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First-Year Student Spotlight:

Bailey McCoy ’28

Being a first-year student can be life-changing…perhaps even a little nerve-racking. Welcoming these student-athletes to their new home away from home, Brianna Liebro ’25 has discovered some insights into these new Hawks’ lives and their experiences at Hartwick.

Bailey McCoy during basketball game

Sport: Women’s Basketball
Major: Nursing
Hometown: Otego, New York

For Bailey McCoy, being a student-athlete makes for long days and demanding schedules. However, she has found a way to balance her time well, especially as a nursing major. “Being a nursing major led me to invest in my first planner,” she said. “It has made my school work seem so much more manageable, so I am able to do things with my friends, play basketball and take some time to myself without having to always stress about when my next assignment is due!”

Her College experience is vital to her future career goals. “One big reason I chose Hartwick was because of how well prepared the nursing program makes graduates for their careers after college,” McCoy said. “Hartwick, unlike many other colleges, allows you to attend clinical in your first year to help you decide if nursing is really for you. All of the professors basically become your friends and support you every step of the way.” For McCoy, that support is crucial.

Bailey McCoy

“Hartwick nursing professors are not here to watch you fail. They will give you every opportunity to succeed.”

Bailey McCoy '28

First-Year Student Athlete and Nursing Major

Her first season of basketball is a work in progress. McCoy has set goals that align with her team goals: to become more confident on the court, find her love for basketball again, and become better on defense when guarding someone bigger!“Having confidence is a key opponent in athletics and academics that helps everyone achieve their goals,” said McCoy.

For McCoy, the shift to college athletics presented somewhat of a change. “It’s hard as a first-year coming into a team that already knows each other and onto a campus that you are unfamiliar with,” she said.

However, as she points out, the transition from high school to college athletics has been great. And she attributes it to the attitude of her teammates—returners and non-returners—who have created a welcoming environment where the athletes can have fun but also put in the necessary work for success. The key is the upper-year students, who have greatly impacted her first semester at Hartwick. “They did a very good job in welcoming all of the first-year students and transfers onto the team,” she said. “They are also very helpful when there is confusion on the court or in practice. It is important that there are people who act as guides for the first-years.”

If McCoy could give high schoolers who are looking to take their athletic career to the next level and play in college any advice, she would offer this: “When I was making my decision as to whether to play or not, I didn’t want to create a “what if” in my life. I did not want the thought of “what if I just played” to haunt me five days, weeks, months or even years down the road. Life goes by fast and I think it is important not to let ideas or thoughts turn into a ‘what if’ situation. Just play. Just try.”

 

 

Spotlight by Brianna Liebro ’25

January 21, 2025
Spotlight, Student Spotlight

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