Alysha Rudnik

Classroom

Alysha is a senior business administration major with a concentration in operations and supply chain management with a 3.56 cumulative GPA. She is a five-time member of the Dean’s List, as well as a three-time selection to the ACC All-Academic team and ACC Honor Roll (2011-13). She is a member of the National Society of College Scholars and earned the 2013 Bobby Dodd Award for Academic and Athletic Excellence. She received the Bobby Dodd Endowed Scholarship (2012-13), which is bestowed upon the student who exemplifies outstanding academic and athletic achievement. In addition, she garnered the Georgia Tech Top Female Scholar Athlete Award for the 2012-13 school year and was named a 2013-14 Peach of an Athlete as selected by the Atlanta Area Council, Boy Scouts of America

Character

Alysha is not only a leader on the softball field, but also in the community and even at home. Since 1997, Alysha and her six siblings (four by birth and two adopted, one of which has Down syndrome) have had the opportunity to be a sister or brother to more than 50 foster brothers and sisters. This involved her giving up her room when needed, sponsoring foster kids for Christmas, driving kids to doctors’ appointments, and being a mentor to and spending time with the girls that come through her home. In the summer of 2013, Alysha spent a week working in New York with a group from Champions for Christ at Harlem RBI, a softball clinic. At Harlem RBI, Alysha taught more than 200 girls the basic fundamentals of softball, played games with them and encourage them to follow their dreams. Because of Rudnik’s big family, the team looks to her as the mother or big sister. She is always available to talk with the players, especially the younger ones, about anything from school and time management to the aspects on the softball field. She is respected, trusted, positive, kind and compassionate, which she demonstrates every day in practice, in every game and off the field with her family and teammates.

Community

Since 2010, Alysha has been involved with the Girls on the Run program, which includes monthly visits to elementary and middle schools in the fall to run with and support girls within the organization. Volunteers also go out and cheer for the girls on the day of their annual 5K race. Alysha has volunteered all four years for the Michael Isenhour Toy Drive. Each year at the last home football game, she participated in a day long toy drive at Bobby Dodd Stadium in order to give children gifts that wouldn’t otherwise get them for Christmas. In 2010 and 2012, Alysha volunteered for the Special Olympics by helping the athletes as they were announced during the opening ceremonies and assisting the athletes in lining up for the roller skating event. Alysha was involved with Go Green Game Day in 2010-12 to help collect recyclables during a home football game per season at Georgia Tech. Since July 2013, Alysha volunteers every other week for Beloved Atlanta, a non-profit organization whose goal is to help keep girls off the streets of Atlanta by giving them a home to stay in while going through a program to help them get back on their feet in the community. Alysha serves by driving the girls to school and church, as well as making food for the activities they’re involved in.

Competition

Alysha is a four-year starter, who only missed four games in her career due to injury her junior season. She was named to the 2011 and 2013 All-ACC first teams. In her junior year, she recorded the second-highest batting average on the team and in the ACC (.399) with 49 RBI on 59 hits and 44 runs. She led the squad with 15 doubles and a .676 slugging percentage, and her career slugging percentage of .625 is fifth all-time at Georgia Tech. She was named ACC Player of the Week twice (Feb. 12, April 2) and recorded multiple hits in 17 games and more than one RBI in 13 contests with a reached-base streak of 19 games. She was named College Sports Madness’s ACC Softball Player of the Week on April 2 and May 6 and selected to the College Sports Madness 2013 preseason second team and 2014 preseason first team.  Behind the plate her sophomore year, she finished second in the ACC with 19 runners caught stealing and caught a career-high three runners stealing in a single game. She helped Georgia Tech become ACC regular season champions in 2011 and win the ACC Tournament in 2012, as well as send the Jackets to two NCAA Tournaments.