Brandon Briscoe, a freshman Honors student and mid-distance track and field athlete, generously shared what it’s like to challenge himself both inside and outside the classroom. Briscoe’s story is remarkable because balancing a Division I training regime with honors classes is far from easy.
Time management is extremely important for student athletes and Briscoe has developed routines which help him to make the most of his time. Briscoe said, “I like having time slots at the same time every day that I use to either do homework or study. Even if I don't have anything due soon I still use that time to do work ahead of schedule, since I never know if something unexpected will come up.”
The other area which becomes tricky for student athletes is the question of where to place priority (on school or athletics). Briscoe realized early on that he needs to place a larger priority on his schoolwork because he knows how important it will be in shaping his life and career down the road.
Part of what makes a good student athlete is the ability to let go of the past and focus on the present moment. Briscoe knows that he cannot allow failures to dictate his future attitude and efforts. Instead, he lets go of the past, and focuses on the present. When he succeeds in either the classroom or on the track that confidence pushes him to work harder all around. The discipline acquired though participating in both programs will serve him for the rest of his life.
Briscoe, an accounting major, hails from Baltimore, Md. and chose the Mount because it matches his personality perfectly. He enjoys the close-knit atmosphere and impressive majors, athletics and campus.
“When I found out I was awarded the founder's scholarship, I was in disbelief. I tried to be optimistic about winning, but there were so many smart and accomplished people competing for the award that I thought my chances were so slim. After accepting the fact that I was an awardee, I felt on top of the world, and it gave me so much motivation to work hard to prove that I'm deserving of the gift.”