O ne of the constant elements in Katherine Crouse’s collegiate career has been change. A defensive back on the Georgia College & State University soccer team, she attended two different schools and had three different coaches in her four seasons. 

Crouse hasn’t let any distractions interfere as she finishes with a 4.0 GPA in business management, earning a spot as one of Georgia College’s valedictorians at winter commencement. That makes her the ninth student-athlete to achieve that status in the past nine years.

Crouse began her college journey in her home state at Central Connecticut State University. After a year she was looking to transfer as she felt the life of a Division I student-athlete didn’t allow enough time to focus on her studies. Crouse went looking for the balance that comes in the NCAA Division II and found the perfect fit at GCSU.

She made the 15-hour trip to Milledgeville to play for then-head coach Tinna Gallagher. Her campus visit made a huge impact and helped make the switch easier. 

“I got in contact with Tinna and toured in July, immediately falling in love with the campus,” Crouse said. “As soon as I left campus that day I had decided—I’m coming here, I’m transferring.”

After the 2021 season, Coach Gallagher’s family moved to Nashville, Tennessee, bringing more change for Crouse, as Bobcat Athletics hired a new head coach in Jack Marchant. 

“When we found out Tinna was leaving it was a big shock,” Crouse said. “I had just changed coaches by coming here, but I felt as though I love this school and I’m not going anywhere. The team all loves Jack, he brings a little something different. He’s made it a lot of fun. These last two years have probably been my favorite in all of college.”

Crouse flourished in the past two seasons, logging 27 starts and playing in all 32 matches. This season, she was a crucial part in the biggest win in program history, taking down then-No. 1 Catawba College on Oct. 25, 2-1. Crouse got the start in that match, playing 59 minutes on a defensive line that held Catawba scoreless the entire second half.  

“This year was awesome, and I think next year they’re going to see a lot of success,” she said. “I love the coaching staff here, so that made it a lot of fun. We had a really big win that will definitely be my biggest memory of college—I’m excited to see what they do going forward.

Crouse is pursuing a career in human resources, a field that sparked her interest early in her college career. 

Crouse has taken her next step by accepting a job with Travelers’ Insurance back home in Hartford, Connecticut, and will start in June after some time for travel. 

“I’m going there to join their human resource development program,” Crouse said. “It’s a three-year rotation and after that I’ll get placed in a different HR area. I knew I wanted to do business when I came to college, but when I transferred here I was kind of unsure of what path. Then I discovered the HR concentration and when I took Ken Hendry’s class last year I knew it was the right fit. All of my HR classes have been my favorite throughout college.”

“I know I made the right decision,” she said. “I had such a great experience here. Coming 15 hours from home was hard at first, but this has been the best place for me. I absolutely loved it here.”