On Wednesday, Nov. 11, four seniors, Danielle Hinish, Jake Dixon, Jessica Hanson, and Shannon Conely signed letters committing themselves to continuing their respective sports in college.

A ceremony was held during 1st and 2nd periods in room M429 to honor and congratulate the students. Families and close friends of the students attended the signing. The student athletes posed for pictures and shared cake with their families afterwards.

First, Danielle Hinish signed with Duquesne University and will run women’s cross country and indoor/outdoor track for the school. Hinish chose Duquesne due to the friendly and welcoming team and coach, as well as the amazing offer given to her.

As for advice towards other student athletes, Hinish said, “If you practice hard and don’t let other things block your path to what you want to accomplish, there really isn’t a limit to how much better you can get.”

Next, Jake Dixon signed with Lewis University and will be playing men’s volleyball. Although he was also recruited to play football at Davidson University, Dixon decided on Lewis as a result of the school’s great academic and volleyball programs as well as the coaches.

Another thing Dixon loved about Lewis University was the fact that “men’s volleyball is the biggest sport on campus and they pack the gym for their games.”

Dixon also advised for other athletes to “explore all options,” claiming that he hadn’t even heard of the school until the end of 2015 when they were in the national championship.

“You never know what’s behind a door until you open it!” he said.

Third, Jessica Hanson signed with Seton Hill University to play women’s volleyball. Hanson said she decided upon Seton Hill because “it had everything I wanted.” She’ll be majoring in Elementary Education and Special Education and minoring in Dance, all while playing volleyball: something that few schools could offer.

For student athletes looking to follow in her footsteps, Hanson advised: “If you work hard in your sport and want to play in college, you can definitely make it happen. You just have to put yourself out there. Give it your all and you can do it!”

Finally, Shannon Conely signed to Canisius College to play women’s basketball.

When asked how being a student athlete impacted each’s high school experience, each replied with how they were taught time management through their sports, one extremely beneficial skill for college.

Also, each of the student athletes noted that their teams gave them solid friends, and their college teams will definitely do the same, making the transition from high school to college much easier.

The four students will have more on their plate than the average college student, but to them, it seems worth it for the sports they hold so close.

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