As early as Kayla Wypasek can remember, she has wanted to pursue a career in the medical field.
Shortly after high school, she specifically felt called to become a genetic counselor, hoping to help families and individuals affected by genetic disorders navigate unfamiliar situations. This passion, along with her other childhood dream of playing Division 1 soccer, led Wypasek to Northern Kentucky University, where the Strongsville, Ohio native majored in biological sciences and played midfielder for the Norse.
“I knew I made the right decision when I found that I was being supported and pushed not only athletically but academically, too,” she says.
Balancing a rigorous course load with her responsibilities as an athlete was a challenging experience, but one that Wypasek found rewarding—even when an ACL tear left her unable to take the field in her senior season.
“The injury took a toll on me not only physically, but mentally, too,” she says. “I had to find a way to balance my schedule around a very challenging time in my life so that I could keep prioritizing academics. Thankfully, I have an amazing support system of coaches, trainers, teammates, family, professors and a great calendar that helped me through.”
In the classroom, Wypasek was motivated by the opportunity to one day make a difference in others’ lives as a genetic counselor. She credits Dr. David Thompson, assistant chair of biological sciences, with challenging her to be a better student and to engage more deeply with her study material.
This summer, she will play her final season of college soccer while preparing to apply to genetic counseling graduate schools in the winter.
Wypasek recommends that incoming NKU students get involved, serve others and step out of their comfort zone before leaving with their degree. Her own involvement in Norse Violence Prevention gave her the opportunity to put her interest in advocacy into practice.
“I loved contributing to the prevention efforts on campus to help create a community at NKU, where students and staff felt safe and also to raise awareness about our services for survivors,” she says. “Serving at Women Helping Women has also taught me so much, not only how to communicate with various types of people, but how to advocate for their specific needs.”
Ultimately, Wypasek believes that her time at NKU helped her learn what it means to be a leader.
“I’ve had the opportunity to not only grow as a leader on the field, but to redefine what it is to be a leader off the field,” she says. “In doing that, I was able to give back to my peers, teammates and community, which I am so thankful for.”
