Rahdea Jarvis, WIAC Student-Athlete Spotlight
Each week during the 2021-22 academic year, the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference will feature two student-athletes (one male and one female) from one of its eight institutions for a "Student-Athlete Spotlight" Q & A segment. The segments, presented by Culver's, will be also posted every Thursday on the WIAC website.
Name: Rahdea Jarvis
Institution: UW-Oshkosh
Hometown and High School: Brookfield, Wis. (Brookfield Central High School)
Year in school: Senior
Sport(s): Women's Gymnastics
Major(s): Business Management
Minor(s): n/a
Why did you choose to attend UW-Oshkosh?
I chose UW-Oshkosh because for a lot of reasons. I really liked the size of the campus because it wasn't too big, but it wasn't too small. I also really felt a sense of belonging here with everyone I met on the team and in the athletics department in general.
What other clubs/organizations on campus are you involved in?
I am a member of the UW-Oshkosh Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
What causes do you care about?
I care a lot about Down syndrome awareness and cancer awareness. My Down syndrome uncle has lived with my family almost my whole life and he is my biggest fan. We have also dealt with a lot of cancer battles in my family, so we try to do as much volunteering for both causes as we can.
What do you like most about competing in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and being a NCAA Division III student-athlete?
My favorite part about being in the WIAC is the friendly competition that we have between all the teams. There is so much talent in our division and especially in our conference that I feel like it really pushes me to be the best athlete that I can be.
What is your favorite…
Menu item from Culver's? Fries with barbecue sauce
Flavor of the Day from Culver's? Crazy for Cookie Dough
Non-Athletic Spot-on Campus? Sage Hall
Movie? Girls Trip
TV Show? Law and Order: SVU
Food? Tacos
Musical Group/Artist? Drake
Professional Sports Athlete? Serena Williams
Hobby? Trying other sports
Quote/motto? "There are obviously days that I don't feel like training. But there's no day that goes by that I feel like losing." – Serena Williams
What is your greatest sports moment?
Winning the team title at the 2020 WIAC Championship. We dealt with a lot throughout the season, and we had some obstacles in that meet, but we came out on top, and it was the greatest feeling in the world.
What is the best thing that you bring to the team?
I would say that the best thing that I bring to my team is my positive energy and my singing skills. I try to be as happy and positive as I can be every day because I know that not everyone will be having a good day and that they can feed off my energy to pick their day up.
Do you have any words of advice for younger/upcoming student-athletes?
Lean on your teammates! Being on a team is an incredible experience because you have about 20 other people who become your family and genuinely care about you, so don't be afraid to open up and lean on others!
What is your favorite thing to do outside the gym with your teammates?
Team bonding. I love being able to hang out with my teammates and just have so much fun without thinking about gymnastics.
If you could trade places for a day with a person, who would it be and why?
Ciara. She is just so talented and seems to be such a positive person.
What is your dream job?
General manager of a professional sports team.
Three things on your "bucket list"?
Go to Greece
Attend Wimbledon
Go to NBA All-Star Weekend
Do you have any pre-game/pre-event superstitions or rituals? If so, what are they?
I am a really superstitious person when it comes to competitions, so my list is kind of long, but to name a few I usually go to Starbucks in the morning, drink a sparkling water with lunch and then I have a list of five songs that I have to listen to right before we start warmups.
What is your biggest "pet-peeve"?
Slow walkers.
2021-22 UW-Oshkosh WIAC Student-Athlete Spotlights
Rahdea Jarvis • Women's Gymnastics
Abby Kaiser • Women's Basketball
Eddie Muench • Men's Basketball