Balance is something that is hard to find as a student athlete, you can strive to balance but most of the time you have to be realistic, that you might not be able to find the perfect balance. You have to kind of be comfortable being uncomfortable.

As an athlete, you're gonna have to train hard, you're gonna have to put in the hours and the work and sometimes even on the weekend, you're gonna have a meet or a game. And then on top of that, you have to study for an exam that's coming up or an assignment that's due online, so it can all get a little stressful. But as you adapt to it, you get a little bit more strong, a little bit thicker skin, and you get acclimated to it.

So over the years, it's pretty much experience for me. The spring was eventful, memorable, and I accomplished a lot of my goals that I set out to do. At the NCAA Championships, I competed in the long jump. I went out there and I ended up jumping 26 feet, which is 7.92 meters, which is the second longest jump in Division III history and was actually the national meet record. So I went out there thinking I was only going to jump 25 feet truthfully. And I exceeded my expectations and jumped a lifetime best. And I really still feel like I got more in me. So it feels amazing.

Yeah, so when I actually did jump 26 feet, it was on my last attempt. And at that point, I already secured the win as a national champion. So actually, at the end of the runway, I went down to one knee. I prayed. Thanked God, got up, didn't think about my approach ran right on the runway. Hit the board. Once I hit the board I knew it was a big jump landed and the crowd's reaction, obviously told me that it was a big jump got up out of the pit, waited for the mark to be called. They said 7.92! I remember looking up, everybody going crazy. Myself just running aimlessly, I didn't even know where I was going. And then the rest was history.

Being a student athlete here at Montclair State, it's obviously a commitment. But if you do love your sport, it's almost like your oxygen. So, you know, being an athlete is almost like you're escapism from, let's say, some of the stress you get socially, from school, some of the workload might be tough. Personally, I come here out on the track, and I'm able to escape everything, whether it be good or bad, and just focus on my craft. So I enjoy it. And it's fun. And everybody on the team is welcoming. It's a community, you have friends. I love it.