Tristyn (Edsall) Gross ’17

Before we get to Tristyn Gross’s Hall of Fame stats, it’s worth starting with what has always mattered most to her: family. 

Family, in fact, is what first drew her to K. After watching her sister, Taryn, have such a positive experience as a Hornet, Tristyn knew she wanted to follow in her footsteps. 

But by the time Tristyn arrived on campus, her definition of family had already begun to grow. During her college visit, she found that same sense of belonging among the swim team. “The swim team immediately felt like family,” she explains, “and that solidified my decision to come to K.” 

That feeling only deepened over the years. One of her fondest K memories is Cafsgiving, the annual pre-Thanksgiving cafeteria meal. For her the tradition was about far more than food. “Our team would be among the first in line so that we could gather around the long table and share a meal together,” says Tristyn. “It truly felt like a family Thanksgiving.” 

So it’s no surprise that when Tristyn was asked to name the people who mattered most, “family” extended beyond the traditional definition. She included her parents, Don and Georgia; her sister, Taryn; her husband, Morgan; and her daughter, Adelaide. And she expanded that circle to her relay teammates, too: Colleen Orwin, Ellen Nereux and Christina Park. 

Now, about those stats! Tristyn earned all-conference honors every year she swam. She was named the MIAA’s most valuable swimmer her sophomore season, the first female Hornet to earn that honor. She won at least one conference championship in five events: 100 breaststroke; 200 medley relay; 400 medley relay; 50 freestyle; and 200 freestyle relay. 

Tristyn qualified for the NCAA Division III national championships all four of her seasons, and she earned honorable mention All-American honors in the 200 medley her junior year. 

Her academic success stacks as high as her excellence in the pool. She majored in business and earned a minor in psychology. Her Senior Integrated Project developed a plan that large urban areas (say, the size of Grand Rapids) could use to increase swimming instruction and water safety education for underserved youth. 

Tristyn’s senior capstone class team developed a new product line for the company Stormy Kromer. Teams presented their product ideas to the class’s professors and to company representatives. And, she says, “Stormy Kromer ultimately took our winning concept into production.” The company now offers pet products in their merchandise lineup, “making it exciting to see a classroom project evolve into a real-world business success,” says Tristyn. 

“Real world” is exactly the word Tristyn uses to describe K’s impact on her life. “The College prepared me for the real world,” she says. “It pushed me to think creatively, strengthen my marketing skills and refine my ability to present and defend ideas in a professional setting.” 

It is preparation that has served her well. Tristyn currently serves as consumer care content coordinator for BISSELL Homecare.