Central Islip, N.Y. - The East Coast Conference is proud to introduce its new web series titled "ECC On Campus". Through written and recorded interviews, this feature will take a look at some of the positive people, activities, and acheivements that are connected to the athletic programs at all of our ECC institutions. Once a week, we will highlight a member institution and an outstanding current student-athlete, a successful alum, and a faculty member who make a difference in the lives of student-athletes. The series will also feature one of the many amazing community service or community engagement initiatives our institutions participate in.
In our first edition of ECC On Campus, we take a look at Molloy College, located in Rockville Centre, N.Y.
Current Student-Athlete: John Galanoudis,
Baseball
Johnny Galanoudis, from Farmingdale, N.Y., chose to attend Molloy
College because it offered the combination he was looking for:
strong academics and the chance to continue playing baseball, a
sport he has loved since he was a kid.
After suffering a season ending injury in 2011, Johnny bounced
back to lead the Molloy Lions in batting in 2012 and was named All
ECC Second Team. Besides working hard to excel on the field and in
the classroom, he is committed to making a difference at Molloy and
to help organize his fellow student-athletes in supporting the
college and the community through his work with the Molloy College
Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). In 2012, Johnny
was also chosen to be the ECC’s representative to the DII
National SAAC.
Molloy Athletic Director Susan-Cassidy Lyke says this about
Galanoudis. “Johnny is passionate about athletics and how
student-athletes can make a difference with their voice. He leads
by example because of this passion and enthusiasm for what SAAC is
doing. He has been able to motivate others to get involved
because student-athletes like working with him and helping
him. He has embraced the opportunity to be a SAAC leader and
is trying to take what he is learning as part of the national SAAC
to make a difference here on our campus.“
Galanoudis is currently majoring in History at Molloy and while he
initially was considering teaching, his experience working with the
athletic department at his school along with his involvement with
the NCAA and DII SAAC, has shifted his thoughts to pursuing a
career in intercollegiate athletics.
As he explains in this January 2013 podcast, Johnny believes that
being a student-athlete at Molloy has given him some amazing
opportunities to grow personally, socially and as a leader.
He is excited about the projects that the Molloy SAAC has become
involved in and anxious to continue making a difference at Molloy,
in the ECC and on a national level and enthusiastically talked
about this along with what Molloy means to him.
Johnny, why did you choose to attend Molloy
College?
The reason I chose to attend Molloy College is because of the
combination of its great academic and athletic reputation. It
always appealed to me, it is a small school and I wouldn’t
get lost. Molloy is also close to home so when it comes
to living in off campus housing, it is pretty much home away from
home. I also heard from many of the coaches in my summer
program that Molloy had a great baseball program where I would
really develop as a player.
Why did you get involved in SAAC at Molloy?
I got involved in SAAC at Molloy because it was a great way to
represent my team within our own athletic department. I enjoy
being involved with what is going on at campus and working together
with the student- athletes from other teams. The
student-athletes are like one big family at Molloy and I know we
can do great things when we put our minds to it and put in the
effort to get things done.
As a leader in SAAC, what are some of the important
projects you have been involved in while at Molloy...why are these
important efforts?
Our biggest project this year involving SAAC has been the sale of
Make-A-Wish stars and having the athletes sell them to collect
donations for Make-A-Wish, which is the DII national fundraising
cause. We always were great contributors to this
program at Molloy, but these stars have taken it to a whole new
level. We have raised a lot of money already and we're not
even close to the end of the academic school year yet. We
want to help the cause and also show that Molloy is making an
impact.
What impact has your involvement on a national level with
SAAC meant to you?
I consider myself truly fortunate to have been given the
opportunity to take part in Division II National SAAC. It
really made me understand how the SAAC experience works nationwide
and what other student-athletes around the country are doing to
improve their athletic departments on their own campuses. I
have made many new friends from all over the country and we all
became close very quickly because we all have athletics in
common and can relate to each other. Ever since my first
meeting this past summer in Indianapolis, IN, I have been enjoying
the chance to be a part of this group and not only
representing Molloy or my area, but the East Coast Conference and
Division II as a whole. There are some truly amazing people
that I have met including the student-athletes, advisors, and
people at the NCAA office in Indianapolis. I am looking
forward to the next 2 years serving as the National SAAC
Representative.
Why are athletics important to you?
Athletics are important to me because they are my life. I
have been playing baseball since I was 4 years old and it's
something that has become a family thing. My brother Anthony
recently committed to play at Molloy College also, so between the
two of us and my younger sister Giana in softball, athletics are
one of the things that brings my family together. I
enjoy working hard to get better and the thrill of running out on
the field every single day, working with my team for one goal.
