The following is a spotlight profile on Liz Wayne, one of two Duquesne University nominees for the prestigous NCAA Woman of the Year award. The Atlantic 10 had 15 institutional nominees for the award (READ MORE). Each weekday until July 22, the Atlantic 10 will profile one of the institutional nominees.
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SNAPSHOT
Sport: Volleyball/Track & Field
Position: Middle Hitter/jumps
Major: Psychology
Minor: Peace, Justice & Conflict Resolution/global health
Hometown: Colorado Springs, Colo.
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Liz Wayne
PROFILE
Elizabeth (Liz) Wayne was a two-sport athlete at Duquesne University where she led the volleyball team in hitting percentage (.326) and kills per set (2.66) and ranked second in total blocks (67) along with holding the Duquesne’s record in the high jump for the women’s track & field team. She was a conference representative for A-10 Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and she attended the NCAA Diversity and Inclusion Forum, allowing her to assist and run diversity and mental health campaigns on campus. She also advocated for student-athletes in the athletic department at Duquesne for mental health services and treatments. Wayne interned at Allegheny County Jail, Allegheny General Hospital and UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital, and she worked as a research assistant at the University of Pittsburgh Prenatal Health and Behavior Research Group. She presented her own research projects at the Regional Undergraduate Psychology Conference, the University of Pittsburgh Department of Psychiatric Research Day, and the Duquesne University Virtual Undergraduate Research & Scholarship Competition, where she won the counselor education award for undergraduate research. Wayne also traveled to Jamaica to aid in construction at the Caribbean Christian Center for the Deaf, worked as a classroom aid at Gwen’s Girls, and volunteered at Early Connections Learning Center. Wayne earned Commissioner’s Honor Roll, Deans List, and Director of Athletics’ Honor Roll every year.
STORIES
PHILLY INQUIRER FEATURE: https://www.inquirer.com/life/upside-2020-graduation-commencement-20200607.html
DUQUESNE DUKES: http://www.duqsm.com/wayne-excelling-court-track/
Q&A WITH LIZ
What is the most courageous thing you’ve ever done?
My sophomore year I traveled abroad on a service trip to Jamaica. Volunteering at the Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf was an amazing experience and I am glad that I had teammates that supported me as we volunteered abroad, learned a new language, and grew stronger in our faith.
What would you consider the top moment of your college career?
My entire college career is something that I will cherish forever but one of my favorite moments was playing Green Bay at PPG Paints Arena this past preseason. I got my career high of 18 kills in a game, my family was able to come watch me play for the first time in a collegiate match, and as a team we enjoyed playing on such a big stage.
What hard goals have you set and/or accomplished?
My goal is to become a clinical psychologist. This August I will begin the process of obtaining my doctorate in clinical psychology, I am proud of myself for getting into a program and accomplishing the first steps to obtaining my PsyD.
Pick one song that would describe you and one that would describe your team.
One song that describes my team would be Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen. One song that describes me would be Undefeated by Rayana Jay.
What is one thing you would go back and do differently if you could?
I would go back to my freshman year at Duquesne and tell myself to work hard, keep your head up high, and most importantly take it easy on yourself.
What was your favorite class/professor and why?
I really enjoyed my course on Ableism that I took in the fall with Dr. Rachel Kallem Whitman. I was able to learn about discrimination in a way that incorporated intersectionality and completely shifted my perception of disability and those that are considered to be disabled by society.
What are the top three things on your bucket list?
Start a nonprofit geared towards educating and empowering kids, go backpacking across Europe with my best friends, and climb a 14er.