Bailey Schafbuch | Sports Co-Editor
Kylie Swanson | Sports Co-Editor

With three months under her belt Director of Athletics at Buena Vista University (BVU) Christyn Abaray is doing her best to keep an open-door policy and have the Athletics Department become more visible for the rest of campus.

Abaray joined the BVU Athletic Department this school year after having spent the last eight years at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. Beginning in 2007, she served as the Associate Director of Athletics and Senior Woman Administrator.

Though it would be assumed that a new face means changes for the department, Abaray is striving to observe the department and how things are currently running.

“I think in the beginning of any relationship, you just have to sit and watch what happens because if it’s not broken, there’s no need to fix it. I’m doing a lot more observation than changes at this point. I think just my personality, the fact that my door is always open, and I do like to communicate, has opened up lines of communication more than they may have been before,” Abaray said.

Opening the lines of communication for anyone, especially for the fall coaches since it’s the fall sports season, can be very time consuming. Abaray has learned to excel at getting tasks done through being efficient and getting as organized as possible.

Abaray’s favorite part of the BVU community is simply the students.

“I can say it is the students that I love the most about BVU’s campus. There is a perception that the younger generation of students don’t pay attention to people, are really into technology, and don’t care for face-to-face interaction. I was very pleasantly surprised from the time of my interview until today that when I walk through campus, everybody says hi and will speak. They will ask how you are doing, and that’s fantastic. That goes a long way for anybody,” Abaray said.

The development of positive relationships can be seen forming between Abaray and the Athletic Department.

“Christyn provides good leadership. She cares about the whole program, not just the wins and losses,” Head Men’s Basketball Coach Brian Van Haaften said.

“She has provided a great deal of leadership to the department and is working extremely hard to move Buena Vista Athletics to the next level,” Sports Information Director Steven Phelps said.

Photo courtesy of BVU