Being a student-athlete.

That was the first thing in the mind of 2024 Stetson graduate Trynyty Conway —  who earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a double minor in Sport Business and Business Systems and Analytics — as he considered his college options.

“I was recruited out of Columbus High School,” said Conway, who played wide receiver and tight end for the Hatters. “I had a couple of schools I was talking to, but Stetson stood out to me. They showed me the most love, they were my first offer. I talked to the coaches, and it felt like it was the right place to come to at the time.”

Having grown up in Miami, Florida is home to Conway, so he also cherished the fact that Stetson provided a nice proximity for his family, and close friends from back home, to visit often through his college years.

“Having that opportunity to get a degree while staying in Florida, and playing Division I football, was a big decision factor,” Conway added. “That’s why I decided to come here.”

However, Conway had no idea that what started off as an opportunity to continue to play the game he loves would also open the door to unlock potential he didn’t know he possessed.

Figuring It Out

Conway, 21, is the first one of his family to attend — and graduate — college.

“My mother has been my biggest supporter,” he said. “Having her to push me and encourage me to keep going was a big motivator. It’s tough being a student, especially a student-athlete. But, just remembering who I do it for and what I do it for is always a big motivation to keep going.”

At the time of his arrival at Stetson, Conway still was unsure of what he wanted to do in life and pursue as his degree. However, it wasn’t long until he realized business was an attractive option for him.

“Trynyty enthusiastically embraced every opportunity to increase self-knowledge and pursue personal success,” said Joseph Woodside, DBA, associate professor of Business Systems and Analytics. “As a result, he successfully achieved his data analytics certification, earning an academically rigorous digital credential that validates knowledge of analyzing and communicating data analysis findings. 

“He also applied his business knowledge and personal passion as part of an experiential learning project presentation on sports viewership,” he said. “In this project, he utilized data-driven insights and advanced-level applications of predictive modeling.  Trynyty is well-prepared and positioned for future success.”

Being able to participate in different experiential learning opportunities through his years as a Hatter, and utilizing the resources available at the university, came in handy as Conway navigated his college career while playing football.

“It has allowed me to throw myself out there and become a professional,” he said. “One of the biggest obstacles I faced as a student-athlete, especially coming out of high school, was time management. At Stetson, we are expected to do just as much work as any other student while playing a Division I schedule.”

During his summer as an incoming senior in 2023, Conway became an intern at Ocean Bank in Miami, where he learned how to conduct operations in diverse areas of the banking industry.

“My first two weeks I was with the security part of the bank,” he said. “Then, I was with IT and then with bank secrecy, which was a big part that involved money laundering and how to prevent it from happening. Last, we learned about wealth management. That experience tapped me into a completely different side of the bank industry besides deposits and withdrawals.”

From COVID-19 to Actuality

As a first-generation student, Conway arrived to campus in fall 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. As years passed, he realized that what he thought was ‘the college experience’ was far from what he had lived during his early college days.

“When I first got here, the school was only at 50% capacity,” he said. “The only people here on campus were student-athletes because we had to be here for our sports. I thought college was supposed to be quiet. Then, my second year on campus was much more vibrant, people were so much more involved. And by year three and four, there were so many activities going on, so many programs that made the school always be alive.”

Where There Was One, Now There Were Two

During his senior year at Stetson, Conway had the privilege to add two more new experiences to his college career: being a part of the Multicultural Student Association and playing football alongside his younger brother, Shiloh Conway — who currently is an incoming sophomore.

“In MSC, you have so many different cultures here that become one big group of people because it’s composed of such diverse people that are now just Hatters,” he said. “Also, being able to enjoy my football experience, as well as my college experience, with my little brother has been the biggest thing that’s happened to me. Not only have we gone through life together this whole time, but we went through college together, and that was amazing.”

Shiloh Conway definitely was a highlight during Trynyty Conway’s senior year, as playing for the same school was a dream come true and something both brothers will cherish for years to come.

“Being able to set the course for my little brother has been an amazing experience,” Trynyty Conway continued. “I was able to graduate and still give him something to push and strive for. That’s always going to make my heart feel good.”

The Road Ahead

Moving forward, Trynyty Conway still has two years of eligibility left. He is still weighing his options as to where, and in what, he would like to pursue his master’s degree and play his last two years of eligibility.

“Trynyty’s best qualities are that he is principled, persevering and a leader,” commented Randall Croom, PhD, associate professor of Management. “People like that get difficult things done. As he moves into the next phase of his life and career, I encourage him to stay connected to his foundational values and build something great on that foundation.”

Conway’s Q&A

What advice would you give to the incoming freshmen?
My advice would be to have an open mind and an open heart. You come in thinking you have it all figured out, and you really don’t. But it’s okay because you have people out here; you have resources that are willing to help you become the best version of you that you can become. So, just be open minded and open hearted.

What was the biggest thing you learned during your time at Stetson?
Now I have skills that I probably would have never learned if I didn’t come to Stetson, just from the different type of programs that are offered and that I have been able to be a part of. I feel like needing Cultural Credits to be able to graduate is very important, because you can be here at school and not do anything, and not branch out and not get a grasp of what college is about. But being able to be out there, seeing what is offered, it’s a very important part of why you go to college. I’m glad I was able to be a part of that experience.

– Andrea Mujica