Dryden entered Lake Forest College in the fall of 1983 and made an immediate impact on the women's swimming & diving program, helping the Foresters to their first-ever Midwest Athletic Conference for Women Championship. She won three individual events at the conference meet as a freshman and a total of 11 over the course of her four-year career. At the 1987 MACW Championship, she took home four individual titles as the team claimed its second-ever conference championship. Dryden also excelled at the NCAA Division III National Championship meets, earning All-American honors six times. The first came when she helped the 200-freestyle relay team finish 11th in 1984. Two years later, she placed in the top 16 for the first time as an individual, finishing 12th in the 1650-freestyle. Her senior year, Dryden swam on the 7th-place 800 freestyle relay team and, on her own, placed 3rd in the 100-butterfly, 5th in the 500-freestyle, and 12th in the 200-freestyle. The Lake Forest captain and Most Valuable Swimmer's performance throughout the season earned her Women's Swimmer of the Year honors from the Illinois Swimming Association. Dryden finished her collegiate career with school records in the 200-free (1:57.37), 500-free (5:07.45), 100-butterfly (58.71), and 200-butterfly (2:10.43).

Since graduating from Lake Forest, Dryden has worked in the benefits consulting field. She lists raising her three children, Chris, Cathy and Nikki, as her greatest lifetime achievement.