Friday, March 11
Providence, R.I.
6:00 pm
Brown University
vs
Bridgeport
Photo by: Stew Milne
Women’s Gymnastics 2022 Senior Reflections
3/11/2022 10:50:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
Ahead of their final home meet of the regular season, the Brown women's gymnastics senior class of 2022 reflected on their careers and their time at Brown.
The group will be recognized with a post meet ceremony on Friday, March 11.
Mei Li Costa – Lawrenceville, N.J.
What's your favorite Brown Gymnastics moment up to this point?
My favorite Brown Gymnastics moment I think is last weekend when Sara came up to us after the meet and told us we had scored a 194.6. The whole team was jumping up and down screaming and I just felt so lucky to be a part of such an amazing group of people.
Describe the relationship with your fellow seniors.
I love my senior class with my whole heart. We have always supported each other through everything and really used our differences to make us an even stronger class. They have helped me grow so much over these last four years.
Describe the feeling going into senior day. What are some of the thoughts going through your mind as you're nearing the end of your collegiate career?
I am excited going into senior day. I think there will be a lot of energy. I am going to miss Brown Gym, but I am also feeling ready to move on and thankful to have had such an incredible experience.
What will you miss about Brown Gymnastics?
I am going to miss the team environment the most. The opportunity to get to know so many incredible people on the team has been the best part of the experience for me, but I am so excited to watch all the amazing things they will do going forward. I also love the competitive environment and will miss the rush of competing.
What are your postgraduate plans?
I plan to work for a few years in education before returning to a graduate program.
Alyssa Gardner – Angola, N.Y.
What's your favorite Brown Gymnastics moment up to this point?
My favorite Brown gymnastics moment so far is weirdly enough the COVID shutdown. The team was always there and supportive and with all the uncertainty there was always a sense of security in the girls. I'll never forget the team banquet we threw together in a matter of 24 hours and we simply enjoyed each other's presence before going home for an indefinite period of time. It was a sense of safety in the most uncertain time and for that, I will be forever thankful and I will never forget it. Alaska was also pretty cool too. I've always wanted to visit Alaska and am so grateful I got to go with Brown gym. It was a Brown gym experience I never thought could be surpassed by any other, but the sense of community and love I felt in the uncertainty of the beginning of the pandemic is immeasurable. No travel trip or score from a judge could ever top that in my opinion.
Describe the relationship with your fellow seniors.
I have such a good relationship with all of my fellow seniors. Although I was not a part of their original class, they never hesitated to welcome me into their class as soon as I decided I was taking a gap year and would be graduating with them instead. I have been close with all four of them since the day they got to campus and I am thankful for each of their friendships which I know will be lifelong friendships. They are the most kind, caring, and compassionate group of women and I am thankful I even get to be a part of this group of women who are going to be so successful in their time after Brown.
Describe the feeling going into senior day. What are some of the thoughts going through your mind as you're nearing the end of your collegiate career?
Coming up on senior day is super exciting. I am definitely in a different mindset than even I anticipated coming into this. I thought I would be super sad about my time coming to an end but instead, I am just overwhelmingly gracious. If I had done things according to plan, I would have never had this senior day, let alone a senior season. I came into this year looking at the season as a whole as a bonus experience, something I was never supposed to have in my "plan" for college. I am grateful I took the chance of taking a gap year and would not change it for the world. I am so grateful for everything coming into senior day; the opportunity at a senior season, the team, the amazing class I get to graduate with, and the love and support from my family and friends.
What are your postgraduate plans?
Post-grad I will be moving back to Buffalo in order to attend the University at Buffalo's masters of athletic training program! The ultimate goal is to work with Division I NCAA teams or maybe even in professional sports!
Safiya Miller - Bear, Del.
What's your favorite Brown Gymnastics moment up to this point?
