Valpo Student-Athletes Exceed National Graduate Success Rates
Between long nights on the road and balancing school with a social life, the struggles many collegiate student-athletes face have become a nationwide conversation. In response, Valpo has taken strides to ensure that every one of our student-athletes crosses the finish line in a cap and gown.
As of this year, Beacon athletes earned a 93% graduate success rate (GSR) – the percentage of students who graduate within six years of their initial enrollment. Valpo’s GSR is higher than the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) national average of 91%, as well as the Missouri Valley Conference’s institutional average of 92%. This includes eight of our athletic teams which have earned a GSR of 100% in the current cohort, based on the four entering classes from 2013 to 2016:
- Bowling
- Men’s golf
- Men’s swimming
- Softball
- Tennis
- Volleyball
- Women’s golf
- Women’s swimming
All other Valpo athletic programs have earned a GSR of at least 85%. Coming from our student-athletes, this success is the result of a combination of support from a close-knit community and the constant availability of resources.
“People always ask me how the season is going and how every game went. In class, our professors are always understanding of what we have to do, even if it’s missing class. It’s encouraging to have that kind of support on campus and to know that people are rooting for you,” says Valpo soccer player Nikki Coryell ’24. Not only has Nikki made her mark as an award-winning goalkeeper, but she’s also been heavily involved in Christ College – The Honors College, the Torch, student-led newspaper, and her sorority, Chi Omega, on top of pursuing two majors and a minor. “The athletic department here is great, and the [student-]athletes on campus make a point to go to our games and support us,” she says.
Beacon football linebacker Evan Annis ’23 has had a similar experience. Football led him to Valpo, but he succeeded in the classroom as a promising biomedical engineering student and as a member of Pi Kappa Alpha, the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and engineering honor society Tau Beta Pi. His advice to other student-athletes is to take advantage of Valpo’s wealth of resources.
“Valpo is a very rigorous school, but there are a lot of resources for their [student-]athletes like tutors, extra study hours, and the Athletics-Recreation Center (ARC) academic center,” Evan shares. Post-graduation, he’ll be moving into a professional role as a technical sales engineer at the Texas Instruments automotive group in Detroit. “I felt that Valpo was the place that would allow me to grow and become the best version of myself…and here we are,” he says.
Nikki and Evan are just two from a long line of student-athletes who continue to shine brightly amidst the responsibility of travel, tight schedules, and commitment to their teams. We are so proud to foster and represent our student-athletes, and are committed to offering a place where every student is valued and supported in their endeavors, whether on or off the field, both on and off campus.
To learn more about the resources available to Valpo student-athletes, visit our Valpo Athletics support page.