Meet Our Terrier Student-AthletesMacKenzie Riley Young | April 13, 2021
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Meet some of Thomas College’s Terrier student-athletes. Their stories reflect what they have learned from their athletic experiences, from overcoming adversity to building leadership and more. Your support on the Day of Giving helps to make these experiences possible – and prepares students for a lifetime of success beyond Thomas.
“I love being a student-athlete because I get to make connections with friends through sharing a passion for tennis. Traveling with your team is such a good bonding experience and creates so many memories I will always remember.” -Alexis Nestor, WTEN
“I love the support that comes with being a part of the athletic community here at Thomas; my teams are like a second family to me. People on campus care and ask how your seasons going or how the meet/game went, and they genuinely want to know and want to come and support, and I feel that’s such a big part of the Thomas community.” -Audrey Kimball – XC/T&F
“I attend Thomas College to make myself a better person as a leader and learner. I would like to take all of the experiences from my time here and be able to apply them to the world outside of Thomas.” -Cooper Lyons, MSOC
“Playing sports at Thomas has a huge impact on my future. It teaches me a lot about patience and how to rewrite the script if things aren’t going well during a practice or a game.” -Ryan Kappelmann, BASE/Hockey
“The competitive nature the coaches bring to our teams every day is the reason why so many of us have great success. Thomas is the place to be!” -Jackson Ladd, BASE
“What makes being an athlete here at Thomas so special is the entire school community. Our home games were always full of proud fans who cheered for us throughout our entire championship season. Knowing you have support from your school community motivates you to represent Thomas well and win for these great people.” -Hunter Hughes, Hockey
“Being a student-athlete at Thomas brings you some great opportunities and some great competition.” -Jarrod Hooper, XC/T&F
“My dream is to open up my own sporting goods store. At Thomas, I find that everyone is helpful – academics and athletics – on helping you better yourself as a person. The support of my academic and athletic coaches have been a great help to me.” -Jada Samuels, WSOC
“The beauty of Thomas College is the sense of community that all students feel. It does not matter what year you are; whether you live on campus or you commute; or whether you are an athlete or not -everyone has a name, and everyone is important. Thomas has been and continues to be a good fit for me, and I want to know I have made an impact in my college community after I graduate.” -Jose Afonso, MTEN
“What I like the most about being a student-athlete at Thomas is the sense of family. Whether you are at practice, in the hallway walking to class, or at another sporting event, there is support. Your teammates will become some of your best friends and will help to create unforgettable memories.” -Kelsey Currier, SOFT
“Even though I am from over 700 miles away, being here at Thomas makes me feel right at home. I have made so many lifelong friends, my coaches have been a huge support system for me, and professors have really made me feel like a student they care about.” =MacKenzie Oberholzer, FH/SOFT
“The Thomas community is a safe and comfortable place to get outside your comfort zone and grow as an individual, which is what I did. During my first year at Thomas, I had trouble connecting with others. Now, I have so many new friends through classes, athletics, and clubs, just by putting myself out there and being more confident.” -Maeghan Bernard, WSOC/T&F
“Thomas Athletics has helped me connect to the community from the very beginning. When you show up to school as part of a team, you instantly have friends and people to go to. This year has been challenging but has also forced teams to find new ways to stay connected and motivate each other to keep working.” -Nikki Bradstreet, WSOC/WBB/WLAX
“Before and after classes, professors ask you how you did during your recent game and when the next one is. As a student-athlete, I really enjoy how much of the school’s community attends and cares about sporting events.” -Patrick Buxton, MLAX
“Athletics is a great way to take a break from the academic side of things and connect with the community. Working hard with other members of my team has created friendships that will last a lifetime.” -Stephen Gray, T&F
“Athletics has allowed me and other community members to escape from all that is going on amidst this pandemic. Although there have not been a ton of events due to COVID, athletics has allowed me to meet new people in our community; grow my voice; and provide hope to others that we can get through these tough times.” -Trevor Reed, MBB
“Being a student-athlete gives me something to work towards other than improving in the classroom. It gives me an opportunity to get outside and relieve some stress.” -Kent Johnson, GOLF
