A Thank You to Piedmont | 2019 Volleyball Senior Class

Piedmont has been my home the last four years and I could not imagine it any different. Over the past four years, I have experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. One thing I have learned is that college is what you make it. I did not know what I was getting myself into when I decided to come to Piedmont - all I knew is that I wanted a great education and I wanted to extend my sports career. Thankfully, I accomplished both things I set out to do. 

I want to thank my coaches and Piedmont’s entire athletic department. My coaches believed in my ability when I wanted the chance to switch positions after my first two years, and for that I will forever be thankful. Thank you Coach Jamie, Coach Amy, and Coach Rachel. To Coach Peeples and Coach Timmy McCormack, I will never forget the encouraging words you always seemed to give when I needed it most. To the athletic training department, thank you x1000 for always keeping my body healthy and not only caring about my injuries but caring about me in a holistic view (shoutout to Connor Chrisman and Stephanie Smart). A final thank you to Coach Trey Martin for giving me the chance to be a dual-sport athlete and finding an undiscovered passion for tennis. Piedmont athletics gave me everything I had hoped for growing up and I couldn’t possibly begin to explain my gratitude toward everyone in the athletic department.

Piedmont emphasizes that you are a student before you are an athlete and that was one of my deciding factors for choosing Piedmont. I was lucky enough to have the greatest academic experience. To the entire natural science department, especially my majors professors, I could not have thrived nearly as much without the support of you all. You made my love for biology become a passion and I will always cherish the “real life” talks we shared on many occasions. 

Finally, a thank you to my friends and family. Piedmont provides a great support system, but without my friends and family pushing me every step of the way, I would not have enjoyed my four years nearly as much. These past four years have been everything to me, but with graduation right around the corner, I am ready for whatever life throws at me.

After transferring from another school, I was so anxious that I wouldn’t be accepted into the program as I would have hoped. I was completely wrong in those thoughts. That’s why I want to say a huge thank you to my coaches, my teammates, and faculty and staff of the athletic department.

To my teammates, I want to say thank you for giving me something to work for, people to work hard for, and a purpose for all my hard work throughout the years. I have some of the best memories on the court cutting up with teammates, making a killer play, and winning some crucial games. Thank you to everyone that accepted me when that is really the biggest thing I needed at the time.

I do not just want to thank my teammates but my coaches too. Without Coach Jamie McCormack, I wouldn’t have been able to play after my freshman year. She constantly made adjustments for me after my hundreds of injuries, and she always believed in my ability, even at times when I thought she was crazy for doing so. She took the time to know me as a player and a person which really meant the world to me. Thank you again for opening up your program to me and always having my back when I needed it. 

Lastly, I want to thank the faculty and staff of the sports department who made me always feel welcome, important, and a part of the Piedmont family. The facilities at Piedmont have always amazed me, and I am lucky to have gotten to use them. I hate that my time as a student-athlete has been cut short, but I know that I will always be a Piedmont Lion. 

It’s hard to imagine that the end of a pivotal four years is near, and it's just as hard to put into words what it feels like to look back on everything that Piedmont has brought me. Getting to play one of the sports that I love so much, while on a journey to getting closer to knowing what I truly want to do in life, is something I will be forever grateful for. It took a small army to get me to where I am today.

To all my coaches, thank you for pushing me (really pushing me, curse you partner runs) to strive for the best outcome each time I step onto the court. Coach Jamie, Rachel, and Amy, thank you for instilling a sense of discipline, dedication, and self-accountability that I will always carry with me. Some of my fondest moments of PC are centered around a net in the Mize, and it breaks my heart to think that my collegiate career is over. I couldn’t imagine life without the experience. A huge thank you goes out to the athletic training staff for keeping us all healthy or on the right track to playing again, and on top of it all, teaching me. As an athletic training major, I basically lived in the athletic training room and can, more than the average student-athlete, account for the stellar compassion driven work ethic that the PC AT staff uphold. ATCs are the backbone of an athletic department, after all!

Of course, the athletic training faculty in Daniel deserve all the praise for going above and beyond to help athletic training majors reach our potential and aim for academic excellence. I’m convinced I would not have gotten the same kind of quality, personalized education anywhere else. There’s no way I would be where I am today without their constant guidance and commitment. I can’t wait to see where the world of athletic training takes me.

And last but certainly not least, thank you to my family and friends. Nothing would be possible without the sacrifices made and opportunities created through my parents, who have supported my athletic and academic endeavors from day one on multiple sides of the world. I am forever grateful for the values they have encouraged me to hold close in order to thrive in life. I will always have my family and friends to thank for making me who I am today. So, thank you everyone, for a college and life experience I will always hold close to my heart.