Exams are done and the family is here to visit!  I was a zombie the last 2 weeks studying but it was well worth it, the exams went well and I am relieved it is over!  The fam and I are headed to Rome, Italy this weekend and then off on a Mediterranean cruise to France and Spain as well!  So excited!! They are loving Dublin at the moment and will be back to experience Galway before they head back home to Chicago.  My best friends Aileen and Shauna have organized two dinner parties for two of the nights that my family is in Galway.  I honestly cannot be more grateful for them and their families hosting my own family and treating them so well during their stay. 

 

This weekend was an experience I will cherish forever as I was blessed enough to play for the BNI select team and represent Northern Ireland in basketball. The group that traveled over was such a talented and welcoming group, with guys from all different backgrounds and it was truly something special to see how we all clicked on the court.

 

I can’t describe how grateful I am to be able to represent the country of Northern Ireland through the sport of basketball. I was getting a little anxious as we walked in the gym as I often do before games,but then I thought to myself, I have come too far to let the fear of losing get in the way of me playing MY game. Through all the injuries and disappointing losses I was still playing! It’s nuts to think about. I can remember writing blogs a couple weeks ago with doctors telling me I probably wouldn’t be able to play in the month of March. Not only was I blessed enough to play but I got to go with a great group of guys who taught me about the game and we were able to bring home a Gold medal to Northern Ireland!

 

This just goes to show that with enough faith anything is possible. You may doubt at times as we all do but it’s important to never lose faith in God’s plan. Life is a Journey of peaks and Valleys and with some bad news from family members at home, my shoulder injury and my lovely girlfriend Kelly’s recent ankle injury playing basketball for the Elk’s women’s team life at times has felt like a valley. However after this weekend and seeing Kelly’s optimism I get this weird feeling we are on our way up to experiencing a peak. I want to give a huge thanks to Sport Changes Life for giving me the opportunity to play for Northern Ireland as well all my teammates this weekend for making me feel so welcome. I also want to specially thank Coaches Pat O’Neill and Niall McDermott for selecting me and looking after the team all weekend.

If you find yourself going through a valley this week just remember that it could change at any moment and God may show you a peak. Thank you for reading.

 

 

Victory Scholar: James Zuccaro

Present University: Ulster University

US League: Skyline Conference

Club/Community Partner: Ulster Elks

Alma Mater: College of Mount Saint Vincent

Sponsored by: Teamwear Ireland

 

This weeks Ehoops session was a particularly fun one for me.  The young ladies that I worked with this week taught me a few things during the session.  I began teaching a few basketball skills to my group and asking what everyone’s name was.  The next thing I know I am getting questions about my hometown and how my experience here in Ireland has been so far.  The young ladies started to teach me some of the Irish vernacular and one word stood out to me “Keep Her Lit”.  I was taught by the young ladies that “keep her lit” means to keep it going.  I thought that phrase was awesome so I didn’t stop saying it and the girls didn’t stop laughing.  I wanted to keep the fun going so I continued to say keep her lit through out the night.  So now that I have picked up a little Irish vernacular I think I can better relate to the youth, which will definitely help me build relationships with them.  “To God Be The Glory”  

 

Victory Scholar: Jonathan McNair

Present University: Ulster University

US League: East Coast Conference

Club/Community Partner: Ulster Elks

Alma Mater: St. Thomas Aquinas College

Sponsored by: Teamwear Ireland

The end of ehoops for one of our groups was a bittersweet moment. A special dinner was organized for the ehoopers that committed themselves to the 32-week program. It was a jubilant night as some of the guys even proclaimed that this was one of their biggest accomplishments and they will frame their awards. 

 

I have to say this happiness is warranted as many of the ehoopers went from guys that could not get through one of our technology teaching sessions into men that are growing into future community leaders. They may have graduated from Ehoops, but they will always be part of Sport Changes Life and I look forward to hearing about their continued growth and success.

