Busy, Tired, Grateful: The Emma Hynick Story

Next spring, Emma Hynick will cross William Penn’s graduation stage for the second time. Many would say that is the definition of over-achievement. Those who know her would say that’s just Emma being Emma.

Emma’s story of coming to William Penn answers why she has already been on the stage. Her mom Christina (maiden name Thompson) was a 2003 graduate of WPU and two years after she and Emma’s dad Anthony got married, Christina was pregnant with Emma as she earned her diploma.

Emma, now a senior women’s volleyball player and cheerleader from Monticello, Iowa, has deep ties to William Penn, the Oskaloosa community, and the surrounding area. Her great-grandparents raised her dad just south of town in Eddyville, and after their wedding, Anthony and Christina stayed in Oskaloosa until Emma was two years old. Her great-grandpa was even a band director at William Penn from 1960-1973.

“I went to a lot of William Penn Homecomings as a kid, a lot of our family and friends still live here, and my grandparents and cousins live here, so it was kind of a no-brainer that I was coming here,” Hynick said. “The light show in the PAC is what really sold me; it’s just a great environment to play in. I’m just grateful to come back here.”

A multiple-sport athlete at Monticello High School, she competed in volleyball, track, basketball, and bowling, with volleyball being her favorite and her most successful endeavor.

Emma was a varsity reserve player when she first stepped on the William Penn campus in Fall 2022, finally earning a spot on the varsity squad as a senior this year.

“I really enjoyed my time on the reserve team,” Hynick said. “It helped make me who I am, and I had a lot of fun. We even won the reserves conference championship last year. So many reserve players are in their first or second year, so it’s a really light-hearted atmosphere. Even when I was still on the squad as a junior, my teammates were super supportive.”

Despite playing an intensive reserve schedule as a freshman, Emma, a competitor at heart, was looking for more, so she took a path less traveled and joined the cheerleading squad.

“I was having fun, but I wasn’t truly fulfilled with volleyball; I just wasn’t getting what I wanted out of my college experience,” Hynick said.

As a friend of Chris Freire, who was both on the men’s volleyball team and also competed for the cheerleading program, Emma was invited to attend a tumbling practice.

“I did dance for 12 years, but I was never a cheerleader,” Hynick said. “I was like I’m athletic, I can still do a backflip. I am also a person who likes to prove people wrong, so I figured why not??!?!?!?! You’re only in college for four years.”

Sold on becoming a two-sport athlete, Emma unfortunately had a hard time getting everyone on board with her.

“I went to (Women’s Volleyball) Coach Lauren (Eldridge) during the summer between my freshman and sophomore year and I said please can I do this???,” Hynick said. “Coach made some good points on the other side, saying that she didn’t want to see me get hurt for volleyball season. I was and am injury prone, so I agreed and it kind of died right there.”

That longing for more, however, popped up again after her sophomore volleyball season came to an end.

“I still wasn’t feeling fulfilled from doing just volleyball and (Cheer Coach) Abby (Reynolds) kept coming to me and saying hey girl, we could really use you,” Hynick said. “My former and current teammates did their fair share of also pushing me, so I went back to Coach Lauren and assured her that volleyball was my priority, but that I really wanted to give this cheer thing a try. I had to come in loaded with a pros and cons list.”

Emma, who also does sideline for basketball, thoroughly enjoyed her inaugural year in cheer.

“Having done competitive dance for so many years, I felt like I could be a benefit to the team,” Hynick said. “I didn’t realize how much I missed that competitive atmosphere. It was just totally different than anything I had experienced in sports for like 10 years. I love the team aspects of cheer. Physically and mentally, it definitely has made me a lot better volleyball player as well.”

She has also grown as a leader, having been a part of two very different sports.

“They definitely have different cultures, so it’s been eye-opening to see perspectives from so many people,” Hynick said.

Emma indeed helped the squad, earning honorable-mention all-Heart of America Athletic Conference honors last year. Although she had individual success and was an asset for the squad, Emma was unsure if she wanted to do it again as a senior.

“I won’t lie, I don’t love how it makes me feel; I’m definitely feeling a little old…I’m in my older years,” Hynick said. “I’m torn because I know when this year’s volleyball season is over, I will miss being part of a team, but being a two-sport athlete is hard, and I wouldn’t be that upset with just being done either.”

“I’m just thankful I can do it,” Hynick added. “I’m thankful that I can do backflips, but not having a break…it’s just like Bam Bam Bam, then Bam Bam Bam again. It’s a lot, but it’s worth it.”

Emma is not in denial about her busy schedule, but is also not overwhelmed by it, stating that she is ‘just on the move, just doing it for the plot’.

“I wasn’t required to do volleyball study tables early in my time here because I had a good GPA, but I told Coach to make me be there,” Hynick said. “I needed to be forced to stay off my phone for two hours. The structure was good. That helped me develop good time management skills. It’s still been hard with a lot of late nights, doing homework on the bus and in the hotel, but I’ve figured it out.”

In helping the cheer team, Emma is demonstrating the type of person she wants to be in her professional career. Not sure where that career is going to lead, she is confident she wants to help.

“I don’t really know what the hope or dream is, but I want to work with children, in counseling, maybe as a probation officer,” Hynick said.

A double major in Human Services and Sociology, her passion is more in the Human Services realm. Where her job lands her geographically, she is open to that as well.

“I want to travel for a while, but in the end I will come back to the Midwest,” Hynick said. “Iowa is pretty awesome, in my opinion.”

A two-sport collegiate athlete who has earned all-conference honors as well as Heart Scholar-Athlete honors, Emma has indeed earned a break.

“I have traveled so much for volleyball and cheer, but I never really got to enjoy any of those places,” Hynick said. “I’m grateful that I have been so busy with so many sports and be around a lot of great people who care about me and want me to be my best, but I’m just ready to slow down and enjoy life in a different way.”