BUIES CREEK, N.C. – It's obvious that Claire Witt is prepared to serve as president of the Campbell University Student-Athlete Advisory Committee in the 2026-27 academic year.

• She graduated – with honors – in only three years with a BBA in trust and wealth management and a minor in financial planning.
• She is a two-year starter on defense for the Fighting Camel lacrosse team.
• She has already served two years on the SAAC, including her role as vice president in 2025-26.

A President's List student who is also a CAA Commissioner's High Honor Roll member, Claire is thankful for the athletic and academic scholarships she's received.
 
"My scholarships mean a whole lot, said Claire, who not only has received athletics aid, but also five academic awards.  "Growing up, especially with my mom having the education she has, it was always important that I had that support academically and athletically. I'm very fortunate. I'm not leaving college in debt. Not all people get that.  I'm very grateful."
 
The generosity of Fighting Camel fans, alumni, family, and friends truly makes a difference in the lives of student-athletes at Campbell University.  Through the Women's Empowerment Fund, the Fighting Camel Club's goal is to make that experience even better, specifically for our female student-athletes.  To join the Fighting Camel Club, click here.
 
A conversation with Claire quickly reveals the qualities instilled in her from an early age by her parents.
 
The daughter of two Air Force veterans, Claire's mother, Nicole, is a Certified Nurse Practitioner, while her father, Bruce, is a police officer.  She credits her parents for not only teaching her to dedicate herself to her passions, but to complete her tasks and make the most of each opportunity.
 
"My parents both work full-time; they definitely made a lot of sacrifices," said Witt, who will compete as a graduate student next season, while completing her MBA.  "They're that way with me and my two sisters. They were 100 percent invested in us and wanted us to do what we were passionate about. They put a lot of money and time and made sacrifices for us."
 
Claire's oldest sister, Felicity, played high school soccer and now serves in the U.S. Navy and is stationed in California.  Her next oldest sibling, Sylvia, just graduated from Ohio University and is involved in musical theater. 
 
The Witt family traveled far and wide watch their daughters in soccer and lacrosse tournaments and musical and theatrical performances – so much so that they sold their boat.  According to Claire, her parents' reasoning was that they were going to be at lacrosse matches every weekend anyway.
 
The fact that Claire is an exceptional student comes as no surprise.  Her mother has four degrees, most recently from Vanderbilt University, while her father has served for more than two decades on the police force.
 
"My mom, who I consider my best friend, has four degrees, and is nurse practitioner. She's a leader on her team, always giving 100 percent in time, effort and knowledge," said Claire.  "She put herself through school.  My father has been a police officer for longer than I've been alive. He's also self-made.  I remember growing up he would work 24 hours straight while my mom was in nursing school while also working full time and being a mother of three."
 
Claire quickly starts a list of what she has learned from her parents.
 
"Their hard work, their passion for us and providing for us, and their attitude towards life," said Witt.  "If you start something you're going to finish it. Do it to your full potential. They've instilled that in me."
 
Unlike other areas of the country, where some children begin playing lacrosse as kindergarteners, Claire was involved in dance while growing up in suburban Atlanta and did not discover the game until she was in middle school.
 
"I found lacrosse in middle school through my community and fell in love with it," she said.
 
Claire joined the Major Force Lacrosse travel team and spent countless hours traveling out of state – especially to Maryland – throughout her high school days for practice and competition.  At home, she was a USA Lacrosse All-American and first-team all-state performer at North Paulding, while also qualifying for the state cross country championship.
 
Why Campbell?
Witt attended a prospect camp in Buies Creek during the spring of her junior year in high school and knew that Campbell was the right place to pursue her academic and athletic goals.
 
"I came to campus for camp and fell in love with the place," said Claire.  "Campbell's very different from where I'm from, a suburb of the city. Campbell has a small-town vibe, which I appreciate in the sense of finding a new family through my team.  I appreciate the small-town life for school.  Being a student-athlete, that's what I'm focused on."
 
Initially, she intended to major in business with the goal of attending law school before one class helped re-direct Claire's academic and professional pursuits.
 
"The story's kind of always the same, you take a (longtime trust management professor) Jimmy Witherspoon class and the rest is history," said Claire.  "I really appreciate the business itself – helping people manage their wealth. I've always been a detailed person, loved to read and write, and it interested me – like a big puzzle."
 
In addition to preparing its students academically, one of the hallmarks of Campbell's trust program is how it provides real world experience through undergraduate summer internships.  Claire is in her second summer as a wealth management intern with Morgan Stanley in Atlanta, where the two individuals who interviewed her for the position are also Campbell graduates.
 
