years were great.  Another noted memory:  During my freshman year, Hazel Varner (our coach) was suing the University for sex discrimination.  I went to the court house one afternoon to see the proceedings and that is a very memorable event, too.  Education I never thought I would get.
 
Favorite Classes or Professors?
Baek: My favorite course was called "Food Justice and Urban Farming," which was taught by Professor Leila Nadir. This course integrated community engagement and theory. Half of the courses were held off campus at the Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence in collaboration with SeedFolk City Farm where local youth educated us on cultivating an edible garden and honing community leadership skills.
 
Dr. Clary: Psychology classes. Also the Developmental Biology lab.
 
Hartman: Not really. I enjoyed a good number of my classes.
 
Mulrey-Kim: Even though I was a science major, the curriculum design at U of R was flexible enough it allowed me to explore, and eventually minor in studio arts. Art is a passion of mine and I was happy to be able fit it into my college experience. I ended up nominating one of my studio painting professors (and class advisor) Heather Layton for professor of the year and she won! I remember her always taking the time at our advisor meetings to really listen to what was important to me, and helping to guide me to figure out my academic goals and path. 
 
Li: Neuroethology with Professor Renee Miller, and History of Jazz with Professor Paul Burgett.

 
Loveless-Watson: I took a Science and Religion course that I really enjoyed.  I think it was for my cluster in philosophy and I don't remember the professor, but I liked it so much because he really encouraged us to show our authenticity in our work.  No answer was right or wrong as long as we put in the effort to really think about the issue being discussed.  We were encouraged to provide a response based on our own thoughts, opinions, and experiences and the course encouraged some self-exploration that I didn't find in a lot of my science and engineering classes.
 
Lucero: Claudia Schaefer was an excellent Spanish Professor. I loved her Latin American women's literature class.  Two semesters of Japanese and of Sign Language and studying abroad in Madrid, Spain were also so enriching. A couples counseling program piqued my interest in a counseling program and when the 3-2 program began, I applied.
 
Vanselow: I never had a favorite professor but actually am thankful for a couple of my volleyball friends for tutoring me through some tough courses!  But, interestingly, I think my favorite class was the microbiology class I took through the nursing school.  In the last decade, I have thought of that class often as I was more involved in the biopharma industry.
 
Post-Graduate Career and Current Position:
Baek:  After graduating, I spent a year in Belgium on a Fulbright grant. Since then, I have been working at an intellectual property law firm in Manhattan - first as a paralegal, and now as the director of legal operations. I will also be pursuing an MBA next fall on top of my current role.  
 
Dr. Clary: After my M.D. (at Upstate Medical Center), I did a year in Pediatrics before switching to a Pathology residency, both at URMC. Then I went to Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh for a Cytology fellowship. Stayed on as an attending in Pittsburgh for two years. Then opportunity to move back to Rochester arose and I took a position at RGH in 2003. I am the Director of Cytology for Rochester Regional Health.
 

Hartman: I started out doing case management for individuals with disabilities and then went back to school to narrow my focus slightly to addressing the accessibility needs of individuals with disabilities. I am currently a Rehabilitation Engineer for the State of North Carolina.
 
Mulrey-Kim: Even though I was a science major, the curriculum design at U of R was flexible enough it allowed me to explore, and eventually minor in studio arts. Art is a passion of mine and I was happy to be able fit it into my college experience. I ended up nominating one of my studio painting professors (and class advisor) Heather Layton for professor of the year and she won! I remember her always taking the time at our advisor meetings to really listen to what was important to me, and helping to guide me to figure out my academic goals and path. I currently work at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Stanford University's Children's hospital. I am a Cardiac Critical Care ICU nurse for pediatric patients, caring for kids who need and receive heart transplants, and congenital corrections of cardiac anomalies. 
 
Li: I worked at the National Institutes of Health for 2 years, then began pursuing my PhD in Biology at Johns Hopkins University where I currently am. I am always and forever a setter.
 
Loveless Watson: I have mostly been drawn to positions in manufacturing and operations since graduation.  My favorite part of working in manufacturing and is being on the production floor and troubleshooting issues with the operators making the product.  I worked at the L'Oreal manufacturing plant in Little Rock, AR for six years after college, holding positions as a process engineer, production manager, and new product launch manager.  When I had my two boys, I decided to take some time off work to be home with them and just rejoined the workforce in 2018.  I took a job as a manufacturing engineer at Henkel in Geneva, NY and we moved back to the Syracuse, NY area from Little Rock, AR.  After a year commuting between Syracuse and Geneva, I decided to accept a position at Hillrom in Skaneateles, NY at the end of 2019.  That is where I am working today as a quality engineer supporting some of the production lines that make devices for physical exam and diagnostics and patient monitoring. I am a Senior Operations Quality Assurance Engineer at Hillrom.
 
Lucero: For 33 years I have worked in social service programs and served vulnerable populations.  I started out as a social worker for the state of NM, then moved to being the first forensic interviewer in the state and helped start the first Children's Advocacy Center in NM.  I've worked as a therapist in a non-profit program and since 2005 I have owned my own training and consulting business.  I have my own therapy practice, provide expert witness testimony and consultation in criminal and civil child sexual abuse cases and work with individuals of the NM Developmental Disability Waiver as a Behavior Support Consultant.  My agency serves approximately 80 individuals and we are now an internship site for two state university social work programs. I am also bilingual and my family has been in NM for over 400 years.  Serving the bilingual and bicultural populations and training up and coming bilingual/bicultural social workers is a major part of my professional focus. I am the Owner of Corazon Training & Consulting.
 
Vanselow: After getting my MS, I worked 3 years for a government research facility in Watertown, MA.  Then I worked 21 years for a manufacturer of pressure sensitive adhesive tapes including everything from finger bandages to duct tape – I was a product development engineer.  The company name changed six times during the 21 years due to mergers and acquisitions (Kendall, Tyco, Berry Plastics, et al).  After a layoff, I had to reinvent myself and started working at Northeastern University (another alma mater) for six years as a Cooperative Education Coordinator in the Chemical Engineering department at the school (well-known for their extensive co-op program).  That is where I became more involved in the pharmaceutical industry as close to 50% of the co-op jobs that my students got were in the pharmaceutical industry.  I ultimately was on the Board of the Boston Chapter of ISPE (International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineers) into my retirement.