As I reflect on my time at Brown Gymnastics, it truly is a culmination of moments that add up to be my favorite. I could say that feeling of throwing a double back on the floor for the first time, or competing beam for the first time 1,077 days, but honestly every moment precedes another just as important stepping stone. As I look back on my journey, I cherish the overall collection of moments, both good and bad, that have grown me and shaped my Brown Gymnastics career to be as special as it is.
Describe the relationship with your fellow seniors.
One word that comes to my head when I think about my relationship with my other seniors is irreplaceable. They have been there through both the best and toughest of days, and the bonds we've formed have been my rock throughout the last four years.
Describe the feeling going into senior day. What are some of the thoughts going through your mind as you're nearing the end of your collegiate career?
I've been feeling very reflective of the relationships I've formed, gymnastics goals I've accomplished, and ultimate journey with Brown Gymnastics going into senior day. I'm so grateful for the ways this team has pushed me to grow mentally and physically not only as a gymnast, but also as a person. It is strange to fathom my college career truly coming to an end, but I'm just overjoyed and beyond appreciative of the lessons I've learned, experiences I've gained, and life-long relationships I've made.
What will you miss about Brown Gymnastics?
I will miss the team culture more than anything. The way this team rallies around one another, both in practice and at competition, is such a special experience. I'm so grateful to have been surrounded by such driven, motivating women who genuinely want to see me thrive, and push me to keep striving for my goals. I will miss the support, challenge, fun and thrill of both this team and this sport, but I'm excited to take all that I've gained and use it moving forward in my future after college.
What are your postgraduate plans?
I plan to take a gap year after graduating to focus on gaining clinical practice experience before continuing to Med school.
Sophia Petrillo – Stoneham, Mass.
What's your favorite Brown Gymnastics moment up to this point?
My favorite Brown Gymnastics moment occurred when I was a freshman. That year, the team was slated to kick off the season in Anchorage, Alaska at the University of Alaska, and we were supposed to compete twice while we were there. Gymnastics aside, both the University of Alaska Anchorage and the state of Alaska were beautiful, and just being there was surreal. In terms of gymnastics, I was the team's only all-around competitor at the time, so I was competing all four events in my very first college meet. My entire family, including my brother and sister, had also made the cross-country trip, and I was so grateful to have them in the stands cheering for me and the team. I remember the experience of running out onto the floor during march-in, hearing the announcer call my name as a Brown Bear for the first time, and realizing that I had 'made it,' and that I was living out one of my biggest dreams and goals in life of being a Division I college gymnast at an Ivy League school. That is a feeling that I will never forget.
Describe the relationship with your fellow seniors.
Dynamic, heartfelt, and comical
Describe the feeling going into senior day. What are some of the thoughts going through your mind as you're nearing the end of your collegiate career?
Despite knowing throughout my entire gymnastics career that one day it would all come to an end, it is a very weird feeling to have finally reached that end. It is crazy to think that the daily 3+ hour practices, the travel trips every weekend to get to meets, and the countless hours spent in the training room, in the ice bath, doing physical therapy, going to medical appointments, and more every week that have become such an integral and normalized part of my life for as long as I can remember will be no longer. Instead, I will have 20+ hours per week of free time that I can fill with other activities and experiences that hopefully provide me as much joy as this one has. Senior day, and the eventual end of my collegiate gymnastics career and of my entire gymnastics career, is a day that was inherently going to happen at some point, but it still feels almost shocking that it has finally actually arrived.
Mostly though, as Senior Day draws near, I am filled with a sense of gratitude. Over the past 20 years, I have received so much love and support from so many important people in my life, and for many of them, there are no words, or any number of 'thank yous' that would be enough to convey my appreciation for them and for what they have done for me. To my parents, my siblings, all of my extended family, my teammates and coaches past and present, and my friends: thank you! Thank you so much for celebrating with me when I was successful, picking me up when I was not so successful, and most importantly, for always believing in me and reminding me that I am capable and that I can do great things, even when I did not believe it myself. For all that I have done to get myself to this point in my career, all of these people have invested equally as much in me and in my gymnastics journey, and I truly would not be where I am today without them.
