Q&A: Women’s Basketball’s Gaziano Spends 30 Days in Samoa through Royce Fellowship
9/14/2018 9:49:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Brown University women's basketball junior guard Justine Gaziano spent 30 days from July 7 to August 5 in Samoa through a Brown University Royce Sport and Society Fellowship.
During her time in Samoa, the Sociology concentrator explored the athletic experiences of a select group of high performing female athletes with an emphasis on how sociocultural attitudes towards female athletes have impacted their experiences and how their success impacts attitudes and future opportunities for female athletes.
BrownBears.com caught up with Gaziano upon her return to campus.
What drew you to apply for a Royce Fellowship, and how did you decide on what your project would entail?
I heard great things about the Royce Fellowship because a few other women's basketball players chose to pursue the fellowship in the past, and they encouraged me and my teammates to pursue what we are passionate about as well. That inspired me to figure out what it is that I love to do outside of the basketball court, while engaging my project with basketball in a community center.
I wanted to design a project that combined my passion for basketball as well as my interest in sociology. The project that I designed bridged the gap between the two by allowing me to explore the different experiences of female athletes in a society that I have never been to.
After studying abroad in Greece earlier in the summer, how did your experience in Greece compare to your time in Samoa?
They were completely different from one another in every single way. Obviously, Greece was more of an opportunity to travel and explore all over Greece and a couple of other countries, but Samoa was purely diving into an entirely new setting and pursuing research at the same time.
What was a typical day like for you while conducting your research in Samoa?
Quite honestly, every day really varied depending on who I was meeting with and what I was looking to do. Most days I would meet with a different female player or coach. I would go watch one of their trainings – whether that be in netball or rugby – and on some of those days I would also host a basketball clinic for boys and girls on the island.
I met individuals on the island who live and work there and also had the opportunity to spend time with them and explore the island with them outside of the research that I was doing.
How did your experience play out over your month on the island?
While I was on the island, I had the opportunity to connect with about 20 different female athletes and coaches through the sport development program that I worked with known as Samoa Institute of Sport. I worked with the director, Philippa Matatia, and she connected me with all these women.
Going into it, I did not know what my month would look like, but I knew that I would figure it out along the way with the help of Philippa and through my own communication and meeting new people.
What did you take away from your experience that you might not have considered before the trip began?
You would be surprised at what you are capable of even outside your comfort zone. Going into a whole new place and not knowing anyone across the world – every person is capable of doing something that they have never done before. I had an amazing experience, met wonderful people, and it's a wonderful community on this small island. I am really grateful for that opportunity.
How do you hope to extend your experience into the future?
I am going to encourage anyone on our team or on other teams to pursue the Royce Fellowship because it allows students to do what they are passionate about in whichever way they choose. The university really supports and encourages that in every way.
It is an experience that I will always take with me wherever I go. It is something that I know that I can continue to learn from as I continue to analyze my research and turn it into something that continues on beyond my time on the island.
During her time in Samoa, the Sociology concentrator explored the athletic experiences of a select group of high performing female athletes with an emphasis on how sociocultural attitudes towards female athletes have impacted their experiences and how their success impacts attitudes and future opportunities for female athletes.
BrownBears.com caught up with Gaziano upon her return to campus.
What drew you to apply for a Royce Fellowship, and how did you decide on what your project would entail?
I heard great things about the Royce Fellowship because a few other women's basketball players chose to pursue the fellowship in the past, and they encouraged me and my teammates to pursue what we are passionate about as well. That inspired me to figure out what it is that I love to do outside of the basketball court, while engaging my project with basketball in a community center.
I wanted to design a project that combined my passion for basketball as well as my interest in sociology. The project that I designed bridged the gap between the two by allowing me to explore the different experiences of female athletes in a society that I have never been to.
After studying abroad in Greece earlier in the summer, how did your experience in Greece compare to your time in Samoa?
They were completely different from one another in every single way. Obviously, Greece was more of an opportunity to travel and explore all over Greece and a couple of other countries, but Samoa was purely diving into an entirely new setting and pursuing research at the same time.
What was a typical day like for you while conducting your research in Samoa?
Quite honestly, every day really varied depending on who I was meeting with and what I was looking to do. Most days I would meet with a different female player or coach. I would go watch one of their trainings – whether that be in netball or rugby – and on some of those days I would also host a basketball clinic for boys and girls on the island.
I met individuals on the island who live and work there and also had the opportunity to spend time with them and explore the island with them outside of the research that I was doing.
How did your experience play out over your month on the island?
While I was on the island, I had the opportunity to connect with about 20 different female athletes and coaches through the sport development program that I worked with known as Samoa Institute of Sport. I worked with the director, Philippa Matatia, and she connected me with all these women.
Going into it, I did not know what my month would look like, but I knew that I would figure it out along the way with the help of Philippa and through my own communication and meeting new people.
What did you take away from your experience that you might not have considered before the trip began?
You would be surprised at what you are capable of even outside your comfort zone. Going into a whole new place and not knowing anyone across the world – every person is capable of doing something that they have never done before. I had an amazing experience, met wonderful people, and it's a wonderful community on this small island. I am really grateful for that opportunity.
How do you hope to extend your experience into the future?
I am going to encourage anyone on our team or on other teams to pursue the Royce Fellowship because it allows students to do what they are passionate about in whichever way they choose. The university really supports and encourages that in every way.
It is an experience that I will always take with me wherever I go. It is something that I know that I can continue to learn from as I continue to analyze my research and turn it into something that continues on beyond my time on the island.
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