END OF CLASSES

Walking from Class to Class in UL, I Always See this Tree, I always think about how long it has been here and how my own rootes have become one with Ireland!

It is so hard to believe the second semester has flew by! I cannot believe it is already finished! Unlike some of the other scholars, I was lucky enough to not have to take any final exams. Instead of exams, my course consisted of group assignments and presentations, which meant I was done with my second semester in the beginning of May, much earlier than a lot of the other students. I would much rather have to give presentations and write papers rather than take exams, so I was very happy I didn’t have to do much studying! I think I benefited much more from doing the group work because I learned how to work with individuals of different personalities and backgrounds, something I will have to do once I start working.

 

Studying at the University of Limerick has been a great experience. The UL campus is beautiful and everyone who works for the university was so welcoming and supportive of me and I really enjoyed the masters program I completed (Marketing, Consumption and Society). The professors are very interactive with their students and are always offering their help when it comes to assignments. I loved being in a class with individuals from all different backgrounds and cultures. I think this enhanced my overall learning experience because I was able to gain insights into how businesses work/think in other parts of the world. UL is a great place to study and is filled with friendly individuals who are always offering their support, especially to those students who are unfamiliar with the area. 

My last Ehoops session with the wonderful girls of the Short Strand community is today.  I will always remember these girls for all of the uplifting energy and laughter that they brought to each session.  I also will not forget learning Belfast vernacular from the girls during our first three or four sessions.  My favorite phrase was “Keep Her Lit” the girls taught me that during one our second sports sessions.  I blogged about learning the meaning of “Keep Her Lit” last year and how I just couldn’t stop saying it during our sports sessions.  The louder I said ‘keep her lit’ the louder the girls laughed and the harder they ran as we played soccer.  In the last seven weeks we have started to bring music and a speaker to each sports session and the girls have taught me a new dance move each week. 

Anyone who knows me personally knows that I cannot dance at all so I definitely appreciate all of the dance moves.  I would summarize our experience as being very fun with lots of learning.  They have taught me dance moves and Belfast vernacular that I will take with me forever but more importantly they have also taught me in the face of adversity to always try and have fun and carry a smile. I have been able to teach them team building skills through sport, how to use sport to bring people from all walks of life together, and the strength of building friendships with people who come from outside of their community.  I have confidence that these girls will grow up to be intelligent and successful young ladies.

I feel like it was just yesterday that I was introducing myself to the girls and learning their names.  I am thankful that I was given the opportunity to be a role model in the lives of these girls.  I wish we had more time to talk about making the world and their community better, dance to their favorite rap songs, and laugh during our sports sessions.  “To God Be The Glory”       

 

Present University: Ulster University

US League: East Coast Conference

Club/Community Partner Ulster Elks/ Andersonstown Tigers

Alma Mater: St Thomas Aquinas College

Sponsored By: Teamwear Ireland

Basketball season is back and I am very fortunate this year to be able to play on two basketball teams. I will be playing for the college team called the UL Wolves and also the Premier League team called the UL Eagles. I have had 5 practices so far with the Eagles and this weekend we had our preseason tournament. 

 

I did not get a lot of playing time at NC State so I have been anxiously waiting to play in my first game over here since I first landed. The night before the tournament I was like child on christmas eve. I couldn’t fall asleep and I stayed up thinking about how the games would go. I was so focused on finally getting my chance to play that I didn’t realize the main reason of the tournament until I arrived at the gym before the game.

 

The tournament was called the Stuart Robbins Memorial Tournament. Stuart Robbins was a UL Eagles player that unfortunately passed away five years ago. The tournament consisted of four Premier League teams, a USA Select team, and a Stuart Robbins All-Star team. The All-Star team is what caught my attention. It was a team put together of Stuart’s friends and former teammates (although some of his former teammates are still on the Eagles). These guys where in their mid-30’s and most didn’t play basketball anymore. But this tournament allows them every year to come back to Limerick and be on the same team again playing the sport they love to honor their friend. The tournament wasn’t about wins or losses but it was about bringing back together longtime friends to celebrate Stuart’s life. After the tournament, the Eagles and the All-Stars all went out to eat and socialize at a local tavern. The night was full of laughs and good times and I felt extremely fortunate to take part in this special weekend. 

