Newcomers, Part II: Jackie Buzaid

Today, take a few moments to read the background of another freshman, Jackie Buzaid, a walk-on from Lake Grove, N.Y., who earned her place on our team this offseason with a great work ethic and spirit.

My name is Jackie Buzaid.  I am a so excited to be a freshman at the Mount.  I looked at many schools but decided that the Mount was the place for me when I came here in February to compete for a full tuition academic scholarship.  It was on that trip that I fell in love with the school.  I felt at home, everyone was so nice, the campus so beautiful.

I was always interested in sports as a child and played many, but when I was in middle school I narrowed it down to tennis, basketball and track.  In high school, I played and was a captain of my tennis, basketball and track teams. But my true passion was always basketball.

During my 7^th grade middle school basketball season, my ability as a basketball player was beginning to get recognized and my parents were told numerous times that I should join an AAU team and train; they started looking into it when tragedy struck my family.  My dad, a Mount Alum, had an MRI during my last game for my 7^th grade middle school team – he thought he tore his rotator cuff, the results showed a massive cancerous tumor.  After a few weeks and many tests we discovered that he had Stage 4 Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.  My families’ focus for the next three years was to get my dad healthy again.  There was no time or energy for AAU Basketball but I was able to train at a local church. That training became my outlet.  In April of 10^th grade I was finally able to join an AAU team.  I tried out for a few and decided that I really wanted to play for Coach Leon Martin.  Thankfully, he took me on his team.  I played one year for him with the Silver Bullets and one year for him with the Long Island Lightning.  During my high school basketball career, I played for Centereach High School.  

When I visited in February I went up to the grotto to say a prayer for my dad and my cousin Nick, also a Mount alum who lost his battle with Leukemia in 2010. I knew that the Mount was the place for me. I am so excited and thankful for the opportunity to play for the Mount.

Newcomers: Katrice Dickson and Caroline Hummell

meet two of our freshmen, Caroline Hummell and Katrice Dickson....

Katrice from Hagerstown, Md.
My name is Katrice Dickson and I am a freshman at Mount St. Mary’s University. Coach Whit and the rest of the staff recruited me for the women’s basketball team around my junior year in high school. The recruiting process was somewhat stressful, but after visiting the Mount and experiencing the atmosphere here, it made my decision easy. I am from Hagerstown, Maryland, which is only 45 minutes from campus. Being within about 5 hours of home was one of the attributes I was seeking in a college so that I could have my family and friends support me every now and again. Being so close to home was only one of the many things I loved here! Everyone is extremely nice! From my teammates to other students to the professors, you’ll never go a day without being smiled at 10 times at least. When I came on my official visit, I could feel the positive energy.

I’ve been playing basketball since I was around 7 years old. I started playing at the YMCA. I was involved in summer leagues, played in middle school, participated in AAU and played in high school. Basketball has pretty much been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I also have played soccer since I was 4 years old, but basketball has just always been my passion. I cannot wait to see what lies ahead of me on this new journey at Mount St. Mary’s :)

Caroline from Brights Grove, Ontario
     Eh! Hello there! My name is Caroline Hummell, and I am a freshman here at Mount St. Mary’s. I am a forward/center and I am number 32. I’m originally from Sarnia, Ontario, CANADA, and I’m a proud canuck. Ever since I was little, I’ve dreamt of playing basketball in America at the division 1 level. Throughout the recruiting process, The Mount remained at the top of my list. When I was on my official, I fell in love with the school almost instantaneously. The campus is so beautiful and I feel very safe on it. In regards to basketball, I love the way the team plays and the team truly makes me feel like I’m part of a family. That was extremely important to me since I was planning on going far away from home. Being a serious student, I also wanted to go to a school that was well known for their academics. The Mount has a wonderful biopsychology program that caught my eye right away, and their connections with big medical schools (like John Hopkins) is another bonus.

     I’m forever thankful to have been blessed with the amazing opportunity to represent this fantastic school and I can’t wait for big things to come!

Mount Happenings: Opening Mass & Convocation

On Monday, the 2014-15 academic year officially kicked-off at The Mount with our annual Opening Mass & Convocation. The gathering served as a chance for faculty and staff on campus to show support for the students, as they embark upon a new year of challenges and learning.

The day begins as faculty and seniors stroll across campus, entering the Knott Area together.

The ceremony began with a full Mass, during which university chaplain the Rev. Brian P. Nolan encouraged students to represent the university with virtues of faith, hope and love. At Mount St. Mary's, a Catholic university, students of all faiths are welcome, but more than three-fourths of this year's freshmen are Catholic.

TOO CUTE! Teammates (L to R) Stacey, Caroline, Katrice, Kalifa, Jody, Kaitlyn, Kayla, Alexis, Sarafina and Jayla sit together.

 

Following the Mass, university president Thomas Powell led a convocation, welcoming the students to a new academic year and honoring several seniors and juniors who "serve as an example to all of us of the good work our students do."

Our president Dr. Thomas Powell leads the Convocation.

