My name is Brennan Nevada Johnson and I am a junior journalism major on the St. John’s women’s volleyball team.

I will be writing articles throughout the semester to inform everyone about the amount of discipline that goes into being a Division I athlete, inform students about our volleyball program, and  share with the public lessons I have learned from volleyball that helped me to succeed on and off the court.

I transferred from Siena College in 2011 to attend St John’s for several reasons: the volleyball team here plays for one of the best conferences in the country, it is located in New York City, the journalism program is very good and the diversity of the student body.

I chose to take up volleyball because it provided me with the opportunity to shine on my own as well as with a team; both of these aspects are needed to be successful in life. Both as individuals and as a team, we must show discipline and mental toughness to keep up in a competitive environment like the Big East.

I can say that about 80 percent of student-athletes have thought about quitting at one point in their career due to the amount of stress. But when some people hear “college athlete,” they think “lazy,” “uneducated” or “cocky.” As a Division I athlete, I know how
much time and effort goes into playing sports in college – even a sport like volleyball that most people on this campus don’t follow. I’m writing to combat these stereotypes, and to show the dedication and sacrifice that is required at this level.