The Alumni Life, Part 1
“These two people are normal people who were once in the same seats you are literally sitting in as you read this. They probably worked with the same coaches you worked with today. Justin and Brianna are just two examples of many graduates of Comp Sci High that continue to pursue their dream.”
For many kids, the road to a sports career often appears distant and unattainable. In high school, it's easier to have the spotlight on you. You are a big fish in a small pond. But when you get to college, your world switches. You are no longer in the spotlight. You have to work harder to make your mark. You are no longer the big fish in a small pond. But what keeps these dedicated kids going? The fulfillment and joy they experience from it.
Many Comp Sci High students have had the chance to follow their passion and dreams in higher education. Former Comp Sci High students Justin Carnegie and Brianna Moore are perfect examples of extraordinary love and passion for their respective sports.
At SUNY Delhi, Justin plays Division 3 basketball, and, at University of Buffalo, Brianna is a member of the dance team. What's so amazing is that even though neither of them was awarded a scholarship, their spirits remained unfazed. Their stories serve as an example of perseverance, showing how obstacles simply strengthened their journey. Even if they face challenges, their journey is defined by remarkable achievements. This is their story, their life – the alumni life.
Brianna Moore, also known as Bree, might not be someone you all know. Bree was one of the biggest contributors to the dance department since her Freshman year at Comp Sci High. Many people who dance with her, who have seen her dance, or who were friends with her would say she is an amazing dancer and that her passion for dance is at an extraordinary level. Bree has been dancing since she was a little kid, and her coach, Ms. Mickey, was her coach from middle to high school, where she still remains the coach at Comp Sci High.
When Bree first went to college she knew she wanted to be a part of a dance team because dance to her was something that helped her keep her sanity. When college first started, it wasn't easy for her to find a team. She wasn't really an outgoing person and her campus was really big so she used social media to find a team. When Bree first started for her team at UB, she thought that dancing in college would be easy because her whole life she was used to balancing being on dance teams and keeping up in her academics. But she soon realized after a couple months that this wasn't the case. In fact, dancing in college was harder than she thought it would be. In order to balance everything, she learned to sacrifice her free time and complete school work because she knew that her practices were happening all night .
At Comp Sci High, when Bree was a part of Fearless Vizion, she had a connection with her teammates and knew a lot about her teammates.Her teammates know alot about her and have a connection with her. In college that was different, although her team offers a good experience, it's not the same as it was in highschool, because you're meeting a whole new group of people and have to get to know these new people all over again. This, for her, delays the process of forming a strong team.
For Bree, dance is her passion, and if you knew her you could tell that's her passion. As she would say: “It's the only thing that keeps my head on my shoulders.” For Bree, dancing is the thing that relieves her stress from college. College and highschool are very different in different ways. The big difference to Bree is that in highschool “teachers want to help you just as much as you want to help yourself,” but in college the help doesn't come without initiative from you making a move. It's not like high school, the teachers in college “don't care as much about having a one on one connection with their students,” because they see tons of students a day.
One important question we asked both Bree and Justin was: “What drives you to keep pursuing this goal of yours?”
Bree’s future is what drives her to keep pursuing dance because she's been doing it for years. For her, dance is her number one thing. It's the one thing that keeps her smiling on her bad days and pushes her to keep going. Bree has big dreams to make it on tv, on tours, and more. So for her, the more work she puts in and the more she keeps pursuing this passion, will help her sooner or later get there.
For many of you the name Justin Carnegie might sound unknown. Justin was one of Comp Sci High's biggest basketball contributors throughout his 4 years. Many might even call him a star player.
During his time at Comp Sci he was coached by Coach Johnson and former Coach Hernadez. Johnson always saw Justin pursuing his dream in college. He always pushed himself off and on season. “He was aware of his limitations and his strengths as far as what he could bring to the team” according to Johnson. He was very engaged, which made him have a strong relationship with his teammates. Coach Johnson wants to remind Justin not to “give up when times get hard. You are made for these obstacles. You have developed yourself into a skilled player and a strong young man. It’s time you showed the world who you are. I am proud I was able to help you become the young man you are today. I love you!”
Justin always saw himself playing basketball at a higher level; all he needed to do was have faith in his own abilities. He succeeded despite the difficulty. He discovered that he needed to establish his worth after arriving in Delhi. In order to play, he needed to make his presence known. The competition differed from high school and even when it came to his school work “The professors don’t care at all, teachers in high school want you to succeed but to professors it doesn't matter if you pass or not.” He finds himself pushing himself despite all of these setbacks and challenges because that is where he sees his future.“I can’t see myself doing anything else. I think about where I come from and where I want to be.” That should teach us all a lesson: just because we have setbacks, doesn't indicate that our goal is unachievable.
Do you still think a road to a sports career often appears distant and unattainable in college? After reading this, you might still think that, but we hope that you don't think this thought as much as before. These two people are normal people who were once in the same seats you are literally sitting in as you read this. They probably worked with the same coaches you worked with today. Justin and Brianna are just two examples of many graduates of Comp Sci High that continue to pursue their dream and, one day, we hope you reading this can add on to those many. This was their story, their life- the alumni life but now it's time to focus on your story , your life, and your future alumni life.