After earning her MBA, Claire plans on starting as a sales assistant with the goal of working toward being a financial advisor or planner.
 
On the field
Campbell enjoyed its best season since joining the CAA – one of the top mid-major lacrosse leagues in the country – before the 2024 campaign.  The Camels ran off a school-record eight match win streak and finished with the second-most victories in a year (11) in the program's 14-season history. 
 
Campbell finished 2-5 in the CAA, but three of those losses came by one- or two-goal decisions.  Witt has started 31 games and appeared in all 32 contests over the last two seasons.
 
Witt credits the pillars of the Campbell lacrosse program for the team's improvement since moving up to the CAA.
 
"We have our three standards of courage, faith and legacy," said Claire.  "We truly live by those standards.  We exist in a classless environment with mutual respect for others' experiences. You don't find that everywhere.  It doesn't matter if you're a freshman or a fifth year. We're all the same here, trying to accomplish the goal of winning the CAA and competing in the NCAA championship."
 
An early season win over in-state rival High Point, plus closing the year with victories at CAA rival William & Mary and Drexel on senior day in Buies Creek were some of the highlights during the 2026 campaign.
 
"Every single girl on that team, we're all best friends and one big family," said Witt.  "Our culture is unmatched in my opinion. Our coaches support us on and off the field.  When we're at lacrosse, we give that 100 percent.  When you're in class, you give that 100 percent. We live by those values every day."
 
Witt credits the leadership of head coach Dawn Easley and her staff for not only directing the team but also listening to their players as a key to the team's cohesiveness.
 
"The pieces all came together this year," said Witt.  "The CAA is very competitive, with a lot of great programs, coaches and players, and it's making us better playing in it."
 
Campus involvement
Claire admittedly was involved in high school with "every club in the book" so when the opportunity came during her sophomore year to apply to be a representative on Campbell's Student Athlete Advisory Committee, she quickly responded.
 
"I enjoy community service, getting engaged, being a leader on my team and connecting those two things," she said. 
 
As a junior she served as vice president, then was asked to move up to the president's role for the coming year.
 
"For athletes, (SAAC) allows us to take a step back and get some perspective and give back to the community around us," Claire said.  "In Buies Creek, we feel very supported, so it allows us to give back, whether it's through a canned food drive or a Christmas toy drive. The community looks up to our athletes and have little kids coming out to all these games.  It's great for kids to see us give back.  We're role models."
 
In addition to her role with SAAC, Claire is also an ambassador for Morgan's Message® - an organization that strives to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health within the student-athlete community and equalize the treatment of physical and mental health in athletics.
 
"It's very big in the lacrosse world," said Claire of the program, which is named in the memory of former Duke lacrosse player Morgan Rodgers.  Through monthly meetings, emails and annual dedication games, Morgan's Message highlights the need to pay attention to mental awareness.
 
"We're all people and mental health does matter," said Claire.  "We're taught to be tough and keep going, but sometimes people just need to stop.  It's great that we are able to communicate the things that come with Morgan's Message to our teammates."
 
Her "normal"
Claire is not only a starting defender on an NCAA Division I lacrosse team, but also an honors student in a challenging academic program, president of student organization, and involved with an off-campus group.  Where does she find the time to devote to, and excel in, all these pursuits?
 
"Once you're in it, you're in it, and being on a team, it becomes normal," said Witt.  "When everyone around you is doing it, it's just the normal. You get it done. You're efficient. You can't procrastinate. Staying on top of the ball and using your off days to the best of your ability.  It's my normal."
 
Claire insists that college athletics has equipped her for the post graduate job market.
 
"After playing with these guys for three years, any job interview, I'm not intimidated by it," she admitted.  "Any student-athlete, we've been under those high-pressure situations. I've learned a lot about being on a team and how to work with people, even 28 different personalities every day."
 
She doesn't think her next job will be as demanding physically as some days she's experienced as a college student-athlete.
 
"You go to practice, you go to lift, you go to scout, then you have a 6 p.m. class and sometimes it hurts to walk.  I don't think anything (in the future) will be as hard in the sense of being tired," said Claire. 
 
Claire also believes that she could not have made a better choice about where to study and play lacrosse.
 
"From an academic standpoint, I don't think I could have been prepared better at any other school in the country," said Claire.  "The connections I have (professionally), I couldn't have asked for anything more.  Being a student-athlete teaches you a lot. Holding myself and those around me accountable, giving 100 percent at all times."
 
Her advice for those just beginning their collegiate journey?
 
"Show up every day, be willing to give 100 percent and trust the process," said Witt. "Not every day is going to be easy. Fall in love with the process and appreciate it because it's going to be gone soon."