Being an athlete in college, no matter what division, is about playing the game that you love. As a senior, this season could be the last season many get to play the sport they grew up on.
Alex Ramos, Tyheim Monroe and Kimberly Pepenella are three senior athletes who are graduating in May of 2018.
“Being a college athlete has made me realize that I had the opportunity to play the sport that I love while also receiving an education at the collegiate level,” Monroe said.
Ramos is a softball player who has been playing since the age of five years old. She has put 17 years into the sport she loves and will miss it when she leaves.
“It’s hard to say exactly how I will feel after my last game, but one thing I will miss that reigns over all else is being a part of a team,” Ramos said.
Monroe has been playing basketball since he was six years old.
“As I enter my final year in college, I’m truly appreciative to be one of those few kids to live my dream of having the chance to be a student-athlete in college,” Monroe said.
Only 480,000 of the nearly eight million American students currently participating in high school athletics will compete at NCAA schools, according to the NCAA.
After playing tennis for nine years, Pepenella is saying goodbye to the team she has been with for the last four years.
“Being a student-athlete to me means that we get to wear Cabrini Cavaliers on our uniforms and represent it while doing what we love. Coming back to campus with a win while still maintaining great grades is all that matters,” Pepenella said.
Monroe reflects that having pride for the team you play for makes every game meaningful.
“Most importantly, there is a chance I will never be able to play a basketball game with the same intensity that I have in college,” Monroe said.
Throughout their years of playing the games they love, there have been tough times.
“There were times when I felt like I was just not producing and not playing to my potential. All of the struggles sometimes made success seem so distant,” Ramos said.
“There were many times where I felt that tennis was in the way but I was always able to make time and stay involved with everything else that I do,” Pepenella said.
Monroe has thought about leaving the team a couple times throughout his years.
“There were times that I had to run a 17 and one at practice, which is running back and forth 17 times in one minute horizontally down the court, and I wanted to quit almost every single time. But my pride and love for the game pushed me through when I wanted to quit,” Monroe said.
As a student-athlete, it teaches many lessons.
“Being a member of a college sport, I have learned what it is like to work harder than I ever have before,” Ramos said. “It has instilled an attitude of hard work and never giving up on myself or others.”
“I will miss wearing my jersey with Cabrini on the front, representing a school and a team that I have grown so fond of,” Ramos said.
