Thu, 14 Aug 2003 04:00:00 -0400
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A Scholar and an Athlete

Karl Strauss epitomizes the phrase “student-athlete.” As a swimmer, he was part of four straight ECAC Championship teams and 2003 men’s co-captain, but he worked equally hard academically, and was the men’s winner of the Matt Skalsky Outstanding Scholar Athlete award.

A member of Golden Key, Phi Kappa Phi and Phi Beta Kappa, Strauss compiled a 3.85 GPA and served as the treasurer of the Student Athlete Advisory Council. He was one of two students awarded the Outstanding Scholarly Leader Award by the Political Science department.

Strauss placed first in the 200 meter breaststroke in four NEC dual meets this season and was part of the NEC champion men’s 400 medley relay team. “It’s a lot of work, but the UMBC swim team made things exciting and fun during my time here,” Strauss says. “It’s like a big family.” Strauss also worked as a swim lesson instructor, student tutor and as a writer for The Retriever Weekly.

Now on his way to Law School at the University of Toledo, Strauss credits faculty mentors like Political Science professor George LaNoue as being a vital part of his UMBC experience.

“The open door policy and personal attention from professors here makes a difference,” says Strauss. “I thought I would be a pre-med major originally, but I took some political science classes, got comfortable with the subject matter very quickly, and really opened up and found my motivation.”