Northstar Share Event
By: Louie Pasculli
On Thursday, January 10th, six division one athletes visited Nottingham high school to give friendly advice to the future of collegiate sports. All of the six guests were former Nottingham students. The high school students that attended to listen were invited by their coaches as being one of the best athletes on their respective team. The first ever Northstar Share Event was orchestrated and emceed by NHS’s own Mrs. Persichetti. Nottingham’s alum spoke about the different aspects of becoming successful at the collegiate level, both in academics and athletics.
Kenley Souffrant, a graduate of the class of 2017, spoke first. The distance runner for Rider college had a rather compelling speech about achieving greatness. Using his above average speaking skills, Souffrant touched on the point that greatness can only be attained through sacrifices. With a nod to his high school alma mater, he closed by mentioning being great isn't only about you, but about all the people that helped you to get to where you are. The next to speak was Grace Dwyer, who graduated Nottingham in 2016. Her discourse encompassed the importance of good academics. In addition, she talked about choosing a program that is right for you and being content with the school you pick. The next two speakers to present were Valerie and Jermaine Griffith. Valerie, a current Seton Hall student, spoke on being prepared for college. She included that starting good habits now will help tremendously in the long run. Griffith, who runs track for Rutgers, informed the students that time management is one of the most important skills needed for college and for life.
Boaz Madeus was the next to speak. His story was the most personal as he talked about a career threatening injury. He started by describing the beginning of his freshman year in college at Rutgers university, which went tremendously for him. He then spoke about a track meet in toronto. Madeus wasn’t running the meet for his college team due to it being an invitational. It was a normal race until he broke both of the bones in his lower leg. He is redshirting this year, his sophomore year, with a healthy recovery in mind. Using all available resources and being prepared for the mental battle of a major injury will help in the physical as well as mental rehabilitation. The final athlete to speak to the audience of high school students was Krysten Hallam. The softball player at Hofstra spoke on the importance of your teammates. Although they may not be your best friends, they understand the struggle you are going through. Being a good teammate is the first step in participating on a be successful team. A good message concluded the advice given by the current college athletes.
After everyone had expressed their points and the Q&A portion of the Northstar Share Event was completed, I had the chance to sit down with Boaz Madeus one on one. I asked him questions about his former high school and giving back to the community. The first question I asked was how has Nottingham helped you become the athlete and person your are today. His response was simple yet powerful; he stated “Nottingham has helped me become the person and athlete I am today through the hard work and grind of Nottingham's system. Every meet, I wanted to wear and represent my city and my school the right way. The team atmosphere and coaches gave me a sense of pride and attachment to my school and I carry that with me today.” The next question hit close to home as I asked about the significance of giving back to your community. With a smile on his face Madeus answered by saying, “It is definitely important to come back and talk to the athletes here. When I was an athlete at Nottingham, it was very important to have others help me and I didn't always have someone who went through a direct experience at a division one college. When I did, I took what they knew and applied it to my own life. If I can provide that for the kids here, that would be great.” The third and final question I asked related to the previous one. I inquired about the greatest part of giving back to his community and he replied, “The best part of giving back is knowing my experiences and knowledge from the the things I went through can be a light and help someone else through whatever they are going through. It helps to know that when you come to an event like this to speak and educate, someone is going to go through something similar. They are probably going to have the same questions as I once had and it’s good knowing they I can be that answer or a temporary example to them. I have a joy knowing that what I share is not in vein and can help someone in the future.”
Kenley Souffrant, a graduate of the class of 2017, spoke first. The distance runner for Rider college had a rather compelling speech about achieving greatness. Using his above average speaking skills, Souffrant touched on the point that greatness can only be attained through sacrifices. With a nod to his high school alma mater, he closed by mentioning being great isn't only about you, but about all the people that helped you to get to where you are. The next to speak was Grace Dwyer, who graduated Nottingham in 2016. Her discourse encompassed the importance of good academics. In addition, she talked about choosing a program that is right for you and being content with the school you pick. The next two speakers to present were Valerie and Jermaine Griffith. Valerie, a current Seton Hall student, spoke on being prepared for college. She included that starting good habits now will help tremendously in the long run. Griffith, who runs track for Rutgers, informed the students that time management is one of the most important skills needed for college and for life.
Boaz Madeus was the next to speak. His story was the most personal as he talked about a career threatening injury. He started by describing the beginning of his freshman year in college at Rutgers university, which went tremendously for him. He then spoke about a track meet in toronto. Madeus wasn’t running the meet for his college team due to it being an invitational. It was a normal race until he broke both of the bones in his lower leg. He is redshirting this year, his sophomore year, with a healthy recovery in mind. Using all available resources and being prepared for the mental battle of a major injury will help in the physical as well as mental rehabilitation. The final athlete to speak to the audience of high school students was Krysten Hallam. The softball player at Hofstra spoke on the importance of your teammates. Although they may not be your best friends, they understand the struggle you are going through. Being a good teammate is the first step in participating on a be successful team. A good message concluded the advice given by the current college athletes.
After everyone had expressed their points and the Q&A portion of the Northstar Share Event was completed, I had the chance to sit down with Boaz Madeus one on one. I asked him questions about his former high school and giving back to the community. The first question I asked was how has Nottingham helped you become the athlete and person your are today. His response was simple yet powerful; he stated “Nottingham has helped me become the person and athlete I am today through the hard work and grind of Nottingham's system. Every meet, I wanted to wear and represent my city and my school the right way. The team atmosphere and coaches gave me a sense of pride and attachment to my school and I carry that with me today.” The next question hit close to home as I asked about the significance of giving back to your community. With a smile on his face Madeus answered by saying, “It is definitely important to come back and talk to the athletes here. When I was an athlete at Nottingham, it was very important to have others help me and I didn't always have someone who went through a direct experience at a division one college. When I did, I took what they knew and applied it to my own life. If I can provide that for the kids here, that would be great.” The third and final question I asked related to the previous one. I inquired about the greatest part of giving back to his community and he replied, “The best part of giving back is knowing my experiences and knowledge from the the things I went through can be a light and help someone else through whatever they are going through. It helps to know that when you come to an event like this to speak and educate, someone is going to go through something similar. They are probably going to have the same questions as I once had and it’s good knowing they I can be that answer or a temporary example to them. I have a joy knowing that what I share is not in vein and can help someone in the future.”