HAMBURG, N.Y. – Amber Grosch was determined to get the most out of her college experience, both as a student and an athlete, when she enrolled at Hilbert College in September 2009. 

One cannot argue that she dedicated herself in the classroom more than she did in uniform.  Grosch, who hails from Depew High School (Depew, NY), graduated with a 3.845 cumulative grade point average but she also represented the Hawks in NCAA Division III competition as a member of the soccer, basketball and softball programs all four of her undergraduate years in Hamburg.  

She earned 12 varsity letters and was honored with the prestigious 2013 McGrath Award, given to the female athlete with the highest grade point average at the time of graduation in addition to the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Student-Athlete of the Year Award as selected by the 10 Faculty Athletic Representatives within the AMCC league.

Shortly after her May 2013 commencement, Grosch was on the fast track for employment in the Rochester Police Department.  She was prepared academically, physically, and mentally for the challenges a law enforcement officer battles every day on the job.  

"The only person who can hold you back here is you. Hilbert is not just about academics, it's also about meeting new people and becoming part of a family."  

Grosch had one of the largest 'families' on campus which spanned three sports programs, the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, the Admissions and Residence Life Offices having served as a Student-Ambassador and a Resident Assistant in campus housing, respectively.

Grosch, a defender, started 51 games on the pitch for the Hawks.  She was credited with a pair of goals and one assist earning five points over the course of her 65-game soccer career.  On the hardwood, the 5-9 Grosch started 68 of the 91 games, averaged 23 minutes a contest and carries a 4.4 points and 4.8 rebounds per game career average.   She was honored with a 2010 AMCC Second Team selection as a rookie softball player.   She is the program's career leader in Stolen Bases (27) and Attempts (34) while ranking 5th in Batting Average (.375), 7th in Runs Scored (79), and 10th in Hits (90) over the course of 82 games at shortstop. 

Grosch carved-out some time from her busy schedule recently and shared advice to current and prospective Hilbert student-athletes.  She reminisced about the experiences that shaped her into the person and professional that she is today.

HilbertHawks.com: When did you attend Hilbert and what degree did you receive?
Grosch: I attended Hilbert College from 2009-2013. I received a major in criminal justice and a minor in psychology.

HilbertHawks.com:  What persuaded or attracted you to Hilbert when you were considering colleges out of high school?
Grosch: I was drawn toward Hilbert because of their fields of criminal justice and psychology. I had heard a lot of good things about Hilbert College's programs, including the small and personalized style classes.

HilbertHawks.com: Who is your current employer and can you share with us a little bit about your job responsibilities?
Grosch: I followed my dream of becoming a police officer. I work for the Rochester Police Department.  My role is to respond to calls for service and, when there's down time, I can be proactive and step out with problem people. I can also be on directed patrol where violence has increased in a given area and my job is to be highly visible to deter crime. If people break the law, I take them to jail and do the necessary paperwork. There is a lot of paperwork in policing.

HilbertHawks.com: How has your degree from Hilbert assisted in your professional advancement?
Grosch: One way that my degree with Hilbert has helped is that I had prior knowledge and study of criminal laws and case laws that directly impact my line of work. Another way is that, by having a bachelor's degree, I get paid a little more than another officer who did not get a bachelor's degree. 

HilbertHawks.com: How did competing on the three athletic teams at Hilbert help shape you into the person you are today?
Grosch: Sports were always a passion of mine. I was extremely competitive. Playing sports taught me how to be a team player and put the needs of the group over my own personal desires. We worked together for a common goal and it also lead to many great friendships that I still have today. Each part of the team was key to our success; if one didn't uphold their role, then it affected the success for the rest of the team and we all had to work harder to make up for the person who wasn't doing what they're supposed to. It made me work harder to never let the team down.

HilbertHawks.com: You hold the highest cumulative GPA at graduation as the only four-year, 3-sport McGrath Award winning athlete while at Hilbert. How did you manage/balance your time as an undergrad and still graduate with a 3.845 cumulative grade point average?
Grosch: Studying while playing 3 sports helped me learn excellent time management skills. I usually spent 2-3 hours every day doing something for my athletics whether it was practice, games, or team bonding. When I wasn't with the team, I used that free time to study and get homework done. Thankfully, I was always good at retaining the topics I studied without having to spend hours and hours rereading it, which saved me a lot of time and energy. It gave me the chance to relax and decompress when I needed it. Criminal Justice and psychology were always topics that piqued my interest. It's much easier to study something that your passionate about. If you're trying to force yourself to study and learn something you have no interest in, then it becomes a little harder to retain, understand, and even succeed in.

HilbertHawks.com: Who had the biggest influence on you while at Hilbert?
Grosch: I had multiple people who were my pillars at Hilbert. The one who had the biggest influence on me was Professor Amy Smith who taught both my leadership and honors programs. She challenged us and helped us strive for more; more questioning, a deeper understanding of things instead of taking them at face value, self-reflection on what we truly wanted in life, how to become someone others look up to, and how to make a real difference in your community. She was the one who gave me the opportunity to intern at the Town of Tonawanda Police Department and work for the Ocean City Police Department. These experiences helped me realized that becoming a police officer was exactly what I was meant to be.

HilbertHawks.com: What is the most memorable memory or memories that you have of being a student-athlete at Hilbert?
Grosch: My best memories of Hilbert include playing my sports, hanging out with my friends, and the police opportunities I received. I loved playing and competing. Thanks to my sports, I met a lot of awesome people who became my friends. All the crazy and fun things we did in our free time will always be some of my favorite memories. Every year at the end of the spring semester there was a huge party where we had games and food and events that we got to participate in. My friends and I would make personalized t-shirts and outfits. No matter what team was competing, we always had each other's support. The Hilbert community was a tight knit group and we were always cheering each other on.

HilbertHawks.com: What advice do you have for current student-athletes who are making plans for life after Hilbert? 
Grosch: Hilbert has a small, personalized community. The student to professor ratio is small so you can get more intimate studying. The professors know you so they are able to do more to help you, whereas in a larger college community it would be difficult to understand your students' needs. Hilbert staff wants you to succeed and it shows. Don't be afraid to step out here and push yourself. Hilbert goes further than just memorizing mindlessly, they want you to understand and think for yourself. The only person who can hold you back here is you. Hilbert is not just about academics, it's also about meeting new people and becoming part of a family. Sports are an excellent way to create that family. If you love sports but are afraid of time constraints, you should go for it. You won't know until you try and sports might even help you practice better time management and help you multitask better. Join clubs too. Broaden your skill sets and do things that you are truly interested in. 

HilbertHawks.com:  What recommendations can you share to upperclassmen as they wind-down their time wearing royal and white?  
Grosch: The biggest thing I want to stress to upper classmen is to appreciate all the people and time you have now. You will miss how care-free things are now and your friends here. Don't waste it stressing about the future non-stop. Decide on a plan and move forward. Once you step out on your own and start your career, you don't have the time to enjoy hanging out with your friends. Your friends will all have their own paths to follow as well and it becomes extremely difficult to find and make time for your friends while working and having your own families. Most of your friends will move back home or move to other states for the career paths they chose, so enjoy your time at Hilbert and don't let fear of the unknown consume you. Everything will work out in the end.