RECRUIT ME | ADMISSIONS OFFICE | FINANCIAL AID | WHY ENDICOTT?
BEVERLY, Mass. – In our fifth installment of #TrackTuesday, we get to know women's cross country and track & field student-athlete Kelly O'Neill (Cumberland, R.I.).
Endicott Athletics (EC): What legacy do you think your class will be leaving on the XC program?
Kelly O'Neill (KO): Within the last two years, a never-settling mentality has been the driving force behind the Endicott cross country program. As upperclassmen of a young team, my class instilled an increased competitiveness than years past. With leadership from Coach Lange, Coach Davis, and Coach Haynes my class stood as role models by continuing to work hard whether it was the first day or last day of the season. Leaving the legacy of a never-settling mentality as the new culture of Endicott cross country.
EC: How do you balance nursing and athletics?
KO: Exercise, haha. Nursing is a demanding major between long classes and clinical hours. Understanding coaches and a lack of procrastination helps to make the workload manageable. Everything is about balance, focusing on just nursing can be overwhelming. With any challenging major it is important to put your health as a priority. Cross country is a break from stress and keeps my mind clear through exercise, as well as gives me an opportunity to spend time with my friends and teammates at practice and team dinners.
EC: Talk about the nursing program, experiences, and the strengths of that program.
KO: I can honestly say as I enter my last semester at Endicott, I could not be more prepared to become a registered nurse. Between Endicott's location and hard-working staff, I was able to have clinicals in some of the top hospitals in New England and the nation including Boston Medical Center, Tufts Medical Center, McLean Hospital, etc. Endicott's clinical settings start an entire semester before most competing programs which allowed me to start working as a certified nursing assistant (CNA) earlier.
EC: Describe your overall experience at Endicott.
KO: With one word, if I could describe my overall experience at Endicott I would use "fulfilled." The small campus truly is a community and as I ask for recommendations I am thankful that my professors truly know me as an individual. Endicott allowed me to balance majoring in nursing, an athletic career, and a social life. As I reflect on my last four years I think of everything from my amazing clinical experiences, attending and celebrating athletic events from football to field hockey, team runs, bus rides and dinners, and spending Sundays watching movie marathons with my roommates. So I would say my time at Endicott was definitely fulfilled and I am thankful that I truly got to experience it all.
EC: What made you choose Endicott in the first place? Does that hold true now?
KO: After narrowing down my school selection to two extremely different schools, I went with the community driven campus. Every reason I chose Endicott still holds true. Approximately 91% of Endicott students live on campus, which means your friends and classes are never far away. Beginning my freshman year, the nursing building opened up as a brand new facility after being purchased and completely refurbished. I knew that by choosing Endicott I would be surrounded by new facilities and an ever-improving campus. Finally, it's location. Endicott is located on the beautiful North Shore. Between the three beaches located on campus, the five minute drives to Manchester-by-the-Sea or historic Salem and of course the 25-minute train ride into the heart of Boston the location is definitely favorable.
For more information on the women's track program click here: Endicott Adds Women's Track | Video Interview w/ Coach Lange. For the latest on Endicott Athletics, follow the Gulls on social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
