Where Balance Becomes Momentum - Will Grisack ‘19
Long before college baseball and a career that keeps him constantly on the move, Will Grisack learned how to navigate competing demands at Carrollwood Day School, where balancing academics, athletics, and relationships became a way of life.
There is a certain rhythm to Will Grisack’s story, one that feels familiar to anyone who has ever tried to balance ambition with discipline, and passion with responsibility. Long before he stepped onto the field at Lehigh University or began traveling the country for work, that rhythm was already taking shape in the classrooms, dugouts, and hallways of Carrollwood Day School.
For Will, the connection between school and sport was never separate. It was a constant balancing act, one that would later define both his college experience and his career. “It was an absolute blast playing baseball in college,” he shared, reflecting on his time as a student-athlete at Lehigh. But behind that excitement was a reality he understood well. Playing a college sport, he explained, felt like a full-time job. Managing that level of commitment required the kind of discipline that does not happen overnight.
That preparation began at CDS.
“CDS is a mirror to any top university in the country,” Will said, pointing to the rigor of the curriculum and the expectations placed on students early on.
It was not just about academics. It was about learning how to manage time, how to shift between responsibilities, and how to show up fully in each space. The balance between school, athletics, and social life became second nature, something that later made the transition to college feel far less daunting.
His decision to major in sociology at Lehigh might not seem like the most obvious path into business development, but for Will, it made perfect sense. Understanding social patterns and human behavior, he explained, is at the core of building relationships. In the world of sales, that ability is everything. It allows you to connect, to read situations, and to work with people from all walks of life.
Will traces his foundation in building relationships
back to his earliest experiences at CDS.
“The things that set me up as a human being were my homeroom group, led by Coach Holyman, and the small class size environment,” he said. "In a community where you see the same faces every day, there is an unspoken expectation. You learn quickly how to treat people, how to communicate, and how to navigate relationships with care. Those lessons, while subtle, stay with you."
The accessibility of the school’s leadership also left a lasting impression. Daily interactions with teachers, administrators, and the head of school created a level of comfort that many students do not experience until much later in life. For Will, it meant learning how to speak with confidence and respect, skills that now translate directly into conversations with clients, colleagues, and leadership teams.
Today, that same foundation supports him in his role as a Business Development Manager at Lineage Collections, where he works alongside his family, including his sister, Hannah Grisack '17. His work takes him across the country, presenting products, maintaining relationships, and expanding into new markets. It is a fast-paced lifestyle with little routine, something he genuinely enjoys.
Still, the demands are real. Constant travel requires flexibility and strong time management, two skills he credits directly to his time at CDS. The ability to adjust, to stay organized, and to remain grounded while constantly moving is not something he had to learn from scratch. It was already there.
Looking back, it is not just the structure or the
academics that stand out most to Will, it is the community.
“My experience as a student at CDS was very positive and academically enriching,” he said. “Because of the tight-knit community, I was able to get to know not only my classmates but also students in grades above and below me. That sense of familiarity made it easy to build meaningful connections and friendships that have continued even after graduating.”
Even now, years removed from both high school and college, those connections continue to resurface in unexpected ways. The CDS network, as Will describes it, does not fade with time. It evolves, growing into a community that extends far beyond campus.
There are moments that still stand out clearly. Traveling to San Francisco and Silicon Valley with classmates opened his eyes to innovation in a tangible way. Competing in the state tournament with his baseball team brought a different kind of intensity and pride. Traditions like the Washington, D.C. trip and Patriot Buddies created memories that were as meaningful as any classroom lesson.
Each experience added another layer, shaping not just a student, but a person prepared to step into the world with confidence. For Will, that journey is still unfolding. It just happens to include a lot more miles these days.
We love sharing our alumni achievements with the CDS community. If you are a CDS Alumni and would like to share your accomplishments, please contact our Alumni Engagement Coordinator, Carli (Gauthier) Mianne '16 at cmianne@cdspatriots.org and let us know what you have been up to since leaving CDS. We look forward to hearing from you!