It’s obvious: Indiana University East and the Women’s Tennis Association have served up a winning doubles combination.
In fact, 22 players have earned degrees in their 11-year partnership between IU East and the Women’s Tennis Benefit Association (WTBA) on behalf of the WTA.
That graduate number includes three this year – Caroline Dolehide, Christina McHale and Raveena Kingsley.
Ironically, Dolehide was just days past winning her second WTA doubles championship when she was celebrated in her cap and gown August 14 during the Cincinnati Open.
And to further build on the doubles theme: The native of Hinsdale, Ill., earned two bachelor of science degrees – in Business Administration and in Psychology.
Caroline put her own spin on the accomplishments by alluding to the ending of Robert Frost’s famous poem The Road Not Taken: “Two roads diverged in a wood and I – I took the one less traveled by. And that has made all the difference.”
Dolehide said: “The WTA has created an opportunity for us to pursue dual goals. The road that I took to complete my degrees at IU East has made all the difference.”
McHale and Kingsley attended commencement ceremonies on May 9 on the campus of IU East in Richmond, Ind.
“It was incredible to tour our IU East campus and the faculty cheering us on as we walked into commencement is a moment I’ll cherish for the rest of my life,” McHale said.
Christina earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies, with a minor in Spanish. Kingsley earned a BS in Business Administration.
Many more graduates are coming: CEO Portia Archer noted that 15 WTA members are enrolled for the upcoming Fall Semester at IU East.
“The legacy of this partnership has etched itself into the history of the WTA,” she said. “The dedicated faculty at IU East help these women achieve academic excellence, showcase their perseverance, and expand their professional horizons. Congratulations to the 2024 graduating class.”
The higher-education offering is a shared venture of the WTA and the Women’s Tennis Benefits Association.
WTBA Executive Director Lisa Grattan also offered strong praise for the program.
“Our eleven-plus year partnership with IU East continues to exceed expectations. As an institution, IU East remains agile and pioneering in meeting the needs of WTA players who strive for excellence both on the court and in the classroom. We are extremely proud of and congratulate Caroline, Christina and Raveena for their academic successes.”
Chancellor Dennis Rome said IU East is proud of the program and promises that more pioneering innovation is on the way to enhance the one-of-a-kind partnership.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity that we want to maintain,” he said, noting the organizations met during the event at Cincinnati. “We (WTA and IU East) are absolutely excited about wanting to advance our model to better reach the student athlete.”
“There are ways that those can be articulated into credit,” Rome said. “They are a model of how we will become more accommodating.”
Previous graduates include former World No. 1 Venus Williams and 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens.
