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Seniors Look to Future
May 11, 2009
FRESNO, Calif. - They were all a part of history making seasons at Fresno State. They were leaders on and off the basketball floor. Now Bailey Amundsen, LaToya Brown and LaShaunte Stephens are ready to tackle the world and be an impact in the community. Brown and Stephens are set to graduate in May while Amundsen is on track to graduate in December. The trek to graduation has been one that all three seniors admit has gone way to fast. "It went by really fast," Stephens said. "If you don't take advantage of it and use your time wisely it will go by faster than you want it too." All three seniors spent time with Gobulldogs.com to talk about their experience as a Bulldog.
While finishing up her degree this next year, Amundsen will serve as a team manager for the women's team. Amundsen hopes her experience working as a team manager helps her follow the footsteps of her father and get into coaching. "I am going to be working with the team on all the behind the scenes work," Amundsen said. "I would like to get into coaching hopefully at the college level. I didn't always want to coach. I wanted to get away from it until I decided that my passion in life is basketball. I want to keep it in my life as long as possible." That decision came during the time Amundsen was finishing up her career at Reedley and starting at Fresno State. Looking back on her career Amundsen said her favorite memories were her time with the team and winning the only two WAC championships in school history. "Now that I am not playing it is weird," Amundsen said. "I don't have a set schedule. It's nice at times but at other times you kind of go crazy. I will miss the structure of it. My time at Fresno State was a blast and I will miss it a lot."
"The coaches are really good at helping me find something," Brown said. "I am going to go back to school but I think I need a break right now. I am glad that I am still around the game." Brown says she will look at beginning work on her Masters Degree in the spring. Brown has had excellent coaches to look up to in her playing career. One lesson she will never forget came from coach Wiggins prior to the start of the 2008 WAC Tournament Championship game. "Right before tip-off he had stuff written on the board about what people thought of us," Brown said. "He said, `some of you were told you couldn't play Division I ball or some of you were too short or not good enough to go to college.' He then flipped it and said `never let anyone tell you what you can do or who you are. You control your own destiny.'" Brown has taken that speech to heart. "I took that personally," she said. "Right now I am stepping out in the real world. I don't know what is going to happen but I am going to do what LaToya is going to do. Nobody is going to plan nothing for me." Brown's favorite on court memories were winning the programs first-ever WAC title in 2008 and playing on Senior Night in her final game at the Save Mart Center. Off the court, Brown is going to miss the relationships she had with everybody involved with the women's basketball program. "We have a family here at Fresno State," she said. "I am going to miss the girls, coaches and the seniors." Brown said her mother will be unable to attend her graduation because her brother and sister are both graduating from high school the same day. "My whole family is really happy for me," Brown said. "My mother is excited but sad I am not going back to Georgia right away. I knew this would come but it seem like it came super quick for me. I want to thank the community, Fresno State fans and student-athletes. They are very supportive. They made my time at Fresno State wonderful time."
When LaShaunte Stephens graduated from high school her mom cried and broke the video camera during the ceremony. Stephens said she knows her mom will probably do the same thing when she gets her degree in African American Studies this month. For Stephens, she is feeling a lot of excitement and nervous as she prepares to begin her career out in the "real world." "My whole college career came fast," Stephens said. "I am excited but more scared than anything. I am not playing basketball anymore because of my injury." Stephens missed her senior year due to a knee injury suffered in the fall. Throughout the season coach Wiggins kept Stephens' up with many words of encouragement. "He always told me that if I push through everything that I will end up on top," Stephens said. "When I first got injured I didn't think I would get better. I thought I would be injured forever and I wanted to give up. I had so many talks with Wiggins. He told me that if I keep pushing through it that it will work out. Now I feel like I am on the right direction." Stephens said she plans to begin post graduate work in Business Finance or Accounting this fall or in January of 2010. "I am good with numbers," Stephens said. "My mom does her own taxes. I always watch her and am like how do you do this?" Along with pursuing a post-graduate degree, Stephens said she would like to try her hand in modeling. "It's like a hobby and something I want to try," she said. Stephens said her friendships with her coaches and teammates are what she will remember the most during her time at Fresno State. "We still ended up being friends after the ups and downs of the day," Stephens said. "That is the most memorable thing. After winning WAC and going to the NCAA the most important thing is the friendships you gain. I want to stay in touch and involved with everybody at Fresno State." "Join the State - Fresno State"- For Fresno State ticket information log onto Gobulldogs.com.
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