I am thrilled, humbled, and so incredibly honored to be inducted into the Harvard Varsity Club Hall of Fame. Thank you for including me among such an amazing group of athletes.

I’d like to start by thanking my parents because the last award that I won at Harvard my senior year, I was also thrilled, humbled and SO surprised that I forgot to thank them. So, Mom, Dad, thank you. For then, for now, and for the countless practices, games, and tournaments you made a reality.

I feel fortunate that I found a sport that I loved early on in my life and that my family loved it as well. My first exposure to field hockey was when my mother had purchased a bunch of old, wooden field hockey sticks for me and my sisters, Tina and Jen ’06, to hack around with on the beach during our childhood summers. From there we began attending camps, tournaments, U.S. programs, etc., and eventually my older sister paved the way for us to play college field hockey. My younger sister subsequently joined me at Harvard and I feel lucky that we were able to share 2 years at Harvard together both on and off the field.

Looking back at my time at Harvard, there are many great memories. I remember the smell of the fall, crisp air as we’d bike over the bridge to practice, belting out to Journey in the locker room, taking cold “tubbies,” getting that fresh new pair of DHAs at the first day of pre-season, Saturday games followed by tailgates and a night out with team. As a team, we had great success. We catapulted the program into the top 16 national rankings, delivered 4 years of winning records, and secured 2 NCAA Tournament bids. Going to the national tournament was such a thrill. Every year, when that fall, crisp New England air rolls in, I still get nostalgic about that special time in my life.

There were also challenges during my career. Most notably that I missed my sophomore season due to a knee injury. It was the first time in my life that I was unable to play the sport I loved. There were a lot of tears and a lot of pain that year, but there was also an unparalleled amount of support. This support came from my family, my teammates, my roommates, my coach, my trainers, and my friends. I am grateful for every one of them and the role they played in my road to recovery.

I’d like to specifically thank my coach, Sue. My injury could have been the end of my field hockey career, but you believed in me, encouraged me, and supported me, and that made all the difference. You drove me to the doctor’s office, you allowed me to swim or bike when I couldn’t participate in practice, and you never gave up on me. These are only a few of the many examples that show how you always cared about each one of us as individuals above each one of us as field hockey players. I wouldn’t be receiving this honor if it weren’t for you. Thank you, Sue.

I also need to thank my amazing teammates. The best part of playing Harvard field hockey was the relationships that I made and those relationships are what I treasure most today. My teammates have and will continue to be a wonderful part of my life. I still lean on them for support whether it’s work-related, teaching my kid to ride a bike, or just to have a good laugh over memories from college.

Lastly, thank you to my husband, Geoff, for being my person to share this life with and for giving me our 3 beautiful daughters - Ellie, Caroline, and Mae. We are single-handedly creating the 2032 Harvard field hockey starting line-up and we only have about 8 more kids to go. Up Up Harvard!