America
East believes that the student-athletes represent the best and
brightest of each of the conference's nine member universities . In
order to recognize the contributions these student-athletes make to
their classrooms, their campuses and their communities, America East
will highlight a different student-athlete each month over the course
of the 2008-09 school year in a "Best of U." feature.
The fourth installment of "Best of U."
focuses on UMBC women's tennis player Cornelia Carapcea, a 2008 CoSIDA Academic All-American. The story was written by Cari Haas of the UMBC Athletic Communications staff. The Retriever women's tennis team will continue its spring season on Sunday, February 8 in New York against Columbia.
To stand out among thousands of students at UMBC requires
something special. Cornelia Carapcea, senior captain of the women’s tennis
team, has performed at such a high level both on and off the courts that she
has UMBC staff, students and fans alike singing her praises. With an impressive resume of athletics and academic accomplishments, Carapcea has become the
embodiment of the successful student-athlete.
Carapcea, who hails from Constanta, Romania, is a senior
captain and a driving force on the women’s tennis team. Last spring, she earned
CoSIDA Academic All-America and America East All-Conference honors, and was
named the team’s MVP after posting 30 wins on the season.
Carapcea practices her role as a leader off the court, as
well. “Whenever there’s a problem with homework, it’s 'Hey, go ask Cornelia,’”
she laughed.
That is because Carapcea is one of the top students not only
on the team, but also at UMBC. She has managed to maintain a perfect 4.00 GPA
while juggling a double major in information systems and financial economics.
Just recently, she was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, one of the nation’s most
prestigious undergraduate honor societies.
Carapcea’s ability to balance academics with athletics is
rooted in her childhood experiences in Romania. She began playing tennis with
her father when she was about five years old. At age seven, she started working
with a coach and competing in tournaments. By high school, Carapcea said she
was going to school for six or seven hours a day, practicing for one of the
best teams in her hometown for two, then returning home to “study, study,
study.”
“Both my mom and dad pushed my brothers and me to do
everything--to go to tennis practice, to do well in school, especially in math
because that’s the Eastern European mentality,” she said. “So growing up, I had
this really good mix of school and sports.”
Despite her experience and the encouragement she was getting
from home, Carapcea’s transition to UMBC proved difficult at times.
“I was homesick a lot my freshman year. I missed my parents,
and I missed my mom’s food,” she said.
Fortunately, Carapcea’s busy schedule has helped keep her
mind off of her nostalgia. She says that her absence has been especially difficult
on her parents, as she is only able to visit home once or twice a year. “I
think it’s been harder for my parents than it has been for me. They still have
the same routine, but now I’m out of the picture,” she said.
Upon graduating from high school, Carapcea knew that she
wanted to continue her education somewhere outside of Romania. “The U.S. is
really the only place is the world where you can get a good education and
continuing playing a sport that you love,” she said.
UMBC offered her the best combination of academics,
athletics and financial aid. She was drawn to the computer science and
economics programs that the university offered, and she felt a connection to then-head
tennis coach Keith Puryear, whom she had spoken with over the phone. From their
conversations, Puryear saw a great student, player and potential leader in
Carapcea.
“What we did not know and could
not tell from the recruiting process,” Puryear said, “were the intangibles she
brought to the table--her drive, her self-motivation and her desire to do her
best and be the best at everything.”
The former Retriever coach will
remember Carapcea as a student-athlete who never put limits on herself on or
off the court and who was willing to go to great lengths to bring the team
victory.
“I am so glad to have had the
opportunity to bring her to the UMBC community,” Puryear said. “It is better
because of her.”
Carapcea, in turn, is grateful
for the opportunities and experiences that UMBC has provided her. With a
refreshing dose of humility, she called her scholarship the greatest of her
many awards.
“What came afterwards was just
a result of me getting that scholarship and then meeting the right people,” she
said. “Whenever somebody tells me about an award, I think 'Oh, that’s awesome,
that’s great’ but then I feel that it wasn’t just me. A lot of it is having
great people around me all the time.”
One of those great people was
Dr. Anita Komlodi of the information systems department on campus. Carapcea has
worked for Komlodi as an undergraduate research assistant for almost two years,
during which time the work has taken her to Tunisia and Malaysia. Grateful,
Carapcea says she enjoyed the exciting projects that she did as an assistant
and remembers consistently relying on Komlodi’s advice and help.
Next, there is Carapcea’s freshman-year
doubles partner and subsequent assistant coach, Ale Pedergnana. Carapcea called
Pedergnana her athletic role model and “the best player I’ve ever met in terms
of her ability to stay focused on the court and make the most out of a match.”
Carapcea also credits Puryear
with having a hand in her growth and success over the years. An impulsive
player as a freshman, Carapcea remembers not caring how she won as long as the
win was tallied. Puryear helped her focus and improve both her skills and her
attitude.
“That was huge for me. Keith
was both a good coach and a good psychologist,” she laughed.
Carapcea said that her time at
UMBC has positively impacted her in other ways, as well. She reflected on the progression
of her leadership style over the years, from “tending to lead things and
organize people according to a certain vision that I come up with” to taking
everyone’s opinions into account. Most of all, she said, she has learned to
stand back and listen.
It seems that all of Carapcea’s
efforts have paid off. She is on track to graduate this spring after her senior
campaign. Her goals for her final season include winning the conference
championship.
“I see the girls on the tennis
team. They work so hard every day. They just deserve it,” she said.
Carapcea values the time she
has spent with her teammates and will miss the van trips to tournaments with
them the most. She cherishes the bonds she has formed with the team, and refers
to them as sisters. She predicts that those friendships, above all, will be
what stick with her from her undeniably successful career at UMBC.
After graduation, Carapcea will
work full-time for Microsoft’s Live Search team in Seattle. As a child, she
remembers joking about coming to the United States and working for Microsoft.
“It’s pretty much the best deal I could have
gotten--coming from Romania, coming to college here, then getting a job with
Microsoft,” she said. “It was sort of one of those things you just dream of. But,
it’s happened. I’ve been really lucky.”
With the kind of talent,
dedication, and hard work that Carapcea has unfailingly displayed throughout
her years at UMBC, it seems that she has made her own luck--while thousands of
miles from home, nonetheless.