Alyssa Rutherford is in her first season as a graduate student assistant with the Ottawa University women’s flag football program.
Rutherford is a 2026 graduate of Ottawa University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Applied Psychology with a specialization in Criminal Psychology. During her undergraduate career at OU, she was active in campus leadership, student organizations, academics, and athletics.
While at Ottawa, Rutherford served as a Resident Assistant, where she supported residents, organized community and wellness programming, and handled challenging and high-pressure situations. Her responsibilities included crisis management, conflict mediation, communication with university resources and emergency services, and the planning and budgeting of residence life programming.
Rutherford was the president and founder of SAFE Club and Rho Alpha Sigma, Ottawa’s Resident Assistant Honor Society. She was a four-time Top Scholar, a two-year academic tutor and student government representative, and a three-year orientation leader. She was also involved with Tri-Phi, Psychology Club, Biology Club, and the Debate Team.
Rutherford competed in soccer for four years and wrestling for two years while at Ottawa. She also presented research through Braves Discovery addressing childhood adversity and emotional intelligence.
In addition to her experience at OU, Rutherford served as the Baldwin City Pool Manager and Swim Instructor from 2023 to 2025. She managed staff responsibilities, training, scheduling and safety protocols while teaching private and group swim lessons to more than 200 swimmers.
A native of Gardner, Kan., Rutherford graduated from Gardner Edgerton High School in 2022 with a 4.0 GPA. She participated in student government, student orientation, National Honor Society, soccer, and wrestling.
