What is your favorite memory from your time at Haverford and why?

My favorite memory at Haverford was my senior season as a member of the basketball program. That 2017⁠–18 team became the first Haverford basketball team in 19 years to capture the Inter-Ac basketball title. We always talk about the word brotherhood at Haverford and for good reason. The relationship and camaraderie I built with my teammates during that season—from our trip to Virginia to going undefeated in the Inter-Ac and every practice and team bus ride in between—those experiences, interactions, and bonds built with my teammates and coaches will last with me my whole life.

Talk about your relationship with some of your mentors and people you relied on at The Haverford School.

Mr. Peters (Ted Peters ’68) has played a huge role in my life. He was my sponsor at Haverford and helped my family and I afford the School. But, my relationship with him goes far beyond that. All throughout high school and even in college Mr. Peters would check in on me. We still go to lunch a couple times a year. He has introduced me to many different people and has helped me build a network of friends and connections. This past winter, he came to my last college basketball game, which really meant a lot to me. He came early, so we had some time to talk and catch up.

Also, Coach Fairfax (Henry Fairfax ’99) really helped me adjust to Haverford when I came there freshman year. My relationship with Coach Fairax was bigger than basketball. He truly helped me navigate the everyday life of Haverford. I could talk to him if I was having a tough day or a difficult class because we had similar upbringings and he had already been through what I was going through.

I would also be remiss if I did not mention the impact Mr. Evans (Donta Evans P'27, Director of Admissions and Community Life) had on my life. I spent a lot of my free time during my Haverford days hanging out in the admissions office and Mr. Evans was a great role model for me. He was a college basketball point guard, which is something I aspired to be. He gave me great advice and was always someone I leaned on.  

Outside of basketball, what other activities were you involved in at Holy Family University? 

At Holy Family, I was co-founder and vice president of the Black Student Union. We had two goals for the Black Student Union. One was to create a safe space for minorities to be themselves on campus. The other was to bring more awareness to Black History Month and make it more prominent in the HFU community. We created some different fun events to get my fellow classmates involved that included Movie Night, Black Jeopardy, and Big Talk. During these events, we analyzed and talked about different issues going on in the world and how we were affected by it.

What are your plans next year and in the future?

Next year I will be returning to Holy Family as a member of the basketball coaching staff as a graduate assistant and I will be pursuing a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling. The admissions office at Holy Family has created a job for me in their department. I will assist in student retention, specifically with Black students and student athletes. Similar to the role that Mr. Evans played in my life at Haverford, I will be someone that Black students and student athletes can reach out to if they are having trouble in class or around campus. It will be my job to give them an ear and let them know that their issues are being heard and addressed.

In the long term, I have two dreams: coach Division I basketball or start my own therapist practice. My ideal scenario is where both of these worlds collide. A few days before move-in day my freshman year at Holy Family, my best friend was killed. Freshman year was tough. I wasn’t going home much. My grades were hurting. The only thing going right for me was basketball. It was not until I took a psychology class my freshman year that I noticed that my own mental health was in a bad place. This experience led me to change my major to psychology and I realized that mental health counseling was my calling. As a Division I assistant coach, I would do the day-to-day activities that a college basketball coach does, but I would also be a sports psychologist for the players. I would make them aware that it is okay to talk about what you are going through and people are here to listen to you and help you get through it.
 

Photo courtesy of Holy Family University Athletics >