Samantha Hagenbush wasn’t looking to branch out too far when she set about picking a college four years ago.
“I wanted to stay close to home,” the Rockaway, N.J., native said. “I was Googling where all of the colleges I was looking at were to compare how far they were from where I live.”
That put Penn State Berks University, the most distant school she was considering at more than 100 miles away and a more-than two-hour drive from her hometown, at a disadvantage. But then she visited the Spring Township campus.
It was over Thanksgiving break in 2019. She had been invited by women’s basketball coach Kristin Hawley, who wanted the shooting guard to join her team.
Hagenbush said the experience blew her away.
First of all, the Lion Ambassador student guide who showed her around had come back from his own break just to give her a tour. And what a tour it was.
“He made me feel special,” she said. “He made the tour so personal for me.”
The ambassador knew Hagenbush was interested in studying kinesiology, so he made sure she got an up-close look at all the programs and resources Penn State Berks had in that area.
Hagenbush also got to meet with Hawley and sit in on one of her practices.
“She basically made me feel very welcome and at home,” Hagenbush said. “When I got in my car to go home, I already knew I wanted to go there.”
It was a choice she’s glad she made.
As she prepared last week to walk the stage and accept her diploma — joining about 230 of her classmates during the Penn State Berks commencement ceremony Saturday morning at Santander Arena — she said she truly cherishes her college experience.
“Penn State Berks really prepared me for anything that I’ll face in the future,” she said. “I think graduation is going to be a whirlwind of emotions. It’ll be happy, sad, exciting — it’s going to be bittersweet for everybody.”
Hagenbush made the most of her time at Penn State Berks, getting involved in campus life as much as possible.
“I tried to do everything and anything I could,” she said.
Along with starring on the basketball team, she played tennis and ran cross-country. She also served as the United East Conference co-chair for the Student Athletic Advisory Committee.
She was president of the kinesiology club, was a 2024 THON dancer and served as donor and alumni relations co-executive for Berks Benefitting THON. And if that wasn’t enough, she was a Lion Ambassador executive board member, a dance team member, a first-year mentor and a Welcome Weekend leader.
But what Hagenbush found most rewarding during her time at Penn State Berks was her involvement in mental health advocacy.
“Especially during COVID, I struggled with my own mental health,” she said. “So I knew I wanted to help others with their mental health.”
Hagenbush ended up becoming involved with three organizations: Morgan’s Message, Robbie’s Hope and Selena Gomez’ Rare Beauty Impact Fund.
Each gave her an opportunity to learn more about mental health advocacy, something Hagenbush plans to continue to pursue in the future as a volunteer for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
Hagenbush said she has a special interest in the mental health of athletes, which led her to be involved with an undergraduate research study on the subject.
“One of the key findings was that there is still a lot of mental health stigma when it comes to athletes,” she said. “A lot of athletes across the country are scared to ask for help. Athletes are known to be tough people and don’t want to admit they’re struggling.”
Along with her continued mental health advocacy, Hagenbush’s future will also see her begin seeking her master’s degree in athletic training at Montclair State University in New Jersey this fall. And after that, the 22-year-old hopes to work as an athletic trainer for Atlantic Health with an eye on becoming an athletic trainer for a Division 3 college.
Those plans for the future have a lot to do with her past, and the four years she spent at Division 3 Penn State Berks.
“It was a really amazing experience, I’m really glad I chose it,” she said. “I think going away was the best thing for me. I think I’m a completely different person than I was four years ago.
“I’m more outspoken, more confident, more willing to get involved. And Penn State Berks has a lot to do with that.”
Source: Berkshire mont
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