Championship Road.....RING ME!

CHAMPIONSHIP ROAD!!!....RING ME! 💍💍💍
My Journey, My Way!

In 2012, after my High School graduation, about 2 days later I was headed off to Birmingham, AL where I attended UAB on a full basketball scholarship. I was 6.5 hours away from my hometown of Charlotte, NC with an hour time difference. WHY? You might ask?...Well I guess you could say in that moment I felt like I was doing the "right thing." UAB offered me my very first scholarship. It was like being in gym class and the person that always picked you to be on their team will always have your loyalty. They saw my potential and recognized my talent before anyone else did. That really meant a lot to me and held a very special place in my heart.

I started to develop a very personal and intimate relationship with the UAB coaching staff. I'm sure they were pretty confident that's where I would spend my college career, and in the back of my mind so was I. But of course soon after my first offer, many other schools began to follow suit. Its still so funny to me that after one person wants you, everyone else seems to hop on the bandwagon, It's like being in a committed relationship and then all of a sudden people want to start recognizing your greatness when its too late. Lol!!...Mike Jones said it best "back then they didn't want me, now I'm hot, they all on me!"

I know some of you are thinking so how did ELON get into the equation?? Well, Elon was actually one of the very last schools to recruit me. I remember back in high school at one of my games, Coach Sylvia Hatchell and Charlotte Smith sat behind our bench (I had other teammates going division 1, they weren't recruiting me lol). Exciting right? Yeah well ya know every kid has that dream school and UNC was definitely mine. I grew up going to Carolina games and admiring a fellow undersized PG, Ivory Latta. I told my parents if she could make it so could I. But back to my point, sometime after this game it was all in the media that assistant UNC Coach Charlotte Smith had accepted a position as the Elon women's basketball Head Coach. Once she took the position she immediately reached out to me in hopes of adding me to her program. I was honored that she even remembered watching me play!

Being a UNC fan I was already fully aware of her legacy and all the things she had accomplished. I will also never forget how personal Coach Smith was during the recruiting process. I have a handwritten letter from her still on my refrigerator at home, its a constant reminder of why I took the time to learn more about Elon... A few weeks before I started my official visits, I attended a camp at Elon and toured the school. My mom absolutely LOVED it!..I was impressed but my mom seemed to be in awe. Especially because it was only about an hour and 30 minutes from home.

Before I left camp I promised Elon I would take an official visit before I committed anywhere (which I soon learned to NEVER make promises you cant keep). My first visit was UAB, and before I left that is where I committed myself to being for the next 4 years. I guess you could say in the back of my mind I felt as if my decision was a little hasty and rash, I was a little unsure of myself but UAB showed so much loyalty it was almost as if I felt liked I owed them something. I learned in this situation that showing loyalty to yourself first is what's important.

After my freshmen year at UAB I transferred to Elon. My situation was a little unique I guess you could say. Most student-athletes transfer because of playing time. Well that wasn't the case at all! I was even fortunate enough to earn a starting spot as a freshmen. I just never really felt like I was where I was supposed to be. I was genuinely unhappy and many nights I cried myself to sleep. My freshmen year was filled with trials and tribulations on and off the court. I felt the guilt of not being close to home and not being able to spend time with my grandfather before he passed away, I wasn't able to comfort my grandma and be there for her while she battled breast cancer, I had just ended a relationship with my high school sweetheart, and I somehow could not stay out of trouble and even found myself being suspended from a few games. I guess you could say I lost myself during this time. I didn't understand why God was putting me through this, but I realize now it was all preparation to set me up for something greater.

 Fast forward to 5 years later, I'm a 2017 CAA Champion and will soon have 2 degrees from an amazing institution. Transferring to Elon had to be one of the greatest decisions of my collegiate career. I've now learned to appreciate the journey and I understand that the road to success is not an easy one and you'll have to go through many obstacles to become GREAT! I had to learn to always trust in God's plan for my life. The amount of opportunities that this institution has provided for me has been amazing! I've traveled across the country, met life long friends, and created memories that will last a lifetime. Not only am I a Champion on the court, but I am a Champion in LIFE!....Yung Ess for the Win!

-EBHoops #2