On the court, Grisdale is a three-time captain on Quinnipiac’s women’s basketball team and has scored more than 1,000 points. She’s also represented the United States at the 2025 FISU World University Games and earned a spot on the 2025 All-MAAC Third Team.

In the classroom, Grisdale capped her undergraduate studies with two degrees — one in health science studies and one in industrial engineering. She finished both programs with a 4.0 GPA to earn the President’s Scholarship Award and the Alumni Association Academic Achievement Award.

“Every single day, whether I’m on the Mount Caramel Campus going to class, walking down the steps on York Hill to get to the arena as the sun rises, or driving around Hamden, I think about how grateful I am to be here,” Grisdale said.

Women’s basketball coach Tricia Fabbri put it this way: “She's indefatigable.”

This semester, Grisdale is completing her master’s degree in applied AI and business analytics, and helping lead the Bobcats to a 14-4 overall record, 9-0 in the MAAC.
But success didn’t come easily for Grisdale.

She arrived at Quinnipiac as a walk-on player on the women’s basketball team. There was no scholarships. There was only a chance, even after a stellar high school career.

Grisdale said she was thankful that she was able to combine her interests at Quinnipiac.

“During the summer before my first year started, I was talking to our team’s athletic academic adviser about my interest in helping people without pursuing a career as a healthcare professional with some sort of engineering or STEM application,” said Grisdale.

“She told me about a brand-new dual degree program that was being introduced and forwarded me the information to talk to the two people in charge — one industrial engineering professor and one health science professor,” she said. “As soon as I chatted with both and did research about the two fields, I decided it was the perfect way to combine my interests.”

Just like that, Grisdale committed to balancing two highly demanding degrees and a Division I basketball player’s schedule. It was an ambitious goal, for sure, but she never backed down.

“The fact that she's been able to have this kind of career while maintaining an outstanding GPA is inspirational,” said Fabbri. “I marvel at what she's done and consider it an honor to have coached her.”

Finding a home in Hamden

Throughout high school, Grisdale played two varsity sports in the fall and spring. The winter was reserved for basketball, of course. To maintain a strong commitment to her high school teams, she didn’t play AAU basketball, making her recruiting process challenging.

The top basketball players in the country showcase their skills to college coaches at AAU basketball tournaments. It’s expected for these players to be a part of an AAU team to gain collegiate exposure.

Grisdale said that she faced a lot of rejection throughout her recruiting process.

“I had to send a lot of emails out and put together a highlight film," she said. "However, most coaches said 'no' to me because they did not feel I proved that I could play against good competition without AAU.”

During her senior year of high school, while most of the competitive high school basketball players had already made their college commitments, she connected with Fabbri.

Fabbri watched Grisdale’s film and talked with her on Zoom. Ultimately, she decided to take a chance on Grisdale and invite her to join the team as a preferred walk-on. After all, Grisdale scored more than 1,500 points in high school, was a two-time All-Ohio First Team pick and a two-time All-Conference Player of the Year.

Fortunately, because of the pandemic, Quinnipiac had pushed its application deadline back, enabling Grisdale to still apply. Once she arrived in Hamden for her first summer session with the team, she felt right at home.

“I wasn’t getting paid to be here, so I was worried the other girls were going to look at me differently. Luckily, that was never the case,” Grisdale said. “My teammates were super acceptive.”

Building connections with leadership skills

This unorthodox beginning led to a well-rounded Quinnipiac experience for Grisdale. 
While it might seems Grisdale has little room for improvement academically, Justin Kile, professor and director of industrial engineering at Quinnipiac, noted how she continues to find ways to grow.

“It’s hard to imagine growth in someone as outstanding as Jackie. However, it quickly became clear to me that her nature is to embrace growth and take on new challenges,” said Kile.

“She transitioned her leadership skills from athletics to leading our Industrial Engineering Student Organization and her senior design team,” he added. “Each group required a different leadership style, and Jackie adapted, developing her ability to manage diverse teams and motivate members toward their goals.”

Dana White, sports dietician and clinical professor of health and exercise science and Grisdale’s undergraduate academic adviser, echoed Kile’s recognition of her growth.

“Jackie has always been a conscientious and responsible student-athlete,” White said. “Her ability to lead in the classroom and on the court has only gotten better over her years at Quinnipiac.”

Grisdale is grateful for the meaningful connections she has formed with her professors.

“Justin Kile came to multiple games. His daughter has come to our games. I went and watched his daughter play a basketball game,” said Grisdale. “My professors are so knowledgeable about the subject matter that they're teaching. I have learned so much about the real world and applications of subject matter that it made me feel like I was in their shoes.”

Kile has also learned so much about Grisdale.

“As impressive as Jackie is as an athlete and student, she is an even better person,” Kile said. “When she learned that my daughter’s middle school basketball team attended a Quinnipiac game as a team-building exercise, Jackie took the initiative to attend one of their games, support the players and speak with them. That conversation had a real impact on my daughter.”

Grisdale’s teammates also recognize her kindness and leadership capabilities.

One of her co-captains this season, Ella O’Donnell ‘26, explained how she fosters team cohesion and leads by example.

“Jackie is the best example of what a great teammate is. She is such a skilled player that also gives it her all on the court in every game and practice she plays. As a captain, she does everything in her power to bring the team together,” said O’Donnell. “Not only does she lead as captain, but she leads by example with how hard she works on and off the court.”

‘A standard of excellence’

This hard work that her coach, professors and teammates recognize has helped propel Grisdale’s college career. When tasked with making a name for herself as a walk-on on a Division I team, Grisdale took on the challenge gracefully.

“Trying to find my role as an unrecruited player out of high school was a challenge,” Grisdale said. “I reminded myself from the first day that basketball is basketball, no matter what level or who you are playing with, and that made me more comfortable and confident in my own game.”

During her first year on the team, she was Quinnipiac women’s basketball’s first walk-on to earn all-conference honors, claiming a spot on the MAAC All-Rookie Team. At the end of the season, she received a full athletic scholarship.

Every great player has faced adversity, and Grisdale is no exception. During her junior year, Grisdale was forced to sit out after a season-ending injury.

“Playing in my first few games back from injury was almost as challenging as going through surgery and rehab,” said Grisdale. “I doubted myself more than I should have, but eventually realized I needed to trust myself and my preparation and everything would work out. I spent extra hours in the gym putting up shots, visualizing and watching film to get myself back where I wanted to be.”

So instead, Grisdale cheered on the Bobcats from the bench and vowed to come back better than ever with the help of her support system: her teammates, coaches, professors and, notably, her parents.

As former college athletes, Grisdale’s parents always encourage her. They even rent an apartment in Milford, Connecticut, during Grisdale’s season so they never miss a home game.

Grisdale credits much of her classroom and basketball success to her parents’ support.

“It wouldn’t be possible without them,” said Grisdale. “A standard of excellence was always encouraged by my parents. They are constantly helping me in every single way.”

That’s what family does, after all — from parents to teammates and friends.

“I see Quinnipiac as my second home. I’m excited to spend one last semester here, and I know that I am well-prepared for whatever comes next because of what I’ve learned here,” Grisdale said.