Senior Dancing Blues captain, Michaela Trobough, is no stranger to Washburn or the art of dance.

Trobough is a Topeka native, graduating from Seaman High School in 2014 after being a member of their dance team all four years. After finishing her time there, she found herself on the Allen County Community College dance team for two years.

After originally being enrolled at Oklahoma University, Trobough ended up coming to Washburn her junior year instead. The reason for her change of heart came at the request of Angie Price, the Dancing Blues’ head coach.

“My coach now, who has been my dance coach since I was three years old, texted me and said that they had a girl quit and asked me if I would be interested in coming to dance here. I had no reason not to, so that’s why I’m here,” Trobough said.

Being named one of the team captains for the 2018 season is proof that Trobough’s decision to become a member of the Dancing Blues has not yet disappointed. One of her senior co-captains, Gabrielle Price, is also happy with the decision. 

“I have know Michaela for a really long time – almost my whole life. Not only is she my teammate, but my best friend,” Price said. “I have loved watching her grow as both a dancer and a leader here at Washburn. She pushes people to do their best and provides strong leadership for our team, and we would not be the same without her.”

Outside of dancing, Trobough fills her time with more dance-related activities. 

“I am currently a dance coach at Seaman High School. I’m the assistant to their varsity team and the head coach of their JV team. It keeps me busy, but I love being able to coach where I went to school,” Trobough said.

As the oldest of six siblings, Trobough is familiar with the need for responsibility and time management. This comes in handy when dividing her time between being a member of the Dancing Blues, coaching at Seaman High, being a math tutor here on campus and also bartending part time at Quinton’s.

It’s hard for Trobough to choose a favorite memory, but one stands out above the rest.

“I back-up danced for the opener of an Aaron Carter show during my sophomore year of college. I danced for the singer at the Granada, so that was fun,” Trobough said. 

Trobough says the hardest part of attending Washburn is the lack of Oklahoma Sooner fans. 

“It’s kind of awkward sometimes being here. Maybe not really because most people are KU or K-State fans and wear KU or K-State stuff, but I wear Oklahoma stuff and that seems really random. My dad is a huge OU fan, so I grew up in an OU household,” Trobough said. 

Since becoming a vegetarian her sophomore year of high school, Trobough says she relies on heavy carb foods like potatoes and pasta to fuel her busy lifestyle. 

“I’ve never really liked meat. I would eat it if I had to, but I would usually choose not to. One day I got sick of explaining it to people so I just decided to become a vegetarian,” Trobough said. 

Trobough is majoring in math with a criminal justice minor and plans on graduating in May. She has hopes to figure out what to use her degree for before that time comes. 

“My goal would be to try to coach somewhere, like maybe a community college or another high school somewhere. I don’t plan on staying in Topeka, just because I’ve been here my whole life,” Trobough said. “I like it, but I want to venture out and try something else.”