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Senior Karla Wilburn and the Virginia softball team conclude the home portion of their schedule this weekend against Georgia Tech. The Cavaliers and Yellow Jackets will play a doubleheader at 1 p.m. Saturday and UVa’s three seniors will be honored prior to the game. The two teams will conclude the series at 1 p.m. Sunday.
Question: Can you believe it’s the final home game of the season already?
Wilburn: It’s sad. The season has blown by so fast. I have been playing softball here for five years and it’s finally coming to an end. Luckily I am going to be in Charlottesville next year so I will still get to be around the team and hang out with the girls. I will be as involved as I can.
Question: What are your plans for next year?
Wilburn: I was accepted into the communication disorders master’s program here at UVa. Being a speech pathologist major, that was always my goal, so finally I get to pursue that. It’s a two-year program through the Curry School of Education and I am really excited about it.
Question: And you also have a graduate assistant position?
Wilburn: I also have accepted a grad position with CASE, the Center for Alcohol and Substance Education. It is the Apple assistantship. Every year a big conference is held, the Apple Conference, and it is coordinated both through CASE and the NCAA. The focus is to get athletics departments from different colleges and universities to have a plan of action for their student-athletes in dealing with alcohol and substance abuse. It will be a lot of event planning and organizing for the conference in January.
Question: What exactly does a speech pathologist do?
Wilburn: A speech pathologist works with individuals in vocal rehabilitation, ranging from older people who have had strokes to young children. My focus is going to be with kids who have speech impediments, stutters, or just kids who need a little bit of extra help pronouncing their letters properly. Speech pathologists also work hand-in-hand with teachers.
Question: What is your interest in speech pathology?
Wilburn: My aunt is the president of speech pathology in California. She was a speech pathologist for my elementary growing up and I got to see her work with my friends and peers. I was really able to see the way she changed their lives. It’s more than just giving them the skills to speak better – it’s giving them the confidence and self-esteem to show their abilities in and out of the classroom. It is a lot about feeling comfortable in social situations.
Question: Exactly how many degrees will you have when you leave UVa?
Wilburn: In 2008 I graduated with a bachelor of science in education, with a focus in speech pathology and audiology. I also had a second major in psychology and a minor in Spanish. I’m scheduled to graduate this May with a master’s degree in social foundations of education. In 2011 will be my master’s in communication disorders. I think I will be done at that point.
Question: How would you describe where the program is right now?
Wilburn: It’s definitely exciting to be a part of a shift in the program. We still have a ways to go but I think Coach Schmidt is doing a great job of making progress every year. We are better than we were last year. We started off so strong and have tapered off a little bit but it’s still exciting to know we are moving in the right direction. Every year the team is going to continue to get stronger.
Question: What is your outlook on the rest of the season?
Wilburn: We still have games left and anything can happen in the ACC Tournament. We are staying focused and want to use these next few games to get back to where we were earlier in the year to have a strong performance in the tournament.
Question: In your five years here, what has been your favorite moment? What is going to stick out to you years from now?
Wilburn: I have been through three coaching staffs so it has definitely been a rollercoaster. This year has been the highlight of my time here. Our team is more of a family now and it’s exciting to feel like the program is gaining stability. It was hard, those first four years, because every season there were changes and transitions. The stability now is the nicest feeling.
Question: Have the renovations to the field helped that stability?
Wilburn: They were a big part in solidifying the identity of the softball program. Now we have a home and a place where we can continue to get better.
Question: What is your favorite pitch to throw?
Wilburn: My change-up, when it’s working. My life is a whole lot easier! I don’t throw hard so changing speeds is a large part of my repertoire.
Question: What do you like to do for fun?
Wilburn: When we get free time it’s fun getting to hang out with the girls on the team in a non-softball setting and also getting to hang out with my other friends who don’t play softball. I just like to lay low and be with my friends who I don’t see very often.
Question: What advice would you give to future Virginia softball players?
Wilburn: Cherish every moment because it’s gone before you know it. The years go by so fast and it’s easy to get caught up in the fact that you have a lot of time left and the present doesn’t matter. But it really does and you need to work hard every day. You are going to regret it if you didn’t give 100 percent.