The Making of a College Athlete
Like several Huntington High School seniors, Carly Glowacky will soon head-off to college on an athletic scholarship. The teenager signed an NCAA Division I letter of intent to be on the fencing team at Sacred Heart University after spending many months navigating along a winding road.
Blue Devil athletes with similar goals might find the map that Ms. Glowacky utilized to reach her intended destination useful. She took advantage of a variety of school-based and at-home resources and employed some good investigative practices.
"When I first started looking at colleges, I looked at a variety of schools; some that did not have fencing, some that had club fencing, NCAA Division III schools and NCAA Division I schools," Ms. Glowacky said. Since there are only a few Division II schools with fencing programs, the senior bypassed that level entirely.
"It became clear that if at all possible, I wanted to be able to fence on an NCAA team," Ms. Glowacky said. "I began checking out the program websites of various Division I and Division III schools. I was able to see team rosters, individual fencer's bios, recent year's stats and records, as well as practice and competition schedules. This information helped me narrow down the list to several schools in the northeast and mid-Atlantic region."
To help her decide which schools to apply to, Ms. Glowacky said she researched their academic programs to see if they offered the communications and media studies major she was interested in pursuing. She then visited the campuses of those colleges. "Information sessions were helpful to see if a particular school was a good academic fit," she said. "My college list still had a few schools without fencing programs, just in case fencing in college was not going to work-out for me."
Ms. Glowacky said she learned more about schools with fencing teams that she was interested in by talking to fencers who were already on those respective teams. "I spoke to them to learn about what they thought about the program," she said. "In some cases, I e-mailed coaches to express my interest in their fencing program and some coaches contacted me to see if I was interested in fencing on their team."
Three Official NCAA Visits
The Huntington fencing star went on "official" NCAA visits to three different colleges to learn more about them and their fencing programs as well as to get what she considered a "more realistic" feel of their campus life and academics. "On these visits, I was able to meet with the coaches, visit the athletic facilities, meet team members and sit in on fencing practice," she said.
After weighing the pros and cons of each school it became clear to Ms. Glowacky that Sacred Heart "was the perfect fit for me, both academically and athletically," she said. "I was pleased at the small class sizes and the ability to get to know your professors. I loved the campus and I was very happy to learn that I was accepted into the honors program in the College of Arts and Sciences. The communication and media studies program has a strong internship program where students can explore opportunities and gain valuable experience at public relation firms, advertising agencies, magazines, radio stations and news media outlets."
Ms. Glowacky knows several fencers on Sacred Heart's team, having met them as opponents during high school matches or through her fencing club. "I bonded well with the rest of the team on my official visit and I already feel like a part of the family," she said. "I'm excited to have an instant and reliable group of friends already waiting for me on campus!"
The Blue Devil great will be joining a Sacred Heart program led by head coach Dr. Thomas Vrabel. "I really like Coach Vrabel, as I feel he is a coach that will push me to my fullest potential and never let me settle for anything less," Ms. Glowacky said. "He is a hardworking, dedicated, passionate coach who truly cares about the success of the team and the individual fencers. I have no doubt that Coach Vrabel will help me improve both as a fencer and a teammate and I can't wait to start practicing with the team!"
Career Began as a Freshman
Ms. Glowacky picked up fencing as a high school freshman. "I always made it a goal to be the best fencer that I could possibly be in every aspect of the sport," she said. "I never thought that I would be recruited to a Division I team that is highly regarded and very successful. It is more than I could ever ask for and I am extremely grateful for the opportunity."
Sacred Heart's fencing program competes in the Northeast Conference and is on the cusp of becoming an NCAA Top Ten team. "I am delighted to be able to fence on such a competitive, successful team and I honestly could not have asked more from a university," Ms. Glowacky said. "Within the conference, SHU competes against all of the Ivy League colleges with fencing programs, as well as NYU, Boston College, Vassar, MIT, Duke, UNC Chapel Hill, Temple, Brandeis, as well as others."
As she enters her final weeks at Huntington High School, Ms. Glowacky's thoughts are already turning to the future. "I can't wait to attend SHU and I am delighted to become a Pioneer fencer," she said. "I truly hope to contribute significantly to the SHU fencing program. I know that the next four years of my fencing will be rigorous and demanding, but also fun and rewarding. Needless to say, I am up for the challenge!"
Ms. Glowacky is leaving Huntington with warm feelings for the athletic department staff members who have helped her along the way. "I would like to thank Huntington head fencing Coach [Alan] Kuver, as well as Coach Valinda O'Garra and Coach Mike Fabio for all of their teaching, coaching, and encouragement they have given me over the last four years," she said. "I will never forget them! I would also like to thank Athletic Director Georgia McCarthy for her helpful presentations to parents and students on navigating the NCAA eligibility process."