 

“Sport Connects Life” was the name of my first blog post and this tournament is another example of that power. 

 

Victory Scholar: Staats Battle

Present University: University of Limerick

US League: ACC

Club/Community Partner: UL Huskies

Alma Mater: North Carolina State University

Sponsored by: Team Ireland

 

EXAM TIME!!! As the academic year came to a close and all our coursework was done and dusted, we had one week off and then we jumped right into exams. Just as spring semester exams are in the States, it is very very difficult to concentrate and study for them just because the weather begins to get hotter, the sun begins to shine more, and summer begins to creep in.

 

This was somewhat the case while studying for the four exams we had in our course at University of Ulster also here in Ireland. Saying that, I stuck it through and I believe that I finished the semester strong with a good grade on all four exams. Now it is time to relax a little bit before our third semester of the tri-semester Masters of Business Studies course starting on May 31^st. I still can’t believe my Victory Scholarship experience is almost over!!

So this past week I had a trial for a pro team in Toulouse, France called Colomier.  I was nervous because I knew I wasn’t in the best shape that I wanted to be in, but the trial went well!  I was able to stay with Tim Coyne who was the victory scholar in Galway last year.  It was difficult because very few people speak hardly any English so the language barrier was a struggle in the training sessions.  The team was nice and I am happy to bring back good news that I will be playing for them next season!  This would have never been possible without the Sport Changes Life victory scholarship program.  I would have never had the connections and doors opened for me to meet my life goals!  So blessed!!

I was blessed this past weekend to represent the Northern Ireland premier league in the NAIC All Ireland championship.  It is an amazing feeling to win a championship and be selected as on of the twelve best players in the league.  My first championship was much different for me since I am in a different country and playing with guys I would usually compete against each week.  The best part of the trip wasn’t winning probably because of how well we played.  I enjoyed riding in the car with fellas getting lost on the way to the gym singing R&B songs and making snapchat videos.  I think we would have won a karaoke championship as well that weekend.

 

The change of pace and new scenery down in the city of Cork made the weekend fun as well.  I was able to relax and explore a new city which is always fun.  My Sports Changes Life brother and Ulster Elks teammate James Zuccarro was selected to play on the team which was cool.  We had an opportunity to just talk as men and get to know one another outside of being teammates and working together.  As we both get ready for this upcoming playoff journey in April being selected to the Northern Ireland select team was great.  The opportunity to get to know a person outside of work really helps you when it comes to working together. 

 

I am truly thankful to win my first International Championship and I look forward to winning many more.  Thank you for reading my blog. Let nothing stand in your way of working to make your dreams a reality.  “To God Be The Glory”   

 

Present University: Ulster University

US League: East Coast Conference

Club/Community Partner Ulster Elks/ Andersonstown Tigers

Alma Mater: St Thomas Aquinas College

Sponsored By: Teamwear Ireland

 

    

Before coming to Ireland I spoke with several former Victory Scholars. While they all had different suggestions for me, each one gave me the same piece of advice.

Each one told me to get out and immerse myself in the Irish culture and to try as many new things as possible. In order to experience everything this country has to offer you have to try some things you are unfamiliar with. Last Sunday I followed their advice and did something that I have never done before in my life, which was watching a hurling match. For those unfamiliar with the game, players carry large wooden sticks playing on a field with what looks like both a soccer net and football uprights. Players then run and pass to advance a ball up the field attempting to hit the ball in the goal for three points or through the uprights for one point.

