Action gets underway tomorrow in the preliminary rounds of the NCAA Division III Tennis Championships, and the student-athletes of Baruch College have been eagerly awaiting this opportunity. The CUNY Athletic Conference plays its main tennis season in the fall, and Baruch secured its spot in the championships by winning the CUNY title last October. The spring has been filled with training and matches with non-CUNY opponents, but now it’s showtime.
Among the players is junior Brianna Augustin, a political science major. Originally from Haiti, where soccer was the main sport, she discovered tennis after moving to New York City. In middle school, she saw a flier for her school’s tennis team.
“I thought it sounded interesting; I’d never played tennis in my life, but I went and tried out, made the team,” said Augustin, who understood she had a lot to learn about the sport. “I started going to the public courts where the walls are good for practicing. That’s where I met a coach that started giving me lessons. From there, then history.”
She never envisioned playing college tennis, but grasped the opportunity and ran with it. She found a love for tennis, which has continued into college. Being part of a team is exhilarating. “The team we have is amazing,” Augustin said. “I’ve met my core friends from the team. Since freshman year, we’ve been together. Even those who have graduated are still in contact. It pushes you in all ways.”
Being a student-athlete has given her discipline, focus, and time management skills. The competitive edge of tennis readily transfers to the classroom. Augustin strives to see her name on the list of Baruch Bearcats—student-athletes who also excel academically.
Augustin attended the Preparatory Academy for Writers in Queens. Several of her high school mentors spoke highly of Baruch, which helped her with college selection.
During the cold winter months, she and her college teammates have kept each other motivated in anticipation of competing on the national stage. She appreciates the diverse cultures among the student-athletes.This summer, she will do an internship in addition to training. After college, Augustin anticipates going to law school—her dream school is the Howard University School of Law. She’s currently preparing to take the LSAT exam. Another goal is to become a political commentator or journalist, for which her language skills will be most beneficial.