Why should students and student-athletes attend
Molloy?
I think student-athletes and students should attend Molloy College
because of all of its valuable resources. It is a great
school with a great academic reputation and is currently in the
Top-10 for starting salaries once you leave. There are tons
of majors that will help students on their way to starting their
career. It is a small school so you really cannot get lost in
a classroom which keeps me focused and on top of my
schoolwork. But at the same time, it plays out like a larger
school and continues to grow with the addition of dorms and the
Public Square student center in the last year. When it comes
to athletics, the athletic department has done nothing but support
me in anything I have ever needed from them. They have
provided me with every opportunity and have truly given me the
student-athlete experience. The athletic department
also does a great job of giving back to the surrounding communities
in any way that they can or raising money for different causes
including Make-A-Wish. I always think back to my senior year
of high school when I used to question if this was where I wanted
to spend my 4 years of college and now, I know for a fact that I
wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.
To hear the full interview with Johnny, click on the links below.
Johnny Galanoudis Interview - Part One
Johnny Galanoudis Interview - Part Two
Former Student-Athlete: Katie Dunn ('09), Women's
Basketball
Katie Dunn is kind of a fixture in the Long Island women’s
basketball scene and is truly an ECC veteran in many ways, even at
her young age. Katie, following a very successful high school
basketball career at Bethpage (N.Y.), where she was All-County,
All-Long Island and All-State, travelled down the road to Rockville
Centre and Molloy College. A four year squad member at
Molloy, Katie was part of the ECC Championship team in 2007-08,
playing for Coach Tim O’Hagan.
Katie was an excellent student, majoring in Secondary Education
History and Special Education and was very active on campus as
well, taking on leadership roles right from the start in Student
Government and community service activities. According to AD
Sue Cassidy-Lyke, “When Katie was at Molloy, she set
the tone for the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and is
basically responsible for why it is vibrant on our campus today. We
have followed her lead with events we do for fundraising for many
causes including Make A Wish.”
Following graduation, Coach O’Hagan asked Katie to return as
an Assistant Coach and in 2010, Molloy earned another ECC title in
women’s basketball. On the professional front, she was
immediately hired upon graduation at the school she had been a
student teacher at, South Side High School, where she now teaches
History and serves as Head Varsity Girls Basketball Coach and Head
JV Softball Coach. She looks back fondly on her days at
Molloy and credits her former coaches and the staff at Molloy along
with her professors and other leaders there with
helping her grow as a student, an athlete and a leader. Katie
continues to give back to Molloy, supporting the athletic program
there and promoting the college to potential students.
Katie plans to continue her studies to eventually become an
Athletic Director on the high school or college level. As she
details in the January 2013 interview and podcast, Katie Dunn is a
leader who is looking to continue to do great things in the
future.
Katie, Can you talk a bit about what you have done since
graduating from Molloy, before your current job?
Immediately upon graduation from Molloy I earned a leave
replacement position in my current district to finish up the year.
I also taught summer school, worked at basketball camps and
continued waitressing in the summer. At the end of my leave
replacement I was offered a full-time, tenure track history
position at South Side High School. In my first full-year teaching
at South Side I also served as an assistant coach for the Molloy
Basketball team. It was a huge adjustment going from college
basketball player to college coach. I was able to adjust quickly
and help the team attain an ECC conference championship. At the
conclusion of our college basketball season, I was offered the head
varsity position at South Side High School where I currently
coach.
What do you like about what you are doing
now?
What I enjoy most about what I am doing now is that sports are
still a big part of my life. I still get to integrate the lessons I
learned through my own experiences and integrate them in lesson
plans and practices. In addition, I love being able to help
students. It is a tremendous amount of pressure and responsibility
when helping students with much more besides history content. These
students confide in you, trust you and look to you for advice. I
have been able to help students get into college, graduate with
honors, become better people and make them more aware. I know this
job is a blessing, it is tough, but an honor to be so involved.
Have you thought about your plans and future
goals?
I would eventually like to keep working with students and helping
them succeed. Although I love history, my biggest passion is still
sports. My ultimate goal would be to begin administration and
physical education courses that will allow me to one day become an
athletic director. I would imagine starting off with experience at
a district level and would hope to do so at a college level. I
would love nothing more then to work in a small college that
appreciates and emphasizes balance for student athletes as Molloy
College and the ECC does.
Why did you choose Molloy? What did your experience there
mean to your career?
