Alycia Woodruff ’11

History | West Chester, Pa.

When runner Alycia Woodruff ’11 visited Susquehanna at her parents’ urging, it was love at first sight. 

“It was the most beautiful campus I’d ever seen,” she recalls. 

After further investigation, including an overnight stay, Woodruff decided that Susquehanna offered her just the right balance of academics, athletics and extracurricular activities.  

“I knew I wanted to run,” says Alycia, who is a member of the track and cross country teams. “But I didn’t want it to take over my life. I definitely came here for the academics.”

Woodruff says Susquehanna’s faculty and coaches understand and support her desire to excel in both areas. As a year-round athlete, she has a challenging schedule.  “But the coaching staff does a really good job of knowing how much you can take.”  Woodruff also enjoys the camaraderie of Susquehanna’s teams and the close-knit atmosphere in the residence halls. “Everyone’s really friendly here,” Woodruff adds.  “Everyone’s in it together, and they’re really supportive. It’s nice to know that people are watching your back, whether it’s the coaches, the staff or the students.” 

Woodruff entered Susquehanna interested in history and graphic design but without a declared major. Now that she’s decided to pursue a history major, Woodruff feels she has benefited from Susquehanna’s curriculum, which allows students to sample courses in a variety of disciplines.  “There are classes you can take just to see if it’s what you want to do. You can take a graphic design class without being a major. It’s okay to be undecided.”