What will you miss about Brown Gymnastics?
Although there are many aspects of Brown Gymnastics that I will miss once I graduate, I think the part that I will miss most is the comradery and the day-to-day activities that have made this team feel like a family to me. Over the years, I have shared early mornings, late nights, travel trips, meets, classes, and team dinners with everyone on this team, and the memories that I have of these times are unforgettable. We have shared laughs, tears, and everything in between, and I have such a unique relationship with each and every member of our team, and I am so grateful to have made so many great friends through this team. Most importantly, our communal experience of competing at the such a high level in our sport while simultaneously attending one of the top academic institutions in the country is one that most other people do not have; the constant pursuit of excellence in all that I do, and the indescribable feeling of knowing that I am living the life towards which I spent my whole childhood and teenage years working is something I will surely miss.
What are your postgraduate plans?
Following my graduation this Spring, I am excited to be staying in Providence for one more year to finish the 2nd year of my Master's degree in Public Health. I am a member of the 5-year UG/MPH program at Brown, which has allowed me to begin working towards a Master's degree in Public Health at the Brown School of Public Health this year while I am still a senior undergraduate, and then spend an additional year here next year while I complete my 2nd year of studies for the degree. As a culmination of the program, I will graduate again in May 2023 with my MPH on the epidemiology track.
Abby Walsh – White Lake, Michigan
What's your favorite Brown Gymnastics moment up to this point?
I am having a hard time picking a distinct moment, but I have finally decided that our win last weekend was my favorite memory so far. Not because we won, or because we scored a season high (both of those were awesome though), but because we really came together as a team and showed how powerful and talented we are, while having so much fun. The energy in the gym when every single person finished a routine was amazing. We have had a rocky road this season, so seeing everyone put their very best routines together was incredible.
Describe the relationship with your fellow seniors.
I will be forever grateful for my fellow seniors. They have been there through every single moment of my career, and I couldn't have done it without them. Especially this season. We have all overcome so many obstacles, and the fact that we were even able to come back for our last season is a testament to their resilience and strength. Taking so much time off of gymnastics at our age was a challenge, and they were there for me through every bad practice and through every good one, cheering me on no matter what. I have learned so much from them, and I can't imagine my life without them. They are my best friends, and have grown to be my sisters through my time at Brown.
Describe the feeling going into senior day. What are some of the thoughts going through your mind as you're nearing the end of your collegiate career?
It sounds so cliche, but this feeling is bittersweet for me. I tell everyone, my body thought I retired when I went home in March 2020 for Covid, and I was able to come back stronger than ever. Gymnasts don't take 18 months off and come back. It's just not something that happens in our sport, so I came into this year with pretty low expectations for myself. I'm so thankful that I have had the opportunity to compete for Brown this season, and during my four years, so it's really hard trying to conceptualize my career ending. I've been doing gymnastics for my whole life, so knowing that the end is just a few meets away is scary, but really exciting. I've been spending this season soaking up the feeling of putting on a leotard and competing, and it's really sad to know this is the last time I will ever do it.
What will you miss about Brown Gymnastics?
I will miss having a team behind my back every step of the way. I really have been so lucky because my teammates are the best friends I could ask for. They have my back no matter what, and even though I know they will still have my back next year, and for years to come, it's tough to know that I won't see them every day, and they won't be there next to me next year. There are so many days that I have walked into the gym and just needed someone to be there for me, and my teammates are there no matter what. They are what I will miss most about Brown Gymnastics.
What are your postgraduate plans?
My postgraduate plans: Law school. I am still undecided about where I will be attending, but I'm really excited for this next stage of my life following graduation!
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The group will be recognized with a post meet ceremony on Friday, March 11.
Mei Li Costa – Lawrenceville, N.J.