The university then inducted the new student government association, the new seminary students and freshmen. This year's freshman class is the second-largest in school history. The senior class was honored as well, and each student received a senior pin.

The faculty process into the arena.

Mount Move-in Day

More than 500 Mount St. Mary's freshmen converged on the campus last week and unloaded their belongings Friday to begin their first semester as college residents.

Freshmen roommates Katrice (left) and Jess.

The class is the second-largest in the history of the university. This class also sets two Mount admissions records with the largest number of applications (6,200) and highest share of domestic minority students (33 percent) in university history.

Seniors Jackie and Jenn moving-in to their dorm room for the last time!

The freshmen come from 308 high schools and represent 26 states (53 percent from Maryland), plus the District of Columbia. The most popular intended majors are business, biology and education.

ROOMIES! (L to R) Stacey, Caroline and Kalifa pose in their news digs.

On move-in day, students, parents and grandparents were greeted with big smiles by several faculty and rugby team members and Reserve Officers Training Corps cadets who helped carry the students' personal property into their rooms.

Alumna Reflection: Tara Lonergan

Tara Longergan graduated from the Mount in May 2013 with a degree in History as a four-year letterwinner in women's basketball. Behind the ARCC recently caught up with the former forward to see what she has been up to since graduation.

            Since graduating from The Mount last year, I have become a full-time nanny for a two- and four-year-old who live in the same town as me. It’s tiring and stressful at times, but mostly it is a blast to get to hang out with two kids all day that love to laugh and play. I also work once a week at ValeU Group, which is an unclaimed property and asset recovery agency, as an asset investigator. Here, we find people's and company’s lost money that was recovered and never claimed by the individual. My boss is extremely laid back, and I’m just learning the in's and out's of the business for now.
 
          After playing basketball for four years away at school, I missed out on a lot of my other siblings’ sporting events. It was awesome getting to watch my sister play college basketball at Molloy for the first time (She’s a junior.) and along with a former teammate of mine. I was also able to watch my younger brother play on the JV basketball team for his high school and be the first team to go undefeated. I also tried out coaching for the first time and coached my sister’s 8^th grade town team, which was definitely an experience in itself.



Tara with two of her siblings, Paul and Paige.

            Looking back at my time at The Mount I would have to say I miss my teammates the most. I am still very close to many of my former teammates, but its different when you don’t get to see and play with them everyday. Living in New York, I was able to attend some of the games up here this past season, and I missed the team atmosphere that took place during the game. My favorite memory would have to be beating Seton Hall, which was the first time The Mount ever beat a BCS school, and beat Monmouth in the first round of playoffs during my senior year. I had my up's and down's while being at The Mount and after looking back at it this past year, I would definitely do it all over again.


Tara with (L to R) fellow 2013 alumna Selina Mann, 2014 grad Jessie Kaufman and current junior Jody Chickey.

Senior Reflections: Jessica Kaufman

You know how everyone tells you that college will be the fastest four years of your life??? Well they’re not lying! Recently, I strutted across the graduation stage, snapped a selfie, accepted my diploma, and here I am: Jessie Kaufman – Mount Alum.

 

The Mount was great to me all four years.  From coaches, teammates, classmates, roommates, staff, teachers and friends, everyone welcomed me with open arms.  The community here at the Mount is one unlike any other.  It is unique, and it is something that I will truly always appreciate. This community makes this mountain a home to all that come to visit, and the lucky ones who decide to stay.

 

For as long as I can remember, my life has revolved around sports.  Playing basketball at the Mount has been a long, but extremely rewarding journey.  The memories I’ve made, relationships I’ve built, and goals I have accomplished are ones that will never be forgotten.  I am thankful to Coach Whit for giving me the opportunity to be a part of his program.  I thank all the coaches who I was able to play for here at the Mount, for all their guidance throughout my career. I am forever indebted to my teammates who became lifelong friends, and my family for their endless amount of love, support, dedication and confidence that they supplied me with throughout my entire career.  The Mount will forever be my home, and for that I am eternally grateful.

Senior Reflections: Rachel Mathews

My experience at The Mount and on the women's basketball team there is one that I will never forget and will cherish for the rest of my life. As most high school student-athletes, I had my hopes set on playing at the big Division I schools. To be honest, my dream school was UNC. It didn't take long for reality to set in though, and I realized that that was not exactly possible for me. I was lucky enough for The Mount to find me. Little did I know, I was about to embark upon a journey that would leave me with a second family, a new appreciation on life, and another place to call home.

 

I was only 3 and a half hours from my family, but since I always had to be at school due to basketball, it sometimes felt as if I was so much further away. That never fazed me though. My teammates (my sisters) have been one of the best support systems out there. Most people don't understand the bond that is created among a college team after having spent so much time together with workouts, traveling, and summer school. I guess the best way to describe it is like a sorority of athletes. I could go on and on and tell certain stories that I'm sure will embarrass some of my teammates, but I think that I should probably just end by saying that it is crazy how someone can bring in strangers from all over the world, and then we became teammates, then friends, and now we're a family. Go Mount!