Photo Karen Graham
Emma McCamus smiles in North Cavan as she cements a deal to study in Connecticut with a full basketball scholarship.
Emma McCamus insisted on returning to North Cavan Public School to sign the contract offering her a full scholarship to Central Connecticut State University, as this was where her athletic aspirations began. She wanted to share her story with the schoolchildren in this rural community and to show them how far a farm girl from Cavan could go when she set her mind to it.
Emma’s love of sports grew in this school, and by grade six her preference for basketball solidified. By high school, she was committed to an athletic future, and chose to attend a school far from home that would increase her chances of making that dream a reality. She studied at Bill Crothers Secondary School in Markham, which incorporates long term athletic development within the curriculum. She entered their High Performance stream which is targeted at athletes with aspirations to compete at the national or university level. Now in her “victory lap”, Emma was amongst the first students in her school to attract an early invitation accompanied by a full scholarship.
Emma’s hard work has paid off, as Central Connecticut State University is amongst the prestigious schools competing at the highest level of university basketball competition, NCAA Division 1. While basketball was important in her decision, McCamus never lost track of the main reason to attend university- to obtain a good education. She was attracted to Central Connecticut’s academic reputation as a comprehensive public university with a strong business school, where she plans to spend the next four years beginning this summer. She can hardly wait.
Photo Karen Graham
It is an achievement she shares with her family, which she credits with always providing the support she needs. Many family members and friends were in the room to see her take the next steps to realize her dream. In her comments to the North Cavan students who came to witness her success, she also mentioned her religious faith as a source of her strength. She offered the students words of encouragement, urging them to follow their dream no matter how unlikely it might seem at the time.
It was a message echoed by North Cavan Principal Martin Twiss, who congratulated McCamus and thanked her for sharing her success with the students. Her family also brought cupcakes and a large cake to share with the audience, decorated in her new team’s colours and adorned with mini-basketballs and hoops, ensuring that all in the room had something to celebrate, except perhaps the teachers. KG
