CCIW Student-Athlete Spotlight (November 2020)
Each month, the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) will highlight the accomplishments of a conference student-athlete. This month, we look into the career of Illinois Wesleyan softball student-athlete Colleen Palczynski.

Story by Mike Krizman, CCIW Assistant Executive Director

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. -- College is an opportunity for personal growth and discovery and that was certainly the case for Illinois Wesleyan softball student-athlete Colleen Palczynski.
 
During her time on the Bloomington, Illinois campus, Palczynski discovered a desire to positively impact those around her. This coincided with the Titan athletics department creating an opportunity for her to put that desire into action.
 
Illinois Wesleyan athletics recently formed its own Titan Athletics Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Action Committee with a stated goal to “create a community of student-athletes, coaches, and staff that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive.” When she was approached about joining the committee, Palczynski, a Sociology and Hispanics Studies major, didn’t hesitate.
 
“When I changed my major, I was thinking a lot about what I wanted to do with my life and I realized that I wanted to impact those around me the best way that I could,” she said. “I took a class on race and racism and my professor did a great job of approaching these topics. And then, this committee gave me the opportunity to do something within my community. I wanted to influence change and this was a chance to do that.”
 
The committee has worked to get feedback from a variety of voices within the athletics department while also working with the institution’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion to host staff trainings. Additionally, Palczynski has taken part in a book club spearheaded by softball assistant coach Nikki Miller, who is also a member of the DEI Action Committee.
 
Palczynski knows the challenges involved with having discussions about race and race relations, but she feels that this committee is a good start in getting the conversation started.
 
“I realize that I do hold a privilege, but I want to use it to learn, grow, talk, and uplift the voices of people who don’t look like me, especially on a predominantly white campus,” she said. “The easy thing to do would be to not talk about (race) and go back to what we were doing before. So personally, I want to do everything in my power to keep the conversation going.”
 
Head softball coach Tiffany Prager is certainly proud of the positive impact Palczynski has made during her time on campus.
 
“Colleen’s involvement in our DEI Action Committee makes me so proud; well beyond anything that she could ever do on the field,” Prager said. “As a Sociology major, she is very invested, knowledgeable and passionate when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion. Colleen is a proponent of human rights for all and has contributed a great deal to our program, university and community.
 
“It's been transformative to have Colleen and Coach Miller on our athletic department-led DEI Action Committee.”
 
Success from the Jump
 
Palczynski began looking at college very early in the process, attending softball camps as far back as her sophomore year of high school. She said she wasn’t aware of Illinois Wesleyan’s past success at first, but immediately fell in love with the program’s other intangibles.
 
“I knew I wanted to be on a small campus and have a more personal connection,” Palczynski said. “My cousin had an amazing experience at Illinois Wesleyan, so I was familiar with the school. I attended a winter softball camp and fell in love right away. The coaches and current players were so personable. Coach Tiffany Prager is an amazing coach who not only focuses on competiveness, but in helping us grow as people.”
 
Palczynski debuted for the Titans as a freshman in the spring of 2019. Illinois Wesleyan was coming off a national runner-up finish in 2018 and she knew there were big shoes to fill and that other teams would be geared up to play them.
 
“There were four of us from my class and we knew we had some big shoes to fill after the program graduated six seniors,” she said. “We came into the season holding ourselves to a certain level of expectations and I was fortunate to have competed and be a part of that continued success.”
 
The Titans’ encore performance in 2019 saw them win their fifth CCIW regular season title in six years and third-straight CCIW Tournament title, followed by their fourth-straight appearance in the NCAA Division III Softball Championship’s national round.
 
For Palczynski, she appeared in 48 games with 46 starts, batted .324 with eight doubles, five home runs, 25 RBIs, 22 runs and 67 total bases. She was named a First Team All-CCIW recipient and garnered First Team NFCA All-Great Lakes Region honors.
 
“Colleen didn’t just show up on game day and excel, but relentlessly pursued excellence every single day,” Prager said. She remained focused on the process while putting in the additional time that it takes to earn an all-conference honor in the CCIW.
 
“As a coach, it’s always rewarding to see our young women gain unshakable confidence on the field,” Prager continued. “The best part of that process is how that confidence has a tendency to permeate into all areas of life.”
 
Going Forward
 
Still only a junior, Palczynski hasn’t thought as much about life after college, but knows she would like to eventually travel oversees following the cancellation of her planned semester in Argentina this past fall. Graduate school is also an option she’s considering.
 
For now though, the focus is on the classroom, her work with the DEI Action Committee, and the upcoming season after the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the 2020 campaign after just 10 games.
 
“This season is going to be like no other,” she said. “I hope to see us be resilient in the face of adversity because I believe we have another opportunity to do something special. Beyond all that, this team is so tight knit already, so I know we’ll make the best of any situation.”
 
Visit this link for more information on the Titan Athletics Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Action Committee.

CCIW Student-Athlete Spotlight
Colleen Palczynski - Illinois Wesleyan (November 2020)
Matt Szuba - North Park (October 2020)
Sam Reichert - Wheaton (September 2020)
Favor Ezewuzie - Wheaton (August 2020)
Ellie Manderfeld - North Park (July 2020)
Izaiah Webb - North Central (June 2020)
Tori Stuart - Millikin (May 2020)
Skylar LeVine - Illinois Wesleyan (April 2020)
Emily Clausen - Elmhurst (March 2020)
Colton Klein - Carthage (February 2020)
Michaela Johnson - Carroll (January 2020)
Luke Sawicki - Augustana (December 2019)
The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) was founded in 1946 and currently services nine member institutions including Augustana College (Rock Island, IL), Carroll University (Waukesha, WI), Carthage College (Kenosha, WI), Elmhurst University (Elmhurst, IL), Illinois Wesleyan University (Bloomington, IL), Millikin University (Decatur, IL), North Central College (Naperville, IL), North Park University (Chicago, IL) and Wheaton College (Wheaton, IL).