Priscilla Ramirez treats her academic career the same way she treats basketball- with a game plan and a lot of hard work. The Hospital for Special Surgery Scholar-Athlete of the Month for December has a 3.4 grade point average in Physical Education and Exercise Science at Brooklyn College.
Upon graduating from Franklin D. Roosevelt High School as the girl's basketball all-time leading scorer, she headed to upstate New York to earn her associates degree at Genessee Community College. She had offers to transfer to several schools, and almost signed a National Letter of Intent to play at an NCAA Division II school in West Virginia. But Brooklyn was calling Ramirez home. “It was important for my family and friends to see me play,” states Ramirez, now a junior.
Having a plan is important to Ramirez. Upon graduation, she wants to become a teacher and basketball coach, “To teach kids what I have learned and to help kids develop.”
For the month of December, Ramirez led the Bridges to wins in four of their six games, including a split of two CUNYAC contests. She led the team in scoring and in rebounding four times apiece, averaging 18.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per contest. D3hoops.com, a national source for information on Division III basketball, named her to its Team of the Week on December 14.
Joining an established team as a junior is not without its pitfalls. But, through hard work and preparation, there have not been any issues. “My teammates respect who I am both on and off the court. I just let my game speak for itself. I just want to fit in.”