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Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Woolridge Honored As National Role Model, Wooden Citizen Cup Finalist
May 19, 2015 | Women's Volleyball
Tiana Woolridge, an All-Ivy League volleyball player on the court and an All-Everything person off it, was recently honored as one of five national finalists for the 2015 Wooden Citizen Cup, which honors the most outstanding role models in both collegiate and professional sports.
Woolridge was joined by volleyball head coach Sabrina King and Mollie Marcoux, The Ford Family Director of Athletics, at the national banquet recently. The awards were presented to Hall of Fame gymnast Shannon Miller and Madeline Buckley, a soccer star from William Smith College at ceremonies at the Atlanta History Center.
Woolridge, however, was thrilled to be part of the prestigious night.
"The weekend was incredibly inspiring," Woolridge said. "Hearing about the other finalists' initiatives at their respective schools (and what motivates them) was so beautiful. I'm looking forward to staying in touch with all of them over the next few years (especially because one of them, Chris Tamasi will be living very close to me in San Francisco next year!).
"I was also so happy to have the support of Sabrina, Mollie, my family, and all the friends back at Princeton who reached out to congratulate me," Woolridge added. "There's no way I would have been a finalist for this award without their encouragement and the help of the Princeton volleyball community to get involved in activities outside of athletics, so I am eternally grateful."
Woolridge was an All-Ivy League middle blocker as a junior during the 2013 season, but she suffered a season-ending injury during the first day of the 2014 preseason. Regardless, King was impressed by her impact on the team while she couldn't play, and she was excited to see her honored in Atlanta.
"Princeton Volleyball was honored to be a part of the Wooden Citizenship Cup Award ceremony," King said. "The five finalists are all remarkable individuals who exhibit an understanding of service beyond their age. The weekend was a wonderful celebration of the accomplishments of these student-athletes, but seemed to be just a jumping off point for the works they will continue to perform and enable.
"While Tiana is exemplary in her efforts, she is also surrounded by like-minded Princeton student-athletes who volunteer their time and influence to make their local, national and international communities better and stronger," added King, a three-time All-Ivy League player and a member of the Princeton Class of 2001. "This is in line with Princeton's motto 'In the nation's service and in the service of all nations.' We encourage and expect this from our athletes."
Committed to community service, Woolridge is on the Executive Board for the Student Volunteer Council, serving as Mentoring Projects Coordinator. Driven by a passion for service but hoping to find more opportunities where she could volunteer, Tiana founded and still chairs the Student-Athlete Service Council (SASC). The purpose of SASC is to assist interested student-athletes in getting more involved with the local Princeton community through projects that are specifically scheduled around practice and game times to make them more accessible for student-athletes.
As a student in Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Woolridge focuses her studies and extracurricular work on public policy, especially that related to health issues. She was the Director of Fundraising for the Princeton chapter of the Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children (FIRMC), and helped raise over $4000 for and coordinated a relief trip to a FIMRC clinic in Alajuelita, Costa Rica. On campus Woolridge is the Vice President of the Minority Association of Premedical Students and a member of the Student Health Advisory Board (SHAB). SHAB is a student-run organization committed to ensuring student satisfaction and quality of health care at Princeton University. Members advocate for the health and wellness of all students on campus. She was a primary organizer for a campus blood drive and encouraged so many student-athletes to come out to give blood (via an email campaign and even dressing up as Buddy the Blood Drop) that nurses had to turn many student-athletes away after reaching their donor goal. Woolridge has also played an important role in SHAB's efforts to demystify mental health issues and provide additional resources and information for students needing assistance. Lastly, she worked in Washington, DC this past summer (2014) as an intern with the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues.
As if all of this were not enough, Woolridge holds leadership roles within the Department of Athletics beyond her team commitments. She is one of the fifteen members of the Varsity Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (VSAAC), whose purpose is to enhance the Princeton student-athlete experience by providing a student voice within the Athletics Department for student-athlete concerns regarding both athletic and academic issues and working with institutional representatives to develop appropriate strategies. The VSAAC representatives, nominated by their coaches and selected by senior administration, serve as leaders in the Department of Athletics, on campus and in the community.
Woolridge was the only junior officer on the VSAAC as the secretary in 2013-14. For 2014-15 she was elected Vice President and she is working tirelessly with the President to identify issues and projects for the group to support and address this academic year including injury and mental health, LGBTQ, and academic-athletic balancing issues. Despite her multiple obligations and rigorous course load, she is present at and contributes to every meeting. She is always willing to provide feedback and her input is invaluable. Woolridge will never say no to a request, and yet she never misses a deadline or forgets a promise, which is truly remarkable.
Additionally, in the Fall of 2013, Woolridge was chosen as one of only two student representatives for the Athletic Director Search Advisory Committee. She represented all student-athletes as well as coaches and staff for this incredibly important search that has yielded a new Director of Athletics at Princeton who has hit the ground running and is already making a positive difference in the already successful Princeton Athletics program.