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“Service before self” is not just a motto for Waubonsie Valley’s Anna Riggs. It’s a way of life.
The senior shortstop will attend Catholic University in Washington, D.C., on a full Army ROTC scholarship. That will be the first step in Riggs’ plan to serve her country and later the world.
“Growing up with two parents in the military, I’ve always respected it, and I’ve always had a desire to give back to my country because I’m grateful for being able to live here,” she said. “I want to make a positive impact on someone’s life.
“I feel like helping defend the country was something I could do, and also it pushed me to be the best person I can be.”
Riggs plans to study nursing and Spanish in college, where she will be required to take military science courses and do physical and field training exercises. Upon graduation, she will be commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army.
Riggs’ parents, Kristine and Kevin, are Air Force veterans. They met while stationed at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. Kristine Riggs is a nurse, and Kevin Riggs is a physician assistant. They inspired Anna Riggs to pursue a career as a nurse practitioner.
Riggs’ desire to help others goes further. She spent last summer studying Spanish and helping underprivileged people in Mérida, a city on Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, and she is fluent in Spanish.
“She’s an awesome person,” Waubonsie Valley coach Valerie Wood said. “She does things that are bigger than herself, so she wants to be part of things that are bigger than herself. Serving underprivileged communities is straight up her alley.”
Riggs said she hopes to work in Central America or South America one day, but a lot depends on where the military sends her.
“I want to be deployed somewhere hopefully where I can use my Spanish language,” Riggs said. “I also hope to study abroad again.”
That sense of adventure might seem incongruous for someone from a close-knit family. Riggs is the oldest of six sports-playing siblings. Her brother Logan is a Waubonsie Valley junior, and four other siblings aren’t in high school yet.
But Riggs’ parents fully back her dreams.
“They didn’t want me to go the Army route,” she said. “They wanted Air Force, but I chose Army because I like the field more.
“But they’ve always supported me, and it’s definitely been a driving factor for me to succeed in school with my academics and my athletics.”
Riggs has excelled in both. The honor roll student will graduate with eight varsity letters — four each in cross country and softball, for which she has been a four-year starter.
“She’s been a leader ever since she set foot in the program,” Wood said. “She’s a great role model. She really encourages the girls, but she also tells them to get their act together, and they kind of fall in line.”
Riggs, who hit .320 and was an all-conference honorable mention last year, is hitting .357 with 15 runs scored, five RBIs and four stolen bases for the Warriors (1-11). She relishes being a co-captain for a young team.
“I just try to be encouraging,” she said. “I tell them that we have to give our full effort and we have to focus. But if anyone’s down, I try to lift up their spirits. The friendships I’ve made is what make the sport so lovable.”
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Although Riggs could play college softball, she has decided to focus on her studies, a choice Wood supports.
“We had a lot of conversations, and she said, ‘I love softball, but there’s other things to do in life,’” Wood said. “I said, ‘You’ve got to follow what you want to do. If softball is not in the cards, that’s fine.’”
Riggs is at peace with her decision.
“I would play in college if it was more realistic for me,” she said. “I felt I would do better with the military and Spanish, so I went with that route.”
Wood is excited to see where that takes Riggs.
“That’s going to be great for the world,” Wood said. “Her wanting to serve the underprivileged, that’s a step above what even I can imagine doing. When she told me what her ultimate goal was, I just had more admiration and respect for her.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
