AMHERST, N.Y. – The annual NCAA Diversity & Inclusion campaign is underway! Daemen University dove into the "A Shared Responsibility" theme for the third and final day of the social media campaign and discussed the topic of inclusion with freshman bowler
Chelsea Porga (Welland, Ontario) who sat down with Daemen's Assistant Director of Athletics Communications, Mary Margaret Johnson, for this interview. Porga, who has been a bowler for ten years now, is Daemen bowling's first international player in the history of the program.
Q: So tell me a little more about where you're from and how you got to Daemen.
A: "I'm from Welland, Ontario which is about 20 miles south of Niagara Falls, so I'm really not that far from home, but I knew coming to Daemen was going to be a great opportunity for me because we couldn't play bowling at a higher level in Canada. Daemen has given me that opportunity, so I'm really excited to do that here. I reached out to a couple different schools, but I knew that I wanted to go to a small school, I knew that I wanted to be close enough to home but far enough to get that independence. I went through a list of the possible schools that were close, and then I narrowed it down to Daemen, and then Carrie offered me a spot on the team and I took it."
Q: Did you know that you were the first ever international player while you were being recruited?
A: "I had no idea that I was the first international recruit on the bowling team. About a year and a half ago I reached out to
Carrie Racsumberger and I knew that I wanted to get more information about the program. Ever since I stepped on campus to visit the school, I knew that this is where I wanted to be."
Q: I know that it is always a transition for every freshman going from high school to college. What has that transition been like for you since the start of the school year?
A: "The transition has been really good, our team has been really welcoming to me and I've felt a really good connection with the coaches. Our assistant coach and our head coach have been really good about showing me around campus, helping me out, and the girls on the team have been really helping me out, academically and on the lanes, so that's been really good."
Q: How have you gotten along in classes for these last two months?
A: "It's been pretty hard, because I've been going to school all my life in French, so this is my first time going to school fully in English. Math has been a challenge, but the staff and the faculty here at Daemen have been really helpful. They've been able to book office hours and meetings with me and go over the material in an easier way for me to understand it. I really like that the class sizes are small so it's nice to get that one-on-one time with the professors."
Q: What is your major, and is there anyone else on the team that you are in classes with?
A: "My major is health promotions. There isn't anyone else on the team who is that major, but there are Physical Therapy majors who have taken some of the health classes that I'm in, so they're able to help me, which is good."
Q: How have you felt included within your team so far?
A: "I've felt so welcomed on the team. Every girl on the team has said 'You can text me anytime, let me know what you need, let us help you out,' and the coaches have been the same way. I'm texting them all the time to get help on things, and they're always willing to sit down with me. If I'm having a bad day, they'll just sit down with me and help me out, I've really liked that. It's a family feel for sure, I've really felt a connection with everyone on the team. I've been really close with everyone here and get along with everyone so well here."
Q: Was it nice kind of easing into your first college season with bowling starting later than the other fall sports?
A: "I think that since our seasons didn't start until October 1
st, we had the chance to have captains practices with just the girls, we got to know each other, our coaches did a lot of team bonding in September which allowed us to get to know each other on a more personal side. Now we've had two tournaments already in two weekends, and we're flying out to Florida next weekend for a tournament, so I'm really excited for that because it gives us an opportunity to get even closer in Orlando."
Q: You've had two tournaments so far, what has been your favorite thing about this young season?
A: "The van memories are going to be something that I'm really going to cherish. We joke around all the time. Even when we're not in the vans, when we're in the hotel we're always playing games, the coaches have really made it a priority that we're going to do more team activities so when we're in the hotels we're playing different games, we get to share laughs and we have such a good time."
Q: You'll have more team bonding next weekend as the team heads to Florida for the Sunshine Classic, how excited are you for that trip?
A: "I've never been to Florida, so I'm really excited. Our family used to drive everywhere so I've never taken a plane either, we always did road trips growing up, so that's something I'm even more excited about because I get to share that experience with the girls on the team and the coaches."
Daemen is idle until the weekend of Oct. 27-29 when the Wildcats head to Orlando, Fla. to take part in the Destination Florida Tournament hosted by Sacred Heart University.
Daemen University features the premier NCAA Division II athletics program in the Buffalo-Niagara region, sponsoring 17 intercollegiate teams. For the latest information on Daemen Athletics, follow the Wildcats via social media on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, or sign up to receive customizable news alerts, e-mail newsletters and weekly schedule alerts.
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