Monday, March 25, 2013

Alumni Spotlight: Kristin Scheitrum C/O 2011

Recently, we caught up with Mount Alum Kristin Scheitrum (c/o 2011) and asked her about her experience at Mount St. Mary's University.  Kristin is from Macungie, PA where she attended Emmaus High School. Upon graduation, Kristin took a marketing internship with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the Triple-A Affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies.  At the conclusion of the internship she was hired full-time as Manager of Corporate Partnerships.  Just recently, she accepted a new position as Client Services Coordinator for the Chicago Sky WNBA team. 

My experience at The Mount as a student-athlete was a little different than the norm, but something to remember forever.  I went to The Mount to play basketball with the plan of playing with my classmates/teammates for four years.  However, the life path I was on took a little detour and after suffering an injury at the beginning of my sophomore season, I thought I would never have the opportunity to play again.

I remained on the team and joined in everything – lifting, practice, film, etc.  I was able to contribute what I could as a practice player and as an extra set of eyes on the bench during the games.  But most importantly, I was able to be with my teammates, who became my family and best friends.  Despite not playing on the court with them all the time, we grew together through countless experiences and times that shaped us for the future.  Still to this day, they are some of my best friends.

While this life-changing experience was tough to grasp at the time, I came to appreciate even more, all The Mount had to offer outside of the gym.  On the academic side, my four years were filled with professors that have made significant impacts on my life.  The small classes allowed for more personal attention and the professors truly gave it to us.  Rarely were my classes taught out of books, but through real-world experiences.  I can’t imagine getting much more out of an education that what I got out of The Mount. 

The relationships I built at The Mount are truly what made my experience so blessed.  It’s a tight-knit, close community that supports each other through everything.  After college, people go many different ways but we all know that we have one same place in our heart, and regardless of the separation, we never grow apart.
 
Kristin did suffer a career ending injury, however she did suit up for her Senior Night.   With 1:05 left in the game, Coach Whitten called a timeout and Scheitrum checked in to the game.  After the timeout, junior Sandra Andresson inbounded the ball to freshman Ashley Christie , who dribbled around the 3-point line and then came back to the top of the key to find Scheitrum with on a bounce pass around the foul line. Scheitrum took one dribble, turned and went up for a left-handed shot that tickled the twine with 55 seconds left for her final collegiate basket. The crowd went WILD!!  Check out the video of this moment here : http://www.mountathletics.com/sports/wbkb/2010-11/releases/20110714s3uuop   It was one of the most memorable moments in Mount Women's basketball.
 
To read more about her injury and her journey here is a great article written by her hometown newspaper. http://articles.mcall.com/2009-12-05/sports/4487739_1_damage-forces-nerve-damage-cord-damage 
 
Leah Westbrooks, Mary Dunn, Kristin Scheitrum on Senior Night 2011.

Kristin signing autographs after the game

Seniors being Seniors.
 
Kristin's shot during Senior Night
Left Handed!!!


Mrs. & Mr. Scheitrum


Kristin  pictured with Riley & Taylor, her new sisters!
 
Still best friends: Kristin, Leah & Mary last summer.

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Catching up with Alum Mary Dunn (c/o 2011)


We caught up with Mount St. Mary’s University Alum Mary Dunn the other day and asked her all about her experiences as a student-athlete at The Mount.  Mary Dunn, Class of 2011, was a four year starter for the women’s basketball program from 2007-2011.  She came to the Mount from Whippany, NJ,   where she attended Morris Catholic High School. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications, she played professionally in Puerto Rico for Mets de Guaynabo. Dunn is currently a graduate assistant for the Bethune-Cookman Women’s Basketball Program, working on her masters in Transformative Leadership.

·      My experience attending the Mount was probably typical for most student-athletes. Who could ever forget 6 am weights, running hills with our strength coach, or two-a-days at the start of the season? Being a student-athlete at the Mount was definitely a challenge, but no matter how tough it got, we knew we would get through it together - as a family.
I had a great 4 years at the Mount as a member of the Women’s Basketball team, and from the second I left Emmitsburg, I knew it wasn’t about the wins or losses, but the relationships that blossomed over my career. I can truly say that I left the Mount with life-long friends, and memories that I will never forget. The Mount gave me the opportunity to meet amazing teammates who turned into my best friends, whom I continue to lean on and learn from to this day.
My coaches, professors and administration during my time at the Mount have all influenced who I am today in my life and career. It is a tight-knit community that always went out of their way to get to know me as a person, and was always willing to help. They have become my frame of reference moving forward in my life because of the respect that I have for them and all that they have done for me.
I will always look back on my time at the Mount as a student-athlete, and be thankful for the opportunity that I was given to succeed and grow to my full potential. I will always be proud to be a member of the Mount family, and look forward to every chance I get to go back and visit my alma mater.

Mary Dunn Graduate Assistant at Bethune Cookman University

In Puerto Rico playing for Mets de Guaynabo

Senior Year at The Mount

Senior Night with her parents & Coach Whitten