This past Sunday, Galway was playing in the all-Ireland hurling championship against heavy favourite Kilkenny. This was an event that I was told was the Irish equivalent to the American Super Bowl. To support their team, the city of Galway filled a large park in the middle of the city with avid Galway hurling fans to watch the match on one massive tv. With members of my basketball team, I went to support the now hometown team. I looked like one of the locals as one of my teammates brought me a large maroon Galway flag that was tied around my neck like a cape. I was soon attentively watching the game and participated in cheering on the maroon and white, despite having no idea what was going on. By the end of the match I had a basic understanding of the rules and really enjoyed watching this unfamiliar game in a lively environment. As the game concluded with Kilkenny on top, I felt the disappointment with my fellow Galway fans. Despite being a foreigner in a new city, I felt that I had something in common with the thousands of Galway fans that surrounded me. 

 

Victory Scholar: Cory Starkey

Present University: NUI Galway

US League: Patriot League

Club/Community Partner: Galway Titans

Alma Mater: Bucknell University

Sponsored by: Teamwear Ireland

 

 

Studying, studying and more studying! Thats what my days have consist of for the past couple of weeks with final exams coming up (which starts tomorrow!). I have four exams to complete until I am free from doing any more work related to academics! It hasn’t really hit me yet that the academic year has almost come to an end. Ive made so many connections with my classmates and lectures that I am grateful to have met. But I’m not done yet seeing my peers. Shortly after our last exam, as a class, we are going to be traveling to Hong Kong! But before that, I need to get through these exams! Now I got to get back to my last second study cram session! Wish me luck and I’ll fill you guys in later with how my exams and Hong Kong went!

Varsities weekend has probably been the most anticipated weekend since I arrived in Ireland.  Varsities is when all the college teams in Ireland come together for a weekend to compete for the coveted Cup title and socialize with one another. The last couple of years, the UL girls have come so close to winning the final, but have been unsuccessful.  This year, our whole team was really looking forward to competing in the tournament because we felt like we had one of the strongest teams.  We played a total of 5 games in 3 days and after winning a tough first match against Gretchen and NUIG, we rolled through our next 3 games to qualify for the final. We played UCD in the final and the majority of the match was neck and neck.  With the score tied 62-62 with about 30 seconds left, a player from UCD threw up a three right at the buzzer and swooshed it! We honestly could not believe we had just lost…after playing so well all weekend we were so disappointed in the outcome of the final. I’m still very bitter about that game!

 

Besides losing at the buzzer in the final, the rest of the weekend was some great craic! It reminded me of my AAU days when we would have weekend tournaments and spend all of our time hanging out in the gym or hotel and messing around with teammates. At nights, we got to hang out with all the other teams so it was great to get to know some of them outside of the competitive setting of the basketball court. And of course, it was great to see the other scholars!! It’s never boring when we’re all together! 

Over the past couple of weeks, I have anxiously been waiting for the day that my brother, David, and our good friend, Tyler, arrive in Ireland. For months now, we have been planning their trip here during their spring break from college… and now, it is finally here!

 

Waiting for them at the airport was an exciting feeling. I thought about the last time I saw them and how long it has really been. These two guys are easily some of the most important people in my life. No matter what we are doing, we always have a blast, so I am very excited for them to be here!

 

I am not only excited to finally catch up with them in person, but I am also eager to have my first visitors in Ireland! Obviously, I have told people about my awesome experience over here, but there is only so much people can really understand without seeing it for themselves. I am proud of the lifestyle I live over here in Ireland, and the people I have had the opportunity to get so close with. I want the people close to me from home, to meet the people I am close with over here, because I can only imagine how well they will get along. With that being said, it is only fitting that David and Tyler are the ones that are coming over to see my “Irish life.” I am very excited for them to see what I have been up to during this past year!  

 

David, Tyler, and I have so much fun together when we are all States-side, so I can only imagine how much fun we can have in a new country that they have never been to. Updates to follow on all the adventures we have! 