Molloy was my choice for a few reasons. As a 17 year old making a
pretty big decision about the next four years of my life, I chose
to stay at a semi-local institution because I really loved having
my family support at basketball games. It was a really important
aspect in high school for me, and my games brought my family
together. I got to enjoy this all four years of college. Another
reason I chose Molloy was because of how much they valued the
leadership and character. This was very important to me as I wanted
to pursue leadership roles in college. The education program at
Molloy is phenomenal and very well regarded. I wanted to attain a
teaching position on Long Island, so I knew my best opportunity for
placements would be if I stayed at a Long Island institution. The
final reason was basically the motto of division II athletics. I
appreciated the balance that Molloy offered. It was necessary for
me to be involved in athletics, clubs, community service activities
and to receive the best education I could. Molloy offered me all of
those things the way no other institution could match.
What was the importance of athletics in your life...as a
college student-athlete and now?
Athletics was and is one of the things that I believe molds
me most. I think a lot of my best characteristics and strategies I
learned in athletics. You learn a form of communication and
teamwork you just do not get anywhere else. I also notice that
others around me who did not share my experience in athletics have
a much more difficult time balancing many things and work than I
do. It is a trait that is inherent in athletes and I feel a huge
advantage. How to work with many different personalities is
important and as an athlete you are asked to do that constantly.
Leadership would be the part of athletics I gained that I
appreciated the most. I have no fear when speaking to large crowds,
I share my ideas openly and frequently, I have no problem taking
the lead on any project. This is a result of my experience in
athletics. It taught me how to deal with defeat, and how to
continue to work even when meeting success. I learned how to
self-evaluate and that is something I have to do after every lesson
I teach in the classroom. There is no price that can be placed on
the education I received through my experiences in athletics. My
own personal journey is what makes me a good coach now. It is what
makes me relatable to the student athletes. They trust in my
passion, they know how much I care and that is part of what makes
them work so hard for me. Coaching kids is the most rewarding job
in the world, and I get to be around amazing people and the game I
love most.
Why should students go to Molloy College?
Students should go to Molloy for the unbelievable education and
opportunities they will receive. Molloy is the best place in the
world for a person who is willing to get involved. If you do not
want to be apart of things, you cannot just expect that they will
happen for you. If you choose to get involved, there is just such
an amazing environment, group of people and spirit about Molloy.
They want you to be successful, they want to share your story, they
want to be a part of your experience. It provides the ability for a
very well balanced education. Molloy is a place I am very proud to
call a second home. It provided me with amazing opportunities to
jumpstart my life. I also met amazing people there, had phenomenal
coaches, administrators, faculty and staff that are still a big
part of my life today.
To hear the full interview with Katie, click on the link below.
Katie Dunn Interview - Part One
Katie Dunn Interview - Part Two
Faculty Member with Outstanding Support for Athletics: Dr. Pamela Monaco
Dr. Pamela Monaco, Molloy College Professor of Biology and
Departmental Chairperson, has been an instructor at the college for
21 years. She studied undergrad at St John’s University
and completed her M.D. at Universidad del Noreste School of
Medicine, Mexico. In addition to her teaching and chairperson
duties, she serves as the Pre-Heath Advisor and has served on the
Executive Board of the Metropolitan Association of College and
University Biologists.
Dr. Monaco has established herself as a professor committed to
helping Biology students as well as education majors grow
academically. Molloy Director of Athletics Susan Cassidy-Lyke, when
asked to suggest a professor at Molloy who has distinguished
themselves from both a teaching perspective as well as making a
difference to the athletic program quickly thought of Dr.
Monaco.
“Student-athletes studying Biology or who are teaching
majors with a concentration in Biology have found it difficult to
schedule classes and also make their athletic game schedule work.
Dr. Monaco has always been willing to assist us in making it a
possibility for the student-athlete to succeed in both
venues,” said Cassidy-Lyke.
“She is an advocate for the student-athlete and recognizes
their commitment to academics and athletics. She is always
available to speak with a prospective student-athlete looking at
Molloy and our Biology department and to make them understand how
it will work with life as an athlete.”
“Knowing we have an understanding ear has made it easier for
us. The availability of classes for this concentration is very
limited and very challenging with a student-athlete’s
schedule,” she noted. “She and other members of the
Department have met with us to look at expanding these offerings in
the future which offers us a glimpse of hope.”
In this interview done in February 2013, we asked Dr. Monaco about
her teaching experiences at Molloy, working to help
student-athletes find the balance between excelling athletically
and academically and her thoughts about Athletics and Molloy
College as a great place for students to attend.
I read in your credentials that you are an MD. What is it
about your experiences at Molloy that have drawn you more towards
teaching than to the medical profession?
I have always had a passion for teaching and I decided to use my
medical degree to become an educator and it has been the most
rewarding and wonderful career decision I could have ever
imagined. I have learned so much from my students over the
past years that I continually look forward to working with new
bright minds each semester.
