Quality Time with mcKensey Wise

ASB President mcKensey Wise, a senior managerial and organization communication major, took the time via email to answer some of The Point’s questions. This Thousand Oaks native plays on the volleyball team when she’s not concussed, but is not yet cleared to play. In the meantime, Wise invites the student body to join her in prayer at 3:20 p.m. everyday to ask God to do more, as it says in Ephesians 3:20, than we can ask or imagine. She’s the first ASB president to be an athlete and she’s devoted to the ASB mission this year to encourage involvement, promote unity and enhance the student experience.

How would you describe yourself to students?

I love the Lord a lot, I care deeply about students and I get excited easily.

Typical day in the life of mcKensey Wise?

My day usually starts around 6:30 a.m. After I wake up, I get ready, make breakfast and spend time in the Bible and in prayer. That day, I’ll go to whichever classes I have, chapel and usually quite a few meetings with various administrators, students and fellow ASB directors. I always try to find a few friends to eat lunch with. I generally end up spending any extra time in the day in my office prepping for upcoming meetings or catching up with friends. At 3:20, my alarm goes off and I ask the Lord to do immeasurably more at PLNU than I could ask or imagine. Shortly after, I head to the gym for practice. When I’m not concussed, I actually practice; however, in these past few weeks, I have watched practice and spent a considerable amount of time in the Athletic Training Clinic. After practice, I’ll grab dinner on the way to another meeting or two, squeeze in some time for homework, and get ready for bed.

How’s the concussion?

My symptoms are still pretty up and down. There are days when I feel great and days when I feel not great.

Adal’s or Ortiz’s or other?

Ortiz’s, but hold the sour cream.

Favorite Restaurant?

My favorite kind of restaurant is a new one. I love trying new places! Of the places I’ve been, though, one of my San Diego favorites is a little place in Hillcrest called the Great Maple.

When did you first get interested in volleyball? Why did you decide to play in college?

I started playing competitively in high school because there was no P.E. option. We were required to either play a sport or to get P.E. credit from zero period weight lifting. I actually was a pretty terrible volleyball player and barely made the freshmen team. I took a liking to the sport and started playing club volleyball. I ended up playing JV the next year and Varsity the next. I didn’t decide to play in college until after I had already decided to go to PLNU. It was at a club tournament the April before coming to PLNU that I introduced myself to Coach Sarah. She came and watched one of my games, invited me to practice with the team over spring break and offered me a spot on the team during that visit.

What are your plans for the year?

The verse that has been on my heart for the past few weeks says, “In their hearts, humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” It comes from Proverbs 16:9. I have lists upon lists of things that I would like to do. With the coupling of the unexpected concussion and the Ephesians 3:20 plead for the Lord to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine, I really have no idea what the Lord is going to do this year. I plan on working on a number of events and objectives, but I know that those plans can change and that’s okay.

Why should students care about ASB?

ASB stands for Associated Student Body. We are all a part of ASB. The reason that student government exists is to do things for the students. I don’t feel like I’m going out on a limb here to say that students care about their experience here.

How are you going to show students what it is that ASB does for them?

The biggest way that I know how to demonstrate our purpose to the student body is to be available to the students. “Pop In” with the president is one way we in ASB have tried to show that we are available and to set a time and place apart for meaningful conversations. Even though this is geared towards my office, all of the ASB officers have posted office hours. We are here and ready to answer questions, invite feedback and to help students in any ways that we can! Our office hours are posted to your immediate right when you walk into the Caf lobby.

What’s the best adventure you’ve been on while at Loma?

Last spring break, 10 of us took a road trip through Arizona, Colorado, and Utah. We had a blast!

Why did you choose PLNU?

Before I visited PLNU, I was looking for a school that was the exact opposite – large, public and on the east coast. My mom and I came down to San Diego to get an idea of what different schools were like and she suggested that we at least stop by PLNU. I couldn’t stop smiling once we got on campus. Every time my parents and I prayed about it or looked at the website, it’s like we just knew this was right. My grandpa would call it a “holy hunch.”