 

Victory Scholar: Sarah Benedetti

Present University: University of Limerick

US League: NEC

Club/Community Partner: UL Huskies

Alma Mater: St. Francis College 

Sponsored by: Teamwear Ireland

I anticipated that our club team was going to have to be the scrappiest and quickest five players on the court. Katie and I had our first Super League game Wednesday night against the Kilkenny Ladies. Naturally, they had players that were much thicker and taller, but height does not necessarily guarantee a win. In my basketball career, I’ve always been defined by the quote “it’s not about the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog.” I’ve embraced the underdog attitude and it has sculpted me in to the person I am today. The Wildcats may not have been the tallest girls on the court but we did win, with our speed and hustle, and more importantly we won as a unit.

As a player, it is always refreshing going in to the next practice after a good win. Before we even touched a basketball, our coach, Mick Evans, said something to us today in practice that struck me as a player and as a person. He said, “Do not apologize for shooting the ball and don’t be afraid to shoot the ball because you naturally hesitate when you’re afraid. You can’t play this game if you are afraid and you don’t know what you can achieve if you are afraid.” Most of my basketball career, I was always afraid to shoot the ball. Not because I can’t shoot the ball but because I didn’t believe in myself. My discomfort with the skill and fear of missing led past coaches and spectators to accept that I couldn’t shoot. As a player, it’s our competitive nature and drive to want to be the best that we can achieve. There’s nothing more disappointing than allowing your career to be defined by your flaws and even more disappointing to allow others to let it define you. Confidence is worst thing you can take away from a player. Luckily, my Irish experience so far has unmasked the little things in life that we subconsciously overlook daily. Knowing that the coach has more confidence in us players than we do ourselves this year is sparking the rebirth of my basketball career. The Wildcats will be ready to play our hearts out this weekend in our tournament in Dublin. As for me, I am no longer afraid and believe its time to unleash the beast that has been held captive for so long….

 

Victory Scholar: Jazmen Boone

Present University: Waterford IT

US League: CAA

Club/Community Partner: Waterford Wildcats

Alma Mater: The College of William and Mary

Sponsored by: Teamwear Ireland

 

 

Varsities weekend was SO much fun!  It was so good to see the other scholars and finally spend a weekend of basketball together!!  It felt like the good old days of AAU with the weekend tournaments.  Our first game was amazing because we played Limerick who we have split before (won and lost). It was an outstanding come back I think we were down about 15 with less than 3:50 to go and we cut it to 2. It was a great fight, we never gave up and I was so proud of my team.  Should have had it, but that was by far our best game as a team.  The varsity ball was the best part on Sunday where all of the players have a night out together.

 I wish they had this at the beginning of the year so you can get to know the players around Ireland at the start but better late than never I suppose!  Also, great news:  I’ll be traveling over to Toulouse, France at the end of April/1st week of May to have a trial with a professional basketball team there!  So excited!! Exams just started so I’ll be going between exams.  Wish me luck!

Hi everyone!

Surgery went very well! I wanted to thank everyone for their kind thoughts and prayers.  I was immobile and on serious medication for two weeks. The first couple of days were extremely painful but the worst is over now. My family is taking great care of me and I couldn’t go through this process without them, thats for sure!  I just left the doctors where they cut my cast off and now I am in the biggest boot I have ever seen! But at least I am a bit more mobile yet the crutches are driving me crazy! I am using my “euro” crutches though! Elevation and ice is the doctors orders I still can not put pressure on it. They told me this is the worst injury to recover from because you can’t push it, it is going to be a long road to recovery. I should be 100% in a full year. 

After David and Tyler arrived, our first adventure began. We hopped on a bus to Belfast…another two hours of sitting down and traveling for the guys, they were thrilled. But the two hours went by so quickly as we just caught up after their long day of traveling. Kelsey, the born again Victory Scholar, joined us, as well as Katie! It was awesome to have such a big group going to Belfast for the weekend.

 

In an attempt to have the boys overcome jet lag, I kept them as busy as possible… by the end of the fist night they were all set with my busy itinerary. To start the day, we decided to go to the famous Titanic Museum. It was architecturally beautiful with so much interesting, historical information. We took a taxi to get there, which was the best decision. Our driver was better than any tour guide could have been. As we drove around, he pointed out all of the historical sights and landmarks of Belfast, giving far more information about the city than I could ever point out to David and Tyler.

