What brought you here?

Springfield College students from near and far explain why they decided to call Alden Street home.

was really unique, and it offers Hoophall, which obviously is a big deal in my field to get the job that I want. Also, schools close to me did not offer the same indepth program of Sport Management. I wanted to get a new experience and step out of my comfort zone, and to get away from everyday normal life for me back in Colorado.”

Kael Donley (New Orleans)- Junior, Communications/Sports Journalism

Olivia Gentry (Cincinnati, Ohio)- First Year, Communications/ Sports Journalism

Deciding where to attend college is a difficult decision with many variables to consider. Whether it be the right major or sport, the four years that a student will spend on the college of their choice, will greatly affect their future. For students at Springfield College, the selection process was similar to many, with some falling in love with a certain program, and others having the opportunity to continue their athletic career at the collegiate level. Students reflect on their rationale when finally settling on coming to Alden Street.

Marc Villanueva (Barcelona)- First Year, Sport Management

“I really wanted to play Tennis in college, as I had played it for a long time. I definitely wanted to be on a tennis team somewhere, and the Sport Management program was another point of interest. The combination of the two met the criteria for the school I wanted to attend, and so Springfield was a good fit for me.”

Danny Brady (Englewood, Colo.)- First Year, Sport Management

“The main factor was the Sport Management program. I thought it

“I found out about Springfield from my friend who goes here. Mainly, he came here because of gymnastics, as there’s only so many gymnastics schools in the country. I always knew the name of Springfield College because of gymnastics – that’s really the only reason why I knew of the school. Gymnastics was the main factor why I came here. Also, hearing from my friend who came here before me, he always talked about how he liked it here and how it’s a very close-knit group of friends that he’d have.”

“I got recruited to come play volleyball at Springfield College by coach Moira Long. She reached out to me via a recruiting website. At first I was a bit hesitant, but then I looked at the school and saw that they were interested in me. At this point, I knew I wanted to do Sports Journalism. So, I took a visit from Ohio, walked around campus and it felt like home. It was definitely a very good energy.”

Salim Fofana (Bangkok, Thailand)- First year, Sports Biology

“I chose Springfield College because it offered me a really good financial aid package. It has a really good Sports Medicine program as well, which relates to what I want to do with sports biology. Also, they have a very good athletic department, and they could help me get a job after college.”

Emily Beatrice (Shrewsbury, Mass.)First year, Athletic Training

“Springfield has a really good athletics-oriented campus, as well as really good majors relating to the sports – including the Athletic Training program – which is what I want to do. Also the college is not very big, which is what I was looking for. Smaller classes means better opportunities to really get to know my professors.”

Mikaili Charlemagne

Mikaili Charlemagne earned the crown of the Springfield Student Women’s Athlete of the Week with 35.8 percent of the vote after a phenomenal weekend in the pool. The senior swimmer earned the NEWMAC crown in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 23.18 seconds. She was also part of the 200-yard freestyle relay team that broke the Springfield College school record, and finished second in the 100-yard butterfly.

The second vote-getter was Jillian Scott with 29.9 percent of the vote. The sophomore pole vaulter for the women’s track and field team set the Springfield College pole vault record after clearing a height of 11 feet and

Owen Oldenburg

Taking the poll for the Springfield Student Men’s Athlete of the Week was Owen Oldenburg with 39.3% of the vote after he also excelled in the pool. The senior swimmer broke the Springfield College record for the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 51.04 at the NEWMAC Championships on Saturday.

Noah Weislo was second for the honor after receiving 21.3 percent of the vote. The sophomore outside hitter for the men’s volleyball team combined for 30 kills in Springfield’s three games this past week.

Third place was a tie between Aidan

Harmer and Josiah Evely, who each got 19.7 percent in the polls. Harmer is a senior mid-distance runner for the men’s track and field team who set a personal best and finished in first place in the 1000-meter run with a time of 2:36.35 at the Triangle Classic on Saturday. Evely is a first-year forward for the men’s basketball team who led the way with 18 points on 7-for-13 shooting in the Pride’s 92-65 win over Coast Guard on Saturday. Be sure to follow @TheSpfldStudent on Twitter to vote in the next poll!

3.75 inches at the Triangle Classic on Saturday.

Sam Hourihan came in third with 23.9 percent of the vote. The senior forward for the women’s basketball team combined for 26 points and 23 rebounds in the Pride’s two games this past week.

Rounding out the poll was Devon Rosier after a great performance over the weekend. The senior gymnast led the Pride in the floor with a score of 9.750 and led Springfield in the balance beam with a score of 9.600 in the Pride’s meet against Cortland on Saturday.