Roundtable Discussion

Most Athletic

CHRISTIAAN MCCRAY

Roundtable Facilitator, Senior REIVEN DOUGLAS

Basketball, Sophomore

JASON BUDHAI

Soccer, Senior

AVERY JORDAN

Track & Field (Sprints/Hurdles), Sophomore

JASMIN WILLIAMS

Track & Field (Jumps), Freshman

DONOVAN BROWN

Tennis, Junior

HOW DID YOUR UPBRINGING INFLUENCE YOUR PARTICIPATION IN SPORTS?

Q:

Reiven: “My parents played a major impact with basketball, and overall success. My parents influenced my interest in sports because of their involvement in sports, and my father’s experience of being a collegiate track athlete. From a young age, both of my parents encouraged me to try different sports, like, swimming, tennis, basketball, and track. Eventually, my sister and I fell in love with the sport of basketball and they supported our dream by finding different programs, teams and coaches.”

Donovan: “It was a different experience because no one in my immediate family plays tennis, and it is not a very popular sport, especially in our community. But, my uncle is a coach in Baltimore, and he gave me my first racket and started from there.”

Jasmin: “My entire life, I have been playing sports, whether it was gymnastics or track. For the most part, my upbringing was sports. Sports taught me structure. Sports taught me the value of participation, dedication, and commitment.

Q: HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN A WORK/LIFE BALANCE?

Reiven: “It becomes a routine, and you get used to it after doing it for so many years. But recently, the mental aspect of being a student-athlete has been very important for me. So, I manage ‘burnout’ by taking advantage of my off days, which is one day a week. During this one day, I separate myself from the game. I won’t even look at a basketball or go to the gym. I do different hobbies that are outside of my sport, and refuel myself.”

Donovan: “It is tough, but it is definitely doable, if you take advantage of your resources often. It is all about how you approach it mentally.”

Q: WHY DID YOU CHOOSE QUINNIPIAC? DID YOU HAVE ANY HESITATION CHOOSING IT DUE TO THE INSTITUTION BEING A PWI?

Avery: “I chose Quinnipiac because of the nursing program’s high credentials of being ranked #20 out of 518 schools in the country. But, I was hesitant because it was a PWI, and I was scared of the culture shock I would experience. I had more hesitation when I found out that there were only eight POC out of forty-six women on the track team.”

Donovan: “Originally, I was supposed to play at a D3 school in California, but my parents did not want me to attend. So, I came to Quinnipiac and I was not on a team. For the first two semesters, I was just a student, not a student-athlete. This was an adjustment because I was always used to saying “I am on a team” or just being a part and involved iwn something. I had to adjust to being one of the only black students, especially in my own living space.”

Jasmin: “I chose Quinnipiac for the 3+1

Bio Program and the team dynamic I saw within the track team. There was a lot of hesitation because I always wanted to attend an HBCU. I’ve attended a prejudiced school for my entire academic career and I didn’t want to relive those years. But unfortunately, racism, discrimination, and stereotypes exist everywhere.”

Q: WHO ARE YOU OUTSIDE OF YOUR RESPECTIVE SPORT AND WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS AFTER COLLEGE?

Reiven: “I am a woman of God, and a woman trying to grow her faith, which I take pride in finding ways to show it. I strive to be a person of love and light. Outside of sports, I want to use my voice, whether it is helping others through their journey, and or lifting their spirits. I am passionate about mentoring others through Bible studies on campus. In the future, I want to coach women’s basketball. If not, I want to follow the journalism path and be a sports analyst or an anchor.”

Jason: “I feel like outside of sports, I’m an engineering intern. This past summer, I was working for a construction company in New York City. I’m a coach. I coach younger kids in Long Island from time to time. And I’ll say, I’m a man of God, too. Overall, I just want to make my mom proud. I am not a first-generation student, but my mom went to college and dropped out. So, my siblings graduated and I feel held to a certain standard. I want to be like them, I just want to keep my head on the right track, stay focused and achieve what I came here to achieve. In the summer, I am playing semi-pro with USL2, and aiming to go pro, or I will stay on the engineering path.”

Avery: “Outside of track, I am a hardworking, energetic, passionate and disciplined person. After college, I strive to work in a hospital as a Nurse Practitioner in pediatric oncology.”