Transfer students are few and far between when it comes to the yearly count of student-athletes at Trinity. In fact, transfer orientations at the spring period usually only contain about six people. During the fall, the number rises a bit, and with incoming transfer students comes transfer athletes. This week, we shine a light on the interesting story of new transfer student athlete, junior cross-country runner, junior Anne Agee.

Hailing from Virginia Tech, and originally from Roanoke, Virginia, I wondered what pushed Agee to make such a drastic change in location, but for Agee it was a decision that was quite easy, she said.

Agee said many different factors contributed to her move, including weather, academic reputation and class size.

“My cousin actually went to Trinity, so that’s how I heard about the school,” Agee said. “There were lots of reasons it’s a great fit for me. At my old school, classes were typically between 100 and 250 students, so to get help or to review the coursework was kind of a challenge. My number one criteria for a transfer school was that the student-faculty ratio was low.”

Agee told me she was encouraged to transfer to Trinity due to a reputation for strong professor-student relationships.

“Trinity is known for having really good relationships between professors and students, so I am really excited to experience that,” Agee said. “Secondly, I hate cold weather, and Texas seemed like a pretty ideal place to avoid the ridiculous amount of snow we would get in Virginia.”

Trinity also offered Agee the chance to balance school and her sport.

“Another thing I was looking for was a school that would allow me run cross country, because I have always been much happier overall when I get regular exercise,” Agee said.

One of the more interesting things about Agee’s story is that she did not participate in varsity athletics at Virginia Tech. In fact, she hasn’t competed on a team since high school.

It is often rare a student-athlete transfers to a new school and participates in a sport without previously having participated in that sport at their old school. However, Agee said she saw her opportunity to do what she loves and seized it. With a new change comes a new set of obstacles, and Agee said she is fully aware of the adjustments she will have to make to adapt to the Trinity lifestyle.  

“At Virginia Tech, I felt like they kind of stressed figuring out your entire future as soon as possible. I am excited to take classes in lots of different areas and focus on what I’m learning now and try to worry less about what’s going to happen 20 years down the road. I think orienting my mind to think that way may take some time.  I’m sure balancing academics and athletics will be a bit of a struggle as well, but I think it will be really beneficial for my time management skills,” Agee said.

Balancing athletics and academics may be a struggle at first, but Agee said she feels that running cross country will fit perfectly in her balance. She said the regular exercise will help with the stresses that the school year can bring. Regardless, Agee said she is prepared and excited for her classes to get underway. As a science major, Agee said she knows she will be challenged in her STEM courses, but she is also looking forward to the wide variety of classes Trinity offers.

“I’m really looking forward to taking classes outside of STEM courses, even though my major is science based. There is huge value in a well-rounded education and I think I will really benefit from using different part of my brain in my studies,” Agee said.