Being a college student is time consuming all on its own.
However, being a college student, being a captain of a college sport and having a full-time internship, while still trying to maintain a social life, is a completely different game.
For Keene State College’s girls’ basketball captain, senior Christan Wojtas, this is her everyday life.
Tim Smith / Equinox Staff
“Time management is everything,” Wojtas said. Wojtas works a 20-hour work week at her internship while still making it to two classes and basketball practice and games every day.
“I still have time for my social life on the weekends, but it does get hectic,” Wojtas said.
Head Coach Keith Boucher complimented Wojtas’ abilities and skills. “Amazingly, she has managed it all so well. She has so much responsibility.” The Owls play a 25-game season, which players agree can be mentally, physically and emotionally draining for the team.
“It is especially difficult for freshmen coming in to such a long season, but both Wojtas and [Courtney] Roberts [the team’s other captain] help keep everyone’s heads up. The girls have to conduct themselves the same way at the end of the season as they would at the beginning,” Boucher said. The team looks up to Wojtas for guidance as a teammate, friend, captain and mentor. “It’s a privilege to have someone look up to you. I love being able to share any information I can with my teammates,” Wojtas said.
“She’s everything you want in a mentor,” first-year guard Sandi Purcell said. Wojtas is a safety major at KSC. “I chose my major because I’ve always been in the safe state of mind. My dad is a risk manager, and on ‘take your daughter to work day’ I knew it’s what I wanted to do,” Wojtas said.
She continued, “That’s just kind of how I am. I like to think of the repercussions of anything that I do.”
“If you asked me freshman year if I thought I would be able to do any of this, I wouldn’t have even been thinking about it,” Wojtas said.
Wojtas is currently working on her second semester as an intern at Markem-Imaje in Keene, New Hampshire.
“It’s always a privilege to be able to do what you love, but it is a lot of hard work,” Wojtas said. Although Wojtas is very busy, she said she understands the benefits of having her internship and being a pivotal person on her basketball team.
“[My internship] gives me a heads-up on others also graduating from KSC and gives me a hands-on and technical experience to coincide with my classes,” Wojtas said.
“Seeing Christan do this makes me feel like I will be able to do the same thing when I am a senior,” Purcell said. But right now I am just thinking about our next few games and how we’re going to win.”
Wojtas sets an example for her teammates day-in and day-out.
“Both Roberts and Wojtas have been there and done that and are always enthusiastic and pushing the other girls,” Boucher said. “I have a great support system. My parents and even my former coaches come to my games. My co-workers also sometimes come. It’s great, sometimes I’ll have twenty people there,” Wojtas said. “She boosts my confidence even when I feel I have enough, she just raises it even more,” Purcell said. Wojtas scored her career-high of 27 points Feb. 7. “I’m very fortunate,” Wojtas said.
Mary Curtin can be contacted at mcurtin@keene-equinox.com.