Tulane Green Wave bowling announced on Apr. 1 that it is launching an alumni spotlight series, beginning with Sofiia Druchyna, a recent graduate who completed her studies in computer science and cybersecurity in 2024 and is now a graduate student at Princeton University.
The alumni spotlight aims to showcase the achievements of former Tulane bowlers, emphasizing their academic and athletic successes. Druchyna was selected as the first featured alumna due to her notable accomplishments both on and off the lanes.
Druchyna began her collegiate bowling career at Sam Houston State before transferring to Tulane after her freshman year. She said she chose Tulane because of its team culture and the variety of support resources available for student-athletes. Her favorite aspects of attending Tulane included “the culture, the city of New Orleans, and the aforementioned support resources.” When asked about memorable moments from her time with the team, she joked about early morning workouts but more seriously highlighted traveling as a key experience.
Originally from Odesa, Ukraine, Druchyna graduated a year early with a double major while maintaining a perfect 4.0 GPA. She received several honors during her time at Tulane, including the International Tulanian Academic Excellence Award presented by Newcomb-Tulane College Center for Global Education. The award recognizes international community members who “have exemplified the spirit of global citizenship and contributed immensely to the vibrant community at Tulane.” Additionally, she was named Tulane Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year twice and earned recognition on academic honor rolls within both Southland Bowling League (2022-2023) and Conference USA (2024).
Since graduating from Tulane, Druchyna has traveled throughout every U.S. state and territory before enrolling as a master’s student at Princeton University where she continues studying computer science. She expressed aspirations to become a professor in this field due to her passion for teaching.
Reflecting on her experience as part of Green Wave bowling, Druchyna said: “no matter the challenge you are facing, everything is possible if you start believing in yourself. Pursue your biggest dreams without hesitations.” To current and future athletes at Tulane she added: “Everything takes time. Be patient, work hard, believe, and you will do great things.”
