Lindy Wilson ‘21 has hit a grand slam with adventuring around the world and experiencing various cultures. 

The first time the William Woods University senior softball player went out of state was her junior year of high school where she went on a cruise for Christmas with her family to Cosmel, Belize, Costa Rica and Honduras. 

“Go to as many places as you can,” Lindy said. “It is eye opening to see many cultures and other people’s way of life other than here in the United States.”

Last summer, Lindy and former teammate Emma Walker ‘20 went to play softball in Europe and visit Paris, Belgium and Amsterdam. Lindy played with other women from colleges around the United States and it was by far her favorite trip.

“Over in Europe, we played some of their local teams to give fans more awareness and more popularity for the sport,” Lindy said. “We helped Europeans gain knowledge and inspire them to play softball in their country.”

Woods Around the World (WATW) is a university program where students spend a semester learning about an international places around the world in class and then, travel to the area, following the conclusion of the class.

To fund WATW trips, Lindy participates in Project 123 where students volunteer for 123 hours to earn a discount on a WATW destination. For the Costa Rica trip funding, Wilson worked at the food bank, the non-profit Rainbow House, helped coach softball, and knitted hats. 

“The service work through project 123 helps make the trip affordable and helps cut the cost in half,” Wilson said. “I had the time in advance to volunteer and earn the money to go there. It is not last minute, and we get to learn a lot about the culture through the class.”

Lindy went on trips to Costa Rica and to Belize through WATW where she saw rainforests, waterfalls and met people from parts of the county having no electricity, no air and no running water. 

“They were the happiest people you ever met,” Lindy said. “You realize how small your problems are when you go see the world and countries that are less developed than the United States. It put my life into a more positive perspective.”

Her softball at WWU also has plenty of traveling opportunities; Lindy has played games in the Midwest region, Florida, California, and Gulf Shores. One of Lindy’s biggest fans is her mom, Dr. Elizabeth Wilson. Dr. Wilson, a social work professor at WWU, enjoys watching Lindy travel and experiencing different cultures and ways of living. 

“Whether it is WATW or the softball trips,” Dr. Wilson said. “I encourage her to go and to do whatever she needs to do in order travel the world because you are never going to get this time back. I think if you have the opportunity to travel, you should do it.”

Having her mom at all the games supporting her is a valuable experience for Lindy. 

“When I have bad games, she is always cheering me on, or even if I do not play, she is there,” Lindy said. “That is a positive aspect of picking WWU as my mom can attend my games and knows the layout of the university.”

Lindy will graduate in December 2021with a degree in Physical Education and is looking into being a softball graduate assistant while earning a master’s degree. Having a master’s degree under her belt will help Lindy gain experience doing what she loves: softball and educating students.