Here are five things you should know about me:
5. I am a marketing and English major. When I tell people this, I often get the same reaction, "Hmm...that's an interesting combo." Well, they may be right, but I do have reasons behind these choices. After graduation, I would love to pursue a career in sports, whether it be sports journalism, marketing, management, etc. For as long as I can remember, sports have been a big part of my life. In high school, I made a lot of my best friends and most vivid memories on my athletic teams, and although my career is over (except for a few section football and interhall basketball games), I haven't lost my love for playing, watching and talking about sports. Hopefully, studying marketing and English will provide me with opportunities to pursue a sports-related career after leaving ND.
4. I'm from Upstate New York. When people ask me where I'm from, I always precede "New York" with "Upstate." It seems like the common assumption is that if you're from New York, you are from NYC. Sometimes, even by saying, "Upstate," I get questions like, "Oh, so how close to The City are you?" or "Are you near Buffalo?" It's alright though. Sometimes I think it's funny. I'm from the Albany area, specifically from Ballston Spa. I guess you could say our claim to fame is that Abner Doubleday, the credited inventor of baseball and Civil War general, was born in Ballston Spa. More people have probably heard of nearby Saratoga, famous as a summer tourist spot, especially during "track season," when thousands rush to the Saratoga Race Track. I love living in Upstate NY with my parents and two younger brothers.
3. I live in Keenan Hall. Dorm life at ND has been unlike anything I've ever experienced. For many of my friends at home, the whole dorm system is difficult to understand. At many of their schools, it's typically a year in the dorms, then moving into an apartment or joining a fraternity/sorority. What has been awesome about Notre Dame and Keenan, is that when you're welcomed onto campus for Frosh-O, you immediately become part of a community. From the time the Frosh-O staff helps you unload your car to the time they wake you up at 6 a.m. on the first Football Saturday, you really get a sense that you're part of something special. Now, I'm sure living in Duncan or Keough provides a more luxurious lifestyle, but I wouldn't trade it for The Great Pumpkin, Reindeer Roast, the Keenan Revue and the other great events our dorm hosts each year.
2. I work with NBC at Notre Dame's home football games. In addition to working in the alumni office, I also work in the TV truck at ND's home games this season. It has been an interesting and unique experience. The Irish have certainly kept the games entertaining, and it's great to see them winning here at home. I miss cheering in the student section, but the atmosphere of live TV is exciting because you are right in the thick of things with the broadcast. I operate a program called QBStat, which NBC uses in connection with other software to display graphics throughout the game. I see the game from many different angles and I get to see just how Tom Hammond, Pat Haden and Alex Flanagan shape the broadcast and the stories they bring to fans' living rooms along with the action of the game.
1. There's no place I'd rather be a student than Notre Dame.Though none of my family attended ND, from an early age, I was an ND fan. I guess that's part of being from an Irish Catholic family. It wasn't really until after my junior year of high school that I considered applying to Notre Dame. I visited ND during the summer before my senior year and loved it. When I got my acceptance letter, I knew this was the place I wanted to spend my next four years. Fast forward to today, and it's hard to believe that I'm in my junior year already. The time has flown by, and from talking to friends, I've heard that the last two move even quicker than the first two. As a student at ND, I've had opportunities that I never would have imagined. It's been an unbelievable experience. In the midst of the busy college schedule, it's easy to forget how lucky I am to attend ND. I've found that it's not until you are away from school, that you truly appreciate how blessed you are. Over the last couple of years, I've attended many events hosted by my local alumni club, the ND Club of Northeastern NY, and it's truly amazing to see how ND can bring people together. I always enjoy going to these events beacuse when you meet another Domer, it seems like you can talk for hours because of that love you both share for the university. I'm proud to be a student at Notre Dame and a member of the ND family.
Thanks for reading! What are some of your favorite memories of Notre Dame?
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