Kristen Oleksik (Class of 2001)
Kristen graduated from Miami University of Ohio in 2005 with a BA in Sociology, and she obtained her MS in Criminal Justice (focus on Forensic Science) from Albany State University, Albany, Georgia in 2007. She is currently employed as a Crime Scene Specialist (CSI) with the City of Scottsdale, Arizona Police Department. Kristen spoke to Mrs. Henderson's biology classes on December 21, 2009, and the students loved her presentation.
Laura Campbell (Class of 2002)
Laura is currently in her third year as a Health and Physical Education teacher and Head Varsity Softball Coach at Marshall High School in Falls Church, Virginia. Her team played in the district championship game last spring and made it to regional playoffs for the first time since the early nineties.
Laura graduated summa cum laude from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania in 2007 with a bachelor's degree in Health and Physical Education and a minor in Coaching. She also was a four-year member of the softball team at SRU where she pitched and played first base.
Congratulations to another successful Gator!
Mitch Erdely (Class of 2006)
Washington & Jefferson College senior safety Mitch Erdely (Perryopolis, Pa./Geibel) was selected to the 2009 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America College Division Football Team on Tuesday by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Erdely is the 25th student-athlete in Washington & Jefferson College history to earn the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA academic award. Erdely is the sixth football player in school history to be selected an Academic All-American, including only the third named to the first team.
The 6-foot-0, 180-pound safety will graduate this May after leading W&J to four consecutive NCAA Division III playoff appearances. He holds a 3.90 grade-point average and majors in accounting.
Erdely was recently selected to the First Team All-Presidents’ Athletic Conference squad. He finished as Washington & Jefferson’s third-leading tackler with 62 stops, including five for a loss. Erdely added eight pass breakups and two interceptions. He forced and recovered one fumble.
A 2009 team captain, Erdely excelled on special teams throughout his 41 career games in a W&J uniform. He amassed 164 tackles (82 solo, 82 assists), including six for a loss, 13 pass breakups, three interceptions and two fumble recoveries. He also forced a pair of fumbles.
Earlier this year, Erdely, a Dean’s List student, was a semifinalist for the 2009 National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame William V. Campbell Trophy. The 2008 Honorable-Mention All-Presidents’ Athletic Conference performer is a three-year member of PAC Fall Academic Honor Roll.
Washington & Jefferson finished the 2009 season with a 9-2 record. The Presidents compiled a 40-7 record with Erdely as a member of the squad.
Erdely is the eighth W&J student-athlete this decade to be named an All-American, including the sixth during the past two years.
Amy Hayden (Class of 2000) Earns PhD
Amy Hayden, Geibel class of 2000, currently of Los Angeles, California, recently earned her PhD in chemistry from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). She also received the Saul and Sylvia Winstein Award for the top doctoral dissertation in the chemistry department. Dr. Kendall Houk acted as her adviser. Her research articles have been published in various chemistry journals.
Dr. Hayden now plans to attend the University of California at Berkeley to pursue a law degree, specializing in patent law. She recently passed the patent bar exam, which qualifies her as a licensed patent agent.
She completed her undergraduate studies at Ohio Northern University, where she earned a bachelor of science degree in chemistry and a bachelor of arts degree in French. There she received top scholar awards in both chemistry and French.
In 2000, Amy was the valedictorian at Geibel. She is the daughter of Bruce and Beverly Hayden of Smithfield, and the granddaughter of Mrs. Alba and the late Randall Yeagle of Masontown, and Paul Hayden and the late Elaine Hayden of Smithfield.