What's your favorite Brown Gymnastics moment up to this point?
My favorite Brown Gymnastics moment I think is last weekend when Sara came up to us after the meet and told us we had scored a 194.6. The whole team was jumping up and down screaming and I just felt so lucky to be a part of such an amazing group of people.
Describe the relationship with your fellow seniors.
I love my senior class with my whole heart. We have always supported each other through everything and really used our differences to make us an even stronger class. They have helped me grow so much over these last four years.
Describe the feeling going into senior day. What are some of the thoughts going through your mind as you're nearing the end of your collegiate career?
I am excited going into senior day. I think there will be a lot of energy. I am going to miss Brown Gym, but I am also feeling ready to move on and thankful to have had such an incredible experience.
What will you miss about Brown Gymnastics?
I am going to miss the team environment the most. The opportunity to get to know so many incredible people on the team has been the best part of the experience for me, but I am so excited to watch all the amazing things they will do going forward. I also love the competitive environment and will miss the rush of competing.
What are your postgraduate plans?
I plan to work for a few years in education before returning to a graduate program.
Alyssa Gardner – Angola, N.Y.
What's your favorite Brown Gymnastics moment up to this point?
My favorite Brown gymnastics moment so far is weirdly enough the COVID shutdown. The team was always there and supportive and with all the uncertainty there was always a sense of security in the girls. I'll never forget the team banquet we threw together in a matter of 24 hours and we simply enjoyed each other's presence before going home for an indefinite period of time. It was a sense of safety in the most uncertain time and for that, I will be forever thankful and I will never forget it. Alaska was also pretty cool too. I've always wanted to visit Alaska and am so grateful I got to go with Brown gym. It was a Brown gym experience I never thought could be surpassed by any other, but the sense of community and love I felt in the uncertainty of the beginning of the pandemic is immeasurable. No travel trip or score from a judge could ever top that in my opinion.
Describe the relationship with your fellow seniors.
I have such a good relationship with all of my fellow seniors. Although I was not a part of their original class, they never hesitated to welcome me into their class as soon as I decided I was taking a gap year and would be graduating with them instead. I have been close with all four of them since the day they got to campus and I am thankful for each of their friendships which I know will be lifelong friendships. They are the most kind, caring, and compassionate group of women and I am thankful I even get to be a part of this group of women who are going to be so successful in their time after Brown.
Describe the feeling going into senior day. What are some of the thoughts going through your mind as you're nearing the end of your collegiate career?
Coming up on senior day is super exciting. I am definitely in a different mindset than even I anticipated coming into this. I thought I would be super sad about my time coming to an end but instead, I am just overwhelmingly gracious. If I had done things according to plan, I would have never had this senior day, let alone a senior season. I came into this year looking at the season as a whole as a bonus experience, something I was never supposed to have in my "plan" for college. I am grateful I took the chance of taking a gap year and would not change it for the world. I am so grateful for everything coming into senior day; the opportunity at a senior season, the team, the amazing class I get to graduate with, and the love and support from my family and friends.
What are your postgraduate plans?
Post-grad I will be moving back to Buffalo in order to attend the University at Buffalo's masters of athletic training program! The ultimate goal is to work with Division I NCAA teams or maybe even in professional sports!
Safiya Miller - Bear, Del.
What's your favorite Brown Gymnastics moment up to this point?
As I reflect on my time at Brown Gymnastics, it truly is a culmination of moments that add up to be my favorite. I could say that feeling of throwing a double back on the floor for the first time, or competing beam for the first time 1,077 days, but honestly every moment precedes another just as important stepping stone. As I look back on my journey, I cherish the overall collection of moments, both good and bad, that have grown me and shaped my Brown Gymnastics career to be as special as it is.
Describe the relationship with your fellow seniors.
One word that comes to my head when I think about my relationship with my other seniors is irreplaceable. They have been there through both the best and toughest of days, and the bonds we've formed have been my rock throughout the last four years.
