Central College Athletics

Emily Patten
Mount Vernon, Iowa
Class of 2028

Why did you choose Central?

I chose Central because it felt like home. Both my parents graduated from central and as it goes, I swore off going to Central when I was young. But when it came to picking a college, when I toured Central, it just felt like home compared to all the other colleges I toured. The community puts a lot of effort into getting involved with the students and the college so even when I’m far away from my friends and family it still feels like I have tons of support here in Pella. I also came for the Kinesiology program. I’m currently on track to go to grad school to hopefully become an athletic trainer, and the Kinesiology program has tons of tools to set me on the right path. In my first year here, I made a very strong connection with Katelin Valster and several of the other professors within my major that truly want me to succeed.

Favorite professor and why?

I have a lot of strong connections with several of my professors that I was able to interact with in my first year. Of all of them I have met, my favorite right now is Ashley Garr. I had Garr for General Chemistry 1 and spent lots of time in her office. She always has the time and patience to answer every question you have over the content of the class. I love walking into her office and seeing the many Dr. Pepper cans or bottles that are currently stacked in her office.  You can tell that she works super hard to connect with her students and tries to help everyone understand. I think I could go to her about anything.

You’re majoring in kinesiology because?

I’m currently majoring in Kinesiology on a Pre-Athletic Training path to hopefully become an Athletic Trainer. In High School, I was given the opportunity to have an internship with a family friend of mine, Loren Nydegger. At the time he was the head athletic trainer at Cornell College, and I spent 2 weeks with him learning. During this internship I fell in love with athletic training, meeting the athletes, testing different recovery methods, practicing taping, and the tons of fun equipment in the facility were a couple of the things that made me love the job. Now whenever I get to see Loren, he always has a fun story or a gnarly picture to show me that he has seen over his many years of athletic training.

Besides athletics, what else are you involved in on campus?

I’m currently only involved with Cheer on campus. But off campus I work at Thistles Flower Market.

Who are your go-to musical artists?

My go to musical artists right now is Laufey, Dayglow, and Charli XCX.

How has attending Central and playing sports impacted your life?

Being on the cheer team has had such a positive impact on me on campus. We practice early at 5:30am ish which has allowed me to pick up a part time job and take the afternoon to focus on my studies!

Favorite Disney movie or show?

My favorite Disney Movie is Ratatouille; it always puts me in a better mood when I watch it.

Do different colored skittles actually taste different?

I think some of them taste different. I think the green one and the purple one taste different but the yellow and red one taste the same.

Best and worst Halloween costumes of your life?

My Best Halloween Costume was a Price is Right Contestant and My Worst Costume was a zombie Visco Girl. 

If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

If I had a superpower, I would want to be invisible. It would be so much fun to walk around without anyone noticing you and almost peaceful.

Favorite TV Show

My current favorite TV show is Love Island USA. I’m new to the show as I’ve only watched seasons 6 and 7, but I’m here for it.

What’s it like to compete for Coach Bouska

Coach Bouska is a great coach, you can tell she has expectations for us and never lets them decrease in value. She knows our skill sets and tries her best to use them the best she can. She’s also a great mentor to all of us. The whole team feels like they can go to her about anything on campus. She’s a very caring person and takes care of us. We have a meeting with her every semester, and I’ve turned a 30-minute meeting into a 2-hour meeting because she’s a fun person to talk to.

What’s your favorite part about being a member of Central cheerleading?

My favorite part of being a part of the team is the people on the team. The team is like a family. We have each other back in any situation, and I could go to anyone on the team for anything. They’ve all been so nice to me as well while I’ve been transiting into captain this upcoming season.

What do you hope to be doing 10 years from now?

In 10 years I hope to be in a doctoral program to get my PHD or I hope to have a fun job that I enjoy.

Favorite food from Central Market

Kids buffet by far is the best food at Central Market!

Bucket list

1) Travel More (in the US and overseas)
2) See a show on Broadway
3) Run a Marathon