Gracie Daniels
Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
Class of 2024
Why did you choose Central?
I chose Central because I wanted to be somewhere away from home and things I knew and also because when I came on my visit I made friends almost immediately with other recruits, the volleyball team, and random people.
Favorite professor and why?
Professor Cynthia Mahmood is up there for my favorite because in her anthropology classes she tells us about the people she has met and places she’s been and to have all that from a firsthand source is far more enticing than a textbook.
You’re majoring in sociology because?
It is a very diverse field in which one can be a problem identifier and subsequently a problem solver for different groups of people with all kinds of different problems. Also because there are so many possibilites, I wouldn't be locked down to one job for life.
Besides athletics, what else are you involved in on campus?
Other than volleyball, I just work at the Central Market.
Who are your go-to musical artists?
I like everything from EDM to classic rock so it is hard to narrow down, but a few of my go-tos right now are Tame Impala, Rob Zombie, Avenged Sevenfold and Mac DeMarco.
How has attending Central and playing a sport impacted your life?
Attending Central and being away from my family has definitely made me appreciate home more, but doing that and playing a sport has been a huge blessing. No one in my entire family has ever played a college sport, but it is thanks to my older sisters that volleyball has been my entire life, as I started playing at 5 years old and have loved it ever since. It has influenced the places I've been, the things I do, and has brought me some amazing friends.
 Biggest difference between living in Oklahoma and Iowa?
Really the culture difference from big town to small town was the most significant. My high school graduated around 1400, and I didn’t know anywhere near everyone, but coming to Central/Iowa people are far more outgoing in terms of meeting people and small talk which was a huge difference. Complete strangers saying hi to me while walking around definitely used to catch me off guard but it never takes long to make a friend up here.
Best concert you’ve ever been to?
Panic at the Disco with my sisters is the best so far, but I have a lot more I need to go to.
Favorite candy?
Depends on the day but it has to be sweet tart ropes or twix.
What is your weirdest scar and how did you get it?
My scar on my knee I got when I was in second grade trying to ride my bike down a hill that went into gravel at the bottom; I made it down the hill and tried to turn, then slid into a bench and somehow only really messed up my knee and got a matching scar with one of my sisters.
What’s it like to play for Coach Czipri?
Honestly, pretty different from what I have had in the past, she has a very unique coaching style which I can definitely appreciate.
What do you hope to be doing 10 years from now?
I hope I will be traveling all around the world, doing something I love with people I love. I want to be able to spoil my nieces and nephews more than I do now, and live somewhere without winters like Iowa.
Favorite food from Central Market
Pollo loco bar and kids buffet have to be tied for my favorite meals, and even though I never heard of it before coming to Central, fruit pizza is by far my favorite dessert.
Bucket list
Some things on my bucket list include skydiving in Hawaii, bungee jumping, hammacking in a national park in every state, riding in a hot air balloon, swimming in every ocean, and seeing the northern lights. There is definitely a lot more I want to do but these are for sure.
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