Describe the feeling going into senior day. What are some of the thoughts going through your mind as you're nearing the end of your collegiate career?
I've been feeling very reflective of the relationships I've formed, gymnastics goals I've accomplished, and ultimate journey with Brown Gymnastics going into senior day. I'm so grateful for the ways this team has pushed me to grow mentally and physically not only as a gymnast, but also as a person. It is strange to fathom my college career truly coming to an end, but I'm just overjoyed and beyond appreciative of the lessons I've learned, experiences I've gained, and life-long relationships I've made.
What will you miss about Brown Gymnastics?
I will miss the team culture more than anything. The way this team rallies around one another, both in practice and at competition, is such a special experience. I'm so grateful to have been surrounded by such driven, motivating women who genuinely want to see me thrive, and push me to keep striving for my goals. I will miss the support, challenge, fun and thrill of both this team and this sport, but I'm excited to take all that I've gained and use it moving forward in my future after college.
What are your postgraduate plans?
I plan to take a gap year after graduating to focus on gaining clinical practice experience before continuing to Med school.
Sophia Petrillo – Stoneham, Mass.
What's your favorite Brown Gymnastics moment up to this point?
My favorite Brown Gymnastics moment occurred when I was a freshman. That year, the team was slated to kick off the season in Anchorage, Alaska at the University of Alaska, and we were supposed to compete twice while we were there. Gymnastics aside, both the University of Alaska Anchorage and the state of Alaska were beautiful, and just being there was surreal. In terms of gymnastics, I was the team's only all-around competitor at the time, so I was competing all four events in my very first college meet. My entire family, including my brother and sister, had also made the cross-country trip, and I was so grateful to have them in the stands cheering for me and the team. I remember the experience of running out onto the floor during march-in, hearing the announcer call my name as a Brown Bear for the first time, and realizing that I had 'made it,' and that I was living out one of my biggest dreams and goals in life of being a Division I college gymnast at an Ivy League school. That is a feeling that I will never forget.
Describe the relationship with your fellow seniors.
Dynamic, heartfelt, and comical
Describe the feeling going into senior day. What are some of the thoughts going through your mind as you're nearing the end of your collegiate career?
Despite knowing throughout my entire gymnastics career that one day it would all come to an end, it is a very weird feeling to have finally reached that end. It is crazy to think that the daily 3+ hour practices, the travel trips every weekend to get to meets, and the countless hours spent in the training room, in the ice bath, doing physical therapy, going to medical appointments, and more every week that have become such an integral and normalized part of my life for as long as I can remember will be no longer. Instead, I will have 20+ hours per week of free time that I can fill with other activities and experiences that hopefully provide me as much joy as this one has. Senior day, and the eventual end of my collegiate gymnastics career and of my entire gymnastics career, is a day that was inherently going to happen at some point, but it still feels almost shocking that it has finally actually arrived.
Mostly though, as Senior Day draws near, I am filled with a sense of gratitude. Over the past 20 years, I have received so much love and support from so many important people in my life, and for many of them, there are no words, or any number of 'thank yous' that would be enough to convey my appreciation for them and for what they have done for me. To my parents, my siblings, all of my extended family, my teammates and coaches past and present, and my friends: thank you! Thank you so much for celebrating with me when I was successful, picking me up when I was not so successful, and most importantly, for always believing in me and reminding me that I am capable and that I can do great things, even when I did not believe it myself. For all that I have done to get myself to this point in my career, all of these people have invested equally as much in me and in my gymnastics journey, and I truly would not be where I am today without them.
What will you miss about Brown Gymnastics?
