Like many of her classmates, Kusleika has dealt with constant change since graduating from high school in 2021, while the pandemic still raged. Since then, Whittier College has been her rock, giving her a strong foundation on which to build her future. She eagerly anticipates sharing her story as this year’s student Commencement speaker.
“I am incredibly honored and excited, because it has been sitting on my heart for quite some time,” said the Upland resident.
Kusleika didn’t have the opportunity to tour many colleges in person, yet she was attracted to Whittier's charm — and its volleyball team. Volleyball Coach Chris Duarte-McDermott actually coached Kusleika and her younger sister and teammate, Brenna, in middle and high school club teams before they enrolled at Whittier.
Team captain her third and fourth year, she racked up wins as well as receiving the Poet Spirit Award and SCIAC’s Character Award. Serving as captain was a learning experience for the right side hitter. She embraced reactive leadership, adjusting to her team’s needs around her, rather than forcing her perspective.
“An effective team has a leader who acknowledges the strengths of everyone and uses them to push the train forward instead of just trying to conduct it by herself,” Kusleika said.
Off the court, Kusleika studies child development, in addition to minors in Spanish and kinesiology. The daughter of two teachers, she changed her major multiple times when it came to selecting a major, considering psychology, sociology, and more before realizing the depths of her passion for child development.
“Nothing quite fit the way child development did,” Kusleika said. “It wasn't necessarily something that I chose. It chose me because nothing else felt as natural as being around kids.”
Kusleika is also co-president of the Poet Student-Athlete Leadership Academy and a member of the Senate Leadership Council, for which she won the Senator of the Year Award. Her dedication to Whittier is why she fulfilled a dream in auditioning for the role of student speaker, even though she was across the ocean studying in Seville, Spain. When she heard the results, she had to double-check the time zones to confirm her mother would be awake to hear the good news.
As for what she’ll say, the Class of 2025 can expect Kusleika to impart her thoughts on adaptation, among other topics.
“If the past four years have shown us anything, it's that you really don't know what's coming next,” Kusleika said. “The people who succeed and enjoy themselves the most in life are people who take those challenges and accept them with gratitude. They talk with the people around them, enjoy the people around them, and then tackle the challenges together.”
For more details about the Commencement, visit Whittier.edu/commencement.
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