When did you start to play lacrosse?
2^nd grade
 
How did you become involved with it?
My dad signed me up for the community team
 
Was this a sport you knew you wanted to play in college?
 I knew I wanted to play lacrosse in college when I started playing for a travel team in middle school.
 
Coaches sometimes talk about the adjustments that players have to make from high school to college. What was different for you as a first-year after playing for Sachem-East HS on Long Island?
The biggest change from high school to college was the course load and balancing the intensity of school and lacrosse, but having the support of the team made that transition as smooth as possible for me.                                                                                                          
You were very productive in both field hockey and lacrosse in high school. It's a different adjustment, isn't it – going from a sport with the ball at your feet to a sport with the ball safely nestled in your stick?
Despite the differences, both field hockey and lacrosse both require intense communication and a strong work ethic, which makes them a lot more similar than most people think.
 
Your club team on Long Island was named Team Elevate. Where did you play matches and how long was a typical club season?
Club lacrosse typically ran from the end of spring, throughout the summer, and into the fall. I played games all throughout the Northeast, but the furthest I traveled to play lacrosse was Florida for the President's Cup Tournament.

What keys are you reading as you approach the circle on attack?
Communication from my teammates and whether or not we should push the ball.
 
Does the defense play you differently based on whether you have the ball or not?
When you have the ball on attack, the defense definitely feels more intense.
 
At halftime and after a match, Coach Behme will analyze how the players are performing. Do you analyze yourself in terms of a specific match – besides the basic statistical items like goals and assists?
I definitely like to analyze my energy levels based on how the team is doing overall. When we're doing well, my energy stays high and I feel pumped throughout halftime. If we're not doing as well as planned, I like to refocus and convince myself that the score is 0-0, leaving any bad energy in the first half.
 
When you are home, do you plan to work with any youth programs – coaching, counseling, working behind the scenes, etc.? What do you like about doing that?
I've been a volunteer coach for my community since high school and since then I also began working individually with young female lacrosse players each summer. I love being able to watch someone become more confident and have pride in their skill level, especially when they start successfully using the skills learned in the individual sessions in practice and games.
 
When did the first contact come from the University of Rochester?
 My sophomore year of high school I began receiving emails from the school and then reach out to Coach Behme in the beginning of junior year.
 
What convinced you to attend?
After coming to a camp, I was impressed by how many women on the team had the ability to participate in other communities on campus outside of lacrosse. Hearing about the intensity of their courses, research the players were involved in, and the clubs that they joined made me extremely motivated to be surrounded by such incredible people that could push me to grow on and off the field. On top of the people I'd surround myself with, the academic mobility and opportunities for people interested in entering the healthcare field were incredible.
 
What interested you about biology as a major?
Currently, my biggest goal is to become a physician assistant (PA). Not only is microbiology a topic I'm extremely fascinated by, but the major fulfils most of the required courses for PA school, such as interesting classes like Genetics and Biochemistry, two courses I'm taking this year.
 
Have you worked with any campus groups tied to your studies?
I recently became a lab assistant in the Jonason Lab at the URMC, studying osteoarthritis on the molecular level. This research has already taught me so much about lab techniques and cellular mechanisms, and has been an incredible experience overall. In addition, I'm the business manager of the Pre-Physician Assistant Society on campus. The new community has created an amazing platform to meet people on the same healthcare track and share resources about the PA career overall.