Sam Craver

“Don’t throw an interception today…” Sam Craver’s dad would jokingly say. It would stay on Sam’s mind, and it would psych him out. He would throw that interception and needed to know why. It was the psychology of performance, be it sports, professional, or personal, and it made Sam question many things he hadn’t questioned before: What trigger in a person’s brain helps them perform well? Or not well? Psychology would become his declared major.

A transfer student, Sam found his way home to Alfred University thanks to his brother, Kyle ’18. It was the close-knit community that brought Kyle here and ultimately what Sam found most appealing, prompting the move from the more one-dimensional institution where he began his college career. Sam genuinely describes Alfred University as being “cold but warm,” referring to the area’s oftentimes challenging weather juxtaposed to the palpable feeling of being home on campus.

Sam’s educational focus centered on defining social identities as well as exploring athletic and academic perfectionism and burnout. Sam also gained particular interest in social inequality and gender and human sexuality studies and established himself as an ally on campus to underrepresented groups. He became a peer educator, promoting diversity, inclusion, and multiculturalism across campus and beyond.

Excelling in both academics and collegiate athletics, Sam is a member of Lead Athletic, a division of Alfred University’s Judson Leadership Center, which helps student athletes develop leadership skills on and off the field. He is also a member of Psi Chi International Honors Society in Psychology and Chi Alpha Sigma National College Athlete Honor Society.