Q:: Three things I can't live without...
A:: Family. Friends. Basketball.
Q:: Why I chose Stony Brook University...
A:: I chose Stony Brook University because of its great academic reputation along with the chance for play basketball at a great Division I school. Stony Brook has so many support services for its student-athletes and there are so many people that care about me as a person.
Q:: Favorite class and why...
A:: I loved my Biology classes my sophomore and junior years because I like learning about the systems of the body and how they work together. The teachers were great at explaining the material and were always available for help if we had questions. The biology classes I took gave me a great foundation for my other science courses throughout my time here at Stony Brook.
Q:: One thing I have learned at Stony Brook that I will carry with me for the rest of my life is...
A:: The biggest thing I’ve learned while I’ve been at Stony Brook that I will use for the rest of my life is the value of hard work. If you don’t work hard at everything that you do, then the difficult things in life won’t get done. Working hard in college ? on the court and in classes ? will help me so much when I leave Stony Brook. I’m sure there will be hard days at work and I can look back on my time here and value that I’ve become a hard worker.
Q:: Other than playing in the NBA, my dream job is...
A:: Pharmacist.
Q:: Other than my parents, the person who has had the most influence on me is and why...
A:: The person who has influenced me the most is my high school coach who brought me to McDonogh. He instilled in me that you always have to have the drive inside you to achieve what you set out to do. Without drive and determination, achieving big things will not happen. I use this lesson a lot at Stony Brook ? his influence will stay with me always.
Q:: The best thing about being a Stony Brook Seawolf is...
A:: The thing I like about being a Stony Brook Seawolf is that there is a great family-like atmosphere among the student-athletes. Teams support each other and it’s great to look in the stands and see other athletes there. If you go to a women’s soccer game, you’re bound to see other athletes supporting them. I like that we’re a big family.
Q:: Most memorable moment as an athlete...
A:: The most memorable moment as an athlete that I have is when we beat the #1 seed, Boston University, in the America East tournament. No one thought we could do it, but we, as a team, believed in ourselves and went to that tournament and upset them. I’ll remember it always.
Q:: What I did this week as a student...
A:: This past week was crazy. We started classes for the spring semester last week so it was weird to get back into a routine. I’m in my senior year as a Health Science major so I have classes at the Stony Brook University Medical Center four days a week. The first week of classes our teachers give us a syllabus that details what we’ll do in class for that semester. My classes look exciting because I’m finally learning about the Healthcare Management field. Study hall is not mandatory for me because my GPA is pretty solid, but I did some studying on my own so I’d be caught up for this week since we miss three days of classes for games.
Q:: What I did this week as an athlete...
A:: Last week we got back into our semester routine where most of my team has classes in the morning, then we practice in the afternoon and have study hall at night. My schedule is different though because of my major. We had a day off on Tuesday and then practice Wednesday because we played Maine on Thursday. We lifted three times last week and had practice to prepare for our game against Vermont. It was great because those were both home games so there wasn’t any travel associated with them. This week is very different because we’re away Wednesday and Saturday.
Q:: Based upon my experiences growing up, my advice for young kids about school and athletics is...
A:: My best advice for young kids is that you need to do your schoolwork NOW in order to get athletic opportunities later. You can’t just breeze through school and expect the athletic part of your life to take over. If you do that, your high school and college classes are going to be so hard for you. If that’s the case, then you won’t even get to play sports because you’ll be doing so poorly in your classes. You should work hard now, learn how you learn best, listen to your teachers, and be disciplined to get the work done on your own. If you do that when you’re young, then colleges will want you to come play sports there because you already have a good academic background. Coaches aren’t going to want you if you can’t get it done in the classroom.
Q:: Why I am looking forward to the America East Men’s Basketball Championship at Agganis Arena in Boston on March 2-4...
A::I am looking forward to the America East Men’s Basketball Championship at Agganis Arena in Boston because it’s the most exciting time of the year.