The folks at Molloy told us that you have been very
helpful in working with the athletic program at Molloy and helping
student athletes as they finish their studies in bio and prepare
for career or future academic pursuits. I am sure you help all
students but sometimes this accommodation for those trying to do
both sports and school is difficult. Your thoughts?
Like most pursuits in life, balance is crucial for a successful
college career. Students who are able to maintain solid
grades while pursuing athletics have a fantastic perspective on
future graduate studies. Being a college athlete takes a
tremendous amount of discipline with many hours of training and
many hours of focus. I think all athletic training is
worthwhile for teaching discipline and focus but certainly not at
the expense of a lower GPA. I think college athletes have
more to balance with their coursework and their sports training and
I respect this. But, at the same time, as an educator, it is
my job to treat students equally and fairly whether they choose to
participate in a college sport or student government or
theatre. All are worthwhile endeavors and all demand balance
and discipline to succeed while maintaining a great GPA for ongoing
schools.
Do you have any special connection to athletics in
general? If so, where does that come from?
I have two teen-aged boys at home who are very athletic and always
involved in a new sporting event or team. I have spent many
years on the side-lines of their games, cheering them on and
watching them learn to love a new sport. It is a tremendous
gift to watch passion for a sport develop in a young person and I
know that so many athletes at Molloy have learned their sport from
early childhood experiences or their high school teams and this
makes college athletics so much more fun to watch...knowing that a
passion started at a young age with lots of cheering parents on the
sidelines.
Can you briefly discuss what you think the place is of
athletics at a college? What do you see as the value based on your
experience of working with some of the student
athletes?
I think college athletes are great role-models for
discipline. College is challenging with tremendous amounts of
homework, extracurriculars, and many things that students
participate in for their future resumes or future grad school
applications. With that normal workload, a college athlete
spends hours each day training and competing. I think it's
incredible when a student can do this and succeed with their
schoolwork at the same time. They are role-models for their
peers.
Why is Molloy a good school to teach at and a good place
for students to attend?
The intimate connections between faculty, administrators and
students are easily fostered and nourished at Molloy College.
Everyone is concerned about the success and well being of each
other. Any problem or concern, professional or personal, can
be addressed just by reaching out. An email, phone call or
personal visit is always welcome and all thoughtful solutions are
considered. No one needs to feel isolated or alone.
Molloy College offers a quality education in an intimate family
environment where personal growth and professional success can be
attained by anyone who is willing to work hard and put in the
effort.
To hear the full interview with Dr. Monaco, click on the link below.
Community Engagement: Molloy College and their special partnership with Special Olympics of Long Island
During the winter of 2012, the Molloy College
Department of Athletics partnered with the Special Olympics of Long
Island to put together three community engagement events. These
experiences, geared toward developing a stronger relationship
between the Molloy family and its surrounding community, have
developed a link between the two organizations that all involved
can only hope to enhance.
On Saturday, February 18, 2012, four co-ed basketball teams from
the Special Olympics came and put on a spectacular show during
halftime of Molloy’s men’s and women’s basketball
games at Quealy Gymnasium in Rockville Centre, N.Y. The display of
teamwork and sportsmanship embodied by the athletes who
participated was enlightening, and a true testament to what the
Special Olympics is about.
Molloy followed that up by hosting a Special Olympics Coaches
Conference. On the morning of March 10, 2012, more than 70 Special
Olympics coaches piled into two classrooms in Kellenberg Hall to
receive certifications and education about coaching. After a break
for lunch in the Hays Theater, Molloy basketball coaches Tim
O’Hagan and Charlie Marquardt, along with volleyball coach
Billy Corrao, hosted visiting coaches in a sports training
certification clinic.
They introduced them to new drills, coaching techniques, and
skills workouts. “I was very excited to help the basketball
coaches from the Special Olympics,” added Marquardt.
“During the lecture, it was very evident how committed and
passionate these coaches are about helping their team improve in
the sport of basketball, and more importantly, treating their
players with caring attention.”
To wrap it all up, the Department of Athletics arranged a Special
Olympics St. Patrick’s Day Dance in Hays Theater on Saturday,
March 24. Nearly 100 Special Olympics athletes joined 25 Molloy
student-athletes to dance the night away. This event provided a
venue for each athlete to relax and step away from the playing
field, while developing personal relationships with someone they
have not crossed paths with in the past.
The dance floor was packed from 7 p.m. – 10 p.m. With a live
disk jockey, who played today’s hits, plenty of healthy
snacks, and St. Patrick’s Day decorations hanging each way
you turned, the experience was a memorable one.
The Molloy College Department of Athletics is eagerly looking
forward to working with the Special Olympics of Long Island in the
future.