 

One of the most popular attractions of Northern Ireland is Giant’s Causeway and all the other smaller attractions located near it. So on the Sunday, we decided to get up early and hop on a tour bus that took us to all the amazing sights! Getting on a tour bus sounded like a great idea, until we realized the one we got on had no air conditioning, so we all roasted for 2 plus hours as we made our way to Antrim. As unpleasant as the temperature was, we made the most of it, shared some laughs and made sure every single person on the bus could hear us complain about how hot we thought it was… I’m sure the busload of people loved us.

 

On the tour, we got to face our fear of heights, and walk over the Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge; which had a phenomenal view looking out onto the water. Then we went to the famous, Giant’s Causeway, where we not only saw the famous volcanic eruption site, but we also climbed to the top of a mini mountain, which overlooked the beautiful scene. Then, after that we got to see the Bushmills Whiskey Distillery. By the end of the tour, we were exhausted and ready to make our way back to Limerick.

 

The trip back to Limerick was another interesting one, where I’m sure we yet again annoyed the entire bus of people. At this point we had been on the go since 9 am, and it was now 11 pm on the bus. No one could sleep, and all our phones were dead, so we all deliriously joked and laughed the entire way home.

 

It was a great weekend in Belfast, where we all got to see some new sights that we had not seen before. It was a great first couple of days for David and Tyler to see some of the natural beauties of Ireland. Now it was time to take them back to Limerick, to see what I have been up to for this past year!

 

Victory Scholar: Sarah Benedetti

Present University: University of Limerick

US League: NEC

Club/Community Partner: UL Huskies

Alma Mater: St. Francis College 

Sponsored by: Teamwear Ireland

Lil and I arrived in Carlow on Monday and took a brief tour of our new school and gym. I am excited to call this home for the next year. It shows some similarity with my alma matter but much more differences. It is bigger in population and a much higher percentage of international students. This dynamic is different for me and can’t wait to explore it.

I got to play for the first time with my team for ITC Basketball, and it brings that nervous, butterfly feeling back. I’m looking forward to getting to know my team. They are very welcoming and easy to talk to, just like the team I came from. It seems like a great fit and I’m locked in for the season.

Lil and I got news that our accommodation was cleaned and ready to go and we were extremely anxious to move in. She has a master plan as she is the interior decorator and I am excited to get back to cooking and can’t wait to see the kitchen!

Well we just checked into the hotel! The two and a half hour bus ride down was a chill and laid back one. Now that we’re actually down here in cork, players are now starting to get into “game mode”. Last year the team didn’t do as well as they wanted to do in varsities. So players this year are determined to do better. Can’t wait for tomorrow morning. It’s going to be a good test for us to see how bad we want it this year as a team. That’s it for now, I’ll catch up with you guys after the game to let you know how things went!

Great win this morning over CIT! We looked like a completely different team from a month ago. We were playing together, aggressive and extremely efficient. But we can’t celebrate to much. We got a very much anticipated game tonight against my fellow victory scholars Matt and Jim of the University of Ulster. Our team knows what we got to do, we just go to get it done! I’ll check in with you guys after to let you know how things went!

Got our second win tonight!! It was an extremely exciting game with both teams playing very well. But our team was just able to hold Matt and Jim’s UUJ team off till the final buzzer. We can’t get too happy about this win though. We have to come back tomorrow and continue our great play and beat DBS (Dublin Business School) to advance to the semi-final game. We got to keep it up! I’ll check in with you guys tomorrow!

And we’re into the championship game!! We faced UCD in the semi-finals and beat them pretty handily. As a team we went into the game with a mindset to start off strong and to continue through the game with our great play, which we were able to do. Now just one more game! Tonight we will face a talent UL (University of Limerick). We are extremely excited and anxious for tonight. We have accomplished half of what we wanted I achieve down here in Cork. We are in the championship game, now we have to go out there are get the VICTORY! I’ll check in after the game to let you know the results! Stay tuned!

