Carisse Moody is a standout power forward for Hall of Fame Coach Kay Yow’s Wolfpack women’s basketball team who quickly learned how to perform under pressure. A few years ago, the Pre-Med major from Rocky Mount faced a dilemma. In the middle of a highly competitive Atlantic Coast Conference women’s basketball schedule, she needed to complete a zoology course to stay on track for graduation. Dedicated equally to academic and athletic excellence, Carisse turned to Distance Education at NC State as the solution for what once was a common challenge for all student athletes. Carisse has also educated a number of Wolfpack teammates on the flexibility of the courses available through Distance Education. She has even found the time to add a minor in business management to her academic portfolio.

Coach Yow recognized early in the recruiting process that Carisse was a special student-athlete. According to Coach Yow, “I knew Carisse fit the mold for the type of person we look to recruit to our program. She was deeply committed to excellence on the court and in the classroom, and through her involvement in our youth outreach and summer camp activities, she served as an excellent ambassador for women’s basketball at NC State University.”

Carisse will graduate this May. As graduation approaches, she continues to train for try-outs, anticipating a possible career as a professional basketball player in either the Women’s National Basketball Association or with a professional team overseas. But soon she will face another challenge: medical school in the fall. Carisse has her sights set on applying for medical school this fall, too. Creating lofty goals, then working to achieve them, is this student-athlete’s signature style.