Although there are many aspects of Brown Gymnastics that I will miss once I graduate, I think the part that I will miss most is the comradery and the day-to-day activities that have made this team feel like a family to me. Over the years, I have shared early mornings, late nights, travel trips, meets, classes, and team dinners with everyone on this team, and the memories that I have of these times are unforgettable. We have shared laughs, tears, and everything in between, and I have such a unique relationship with each and every member of our team, and I am so grateful to have made so many great friends through this team. Most importantly, our communal experience of competing at the such a high level in our sport while simultaneously attending one of the top academic institutions in the country is one that most other people do not have; the constant pursuit of excellence in all that I do, and the indescribable feeling of knowing that I am living the life towards which I spent my whole childhood and teenage years working is something I will surely miss.
What are your postgraduate plans?
Following my graduation this Spring, I am excited to be staying in Providence for one more year to finish the 2nd year of my Master's degree in Public Health. I am a member of the 5-year UG/MPH program at Brown, which has allowed me to begin working towards a Master's degree in Public Health at the Brown School of Public Health this year while I am still a senior undergraduate, and then spend an additional year here next year while I complete my 2nd year of studies for the degree. As a culmination of the program, I will graduate again in May 2023 with my MPH on the epidemiology track.
Abby Walsh – White Lake, Michigan
What's your favorite Brown Gymnastics moment up to this point?
I am having a hard time picking a distinct moment, but I have finally decided that our win last weekend was my favorite memory so far. Not because we won, or because we scored a season high (both of those were awesome though), but because we really came together as a team and showed how powerful and talented we are, while having so much fun. The energy in the gym when every single person finished a routine was amazing. We have had a rocky road this season, so seeing everyone put their very best routines together was incredible.
Describe the relationship with your fellow seniors.
I will be forever grateful for my fellow seniors. They have been there through every single moment of my career, and I couldn't have done it without them. Especially this season. We have all overcome so many obstacles, and the fact that we were even able to come back for our last season is a testament to their resilience and strength. Taking so much time off of gymnastics at our age was a challenge, and they were there for me through every bad practice and through every good one, cheering me on no matter what. I have learned so much from them, and I can't imagine my life without them. They are my best friends, and have grown to be my sisters through my time at Brown.
Describe the feeling going into senior day. What are some of the thoughts going through your mind as you're nearing the end of your collegiate career?
It sounds so cliche, but this feeling is bittersweet for me. I tell everyone, my body thought I retired when I went home in March 2020 for Covid, and I was able to come back stronger than ever. Gymnasts don't take 18 months off and come back. It's just not something that happens in our sport, so I came into this year with pretty low expectations for myself. I'm so thankful that I have had the opportunity to compete for Brown this season, and during my four years, so it's really hard trying to conceptualize my career ending. I've been doing gymnastics for my whole life, so knowing that the end is just a few meets away is scary, but really exciting. I've been spending this season soaking up the feeling of putting on a leotard and competing, and it's really sad to know this is the last time I will ever do it.
What will you miss about Brown Gymnastics?
I will miss having a team behind my back every step of the way. I really have been so lucky because my teammates are the best friends I could ask for. They have my back no matter what, and even though I know they will still have my back next year, and for years to come, it's tough to know that I won't see them every day, and they won't be there next to me next year. There are so many days that I have walked into the gym and just needed someone to be there for me, and my teammates are there no matter what. They are what I will miss most about Brown Gymnastics.
What are your postgraduate plans?
My postgraduate plans: Law school. I am still undecided about where I will be attending, but I'm really excited for this next stage of my life following graduation!
BROWN UNIVERSITY SPORTS FOUNDATION
The Brown University Sports Foundation (BUSF) is the lifeblood of the athletics program, and exists to enhance the student-athlete experience through philanthropic support from alumni, parents, fans and friends. A gift through the Sports Foundation makes an immediate impact on today's Brown Bears and helps them to be their best in the classroom, in competition and most importantly in the community. To learn more about supporting the Bears, please click here.
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL
For the latest on Brown Athletics, please follow @BrownAthletics on Twitter, @BrownAthletics on Instagram, like /BrownAthletics on Facebook and subscribe to the BrownAthletics YouTube channel.
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