It was an unfortunate finish to the season, but we still had a lot to be proud of. In the end, we were able to walk out with our heads up. We played hard throughout the whole game, but UL was able to hold us off just long enough. I was fortunate enough to play with a great bunch of dudes. I appreciate all the work that everyone put in throughout the season. Now that the seasons over, and everyone has to part and go their own ways. I wish everyone the best of luck in their future, whether that is in a new job, sports related or another year of school. Thank you for following my blogs this whole weekend. Take care everyone

Meg and myself have been traveling to different schools, basically putting on mini clinics for the students. We have gone to some pretty nice schools, private schools around town, as well as schools in some disadvantage areas. Today was a day in the disadvantaged area.

 

What I will say about the less advantaged schools, is that these kids bring A LOT of personality. They may not always be the most well behaved or the easiest to coach, but they sure do make Meg and I laugh. One of the many stories from these coaching sessions is when a 10 year old felt the need to give me love advice. While attempting to keep a class focused on dribbling drills, a 10 year old boy looks me up and down, and asks, “excuse me, do you always dress in basketball clothes?” Because of how politely he asked, and how out of nowhere his question was, I decided to entertain him and answered “when I’m playing basketball I do.” I had not realized what I just set myself up for. He proceeds to ask how I look in normal clothes, which I then explain that I would guess I look better in them. He then, what I think seems somewhat randomly, asks if I have a boyfriend; when I tell him “uhhh, no?”, he proceeds to look me up and down and then concludes to himself “well…..I hate to say this, but that’s why you don’t.” …………..guess I’m not a ‘sweat pants, chilling with no make-up on’ type of a gal. #DrakeLyricsComingInHandy

 

Victory Scholar: Emily Leer

Present University: Trinity College Dublin

US League: Big East Conference

Club/Community Partner: Trinity Basketball Women

Alma Mater: Villanova University

Sponsored by: Teamwear Ireland

A week of Spring Break has flown by here in Belfast.  I took a mini trip with Julia to Scotland where we were able to explore the Scottish Highlands along with Edinburgh.  Although the weather was chilly, the scenery was beautiful and the city of Edinburgh was full of history. Most notably, I enjoyed the Edinburgh Castle, which was more like a small town complete with a jail, Scottish Soldier Memorial, viewing area of the Scottish Crown Jewels and the birthplace of the first Scottish King of England, James I.  The people of Scotland were welcoming, the country is gorgeous and the whisky was tasty. The rest of the week was full of staying up late watching March Madness, celebrating Sarah’s birthday in Belfast and a delicious Easter dinner with the Maguires!

 

I am actually going back to Edinburgh today along with Matt, but this trip is a bit more business like.  We were fortunately chosen for the Northern Ireland University representative team in the Four Nations tournament.  This is where the best college basketball players from Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales compete in a round robin tournament.  The talent level should be high as some BBL players compete and I am looking forward to the challenge!  

I am currently in the process of collecting my research for my dissertation through focus groups.  I have completed 3 with a total of 13 first year students at I.T. Carlow.  The focus group setting is good for my study because it allows students to bounce thoughts and memories off of each other to elicit answers I need to prove or disprove theories.

 

I am recording their beliefs and opinions on past family experiences and challenges that influence their family.  A recurring theme is the family relationships strengthening as a result of being away at college.  Given that I’m studying abroad, I can relate to this and wholeheartedly agree that my family has gotten stronger since I’ve been gone. It makes you realize that the time you have together is extremely valuable. I’m glad I chose this topic because it allows me to learn and research more about a situation I’m in, from others viewpoints without them even knowing. 

 

 

Victory Scholar: Harrison Deyo

Present University: IT Carlow

US League: MAC

Club/Community Partner: IT Carlow Basketball

Alma Mater: Alvernia University

Sponsored by: Teamwear Ireland