It was all so surreal. Playing on Homewood Field is something young kids dream of. Who was I to be here — a girl from a small town in Delaware trying to fill her older sister’s jersey number 21? By the grace of God, I somehow made it to Hopkins, and I was not going to mess this up.
Fast forward. I am sitting in the Cordish Lacrosse Center with a young recruit who asks me, “So why Hopkins? Why would you come here out of all the schools you could have gone to for lacrosse?”
It took me a while to figure out how I would answer such a loaded question. And then through the glass door, I saw my senior captain Sammy Cermack walk by, talking to my coaches, Janine Tucker, Tara Singleton and Steele Stanwick. All of them would become four of the most influential people in my life, both on and off the field.
Feelings of inclusivity and passion filled me. “That right there,” I said. The second that I stepped on campus, I felt accepted as a member of the Hopkins family because of those people right there, and I truly do not think that you will find that at any other school.
“Play with joy” are in big black and blue bold letters as you enter the locker room. They are also the words that head coach Janine Tucker would say before all 68 games, knowing that I would play wearing jersey number 21.
Play with joy. Not many coaches tell you that. Being a Hopkins lacrosse player, you do not play for a National Championship, for the fans or for the recognition. You play for the girls standing next to you, the girls with whom you endure the grueling run test on smoldering hot turf, whose eye black accidentally gets smeared on your jersey after celebrations and the girls who have your back no matter what.
Playing with joy and being a member of the Hopkins women’s lacrosse team have also taught me to live with joy.
Four years ago, I could never have imagined what my experience at Hopkins would look like: not because of the successes we have had but because of the people I have been honored to play next to. It is these people who have taught me how to be a team player and an overall better person.
As my time here comes to an end, the lessons I have learned from my 34 teammates and three incredible coaches begin to resonate. Coach Tara Singleton taught me to celebrate the little things, to be present in and to appreciate each moment. Coach Steele Stanwick showed me how to be humble and grateful for every opportunity given to me.
Coach Janine Tucker has taught me that you cannot always control everything that is thrown your way, but you can control how you react. Lastly, my teammates have taught me to not only to play with joy but to live with joy.
Through the many ups and many downs, the wins and the losses, every one of my teammates has displayed resilience and joy — joy for the game, joy to be given the chance to play another game, attend another practice and above all, joy for life.
I came into the Hopkins lacrosse program an eager and nervous 18 year old, with no idea that I even belonged on this campus. I come out a confident young woman, filled with the same ambition to tackle life, but refined by the life lessons I take away from my teammates and coaches throughout my four years.
Going forward, I understand that it is not worth it to stress over the small stuff but instead to appreciate everything that comes my way, good or bad.
Most importantly, I will continue to live my life with joy. That is what it means to be a Hopkins lacrosse player and that is what I will carry with me as I venture into life, forever a Blue Jay.
