Official Site of the Cougars · Aug 18, 2025
Bridging the Transition to College Life
Summer Bridge 2 For football student-athlete Connor Sullivan, the transition from Loyola Academy High School in Illinois to Washington State University presented its challenges.
"I can't lie, it's difficult," Sullivan said during an early June afternoon inside the Champions Center. "Anytime you move away from home it's going to be difficult, especially how far away I am."
The move to WSU wasn't as far for women's basketball student-athlete Malia Ruud making the trek to Pullman from within the state, in Pasco, but the challenges remain.
Ruud graduated from Chiawana High School on a Friday. The following Monday she was at WSU to begin her college journey.
"It was pack up and let's go," she said.