For my community connections project, I had chosen to interview one of my biggest role models Maylin Smith. May was an amazing basketball player as well as an athlete that had played had GCU ( Grand Canyon University) as well as the Southern University of Utah. May had played Div 1 basketball as well as div 2 basketball from 2010-2014. May Had a Bachelors in Counseling with an Emphasis in Drug Addiction and Dependency
Masters of Public Administration A native of Mesa, Ariz., Smith received her undergraduate degree in Counseling from Grand Canyon University in three years. After graduating from GCU in 2013, Smith continued her playing career and while receiving a Master’s in Public Administration from Southern Utah University in Cedar City, Utah.  In total, Smith led her team to 4 straight conference championships, four NCAA and WNIT tourney births. Personal accolades include; Division II All-American, Conference Player of the Year and holder of many conferences and university statistical records.

Following her playing career, Maylinn entered the college coaching profession. Along with coaching, she has worked to develop the individual skills of NBA, WNBA, and overseas professionals. Her philosophy is to deliver game-specific scenarios with precise details at a game-pace. I had the pleaser of meeting May in the summer of 2018 she had just recently had started working as the assistant coach for the girls’ basketball team up at SFU. May had also agreed to step in and coaching my summer basketball team and had been very helpful throughout the summer. Once the season was over my mom had gotten to know and has started to become very close with May and she had started to come over for family dinners, she had started to become part of our family. Throughout the wintertime may have done some private training with me to get me prepared for trouts. Sadly after tryouts, May’s job had come to an end and she had to move back home with her family.

May had a huge impact on my family and we will never forget her. May and I still keep in contact and we always check in on one another. May was such an inspirational player and has always pushed me to be a better player as well as a better person, she always believed me and never gave up on me and I thank her so much for that. She was an amazing player, the best player, and an awesome friend and I hope to see her soon.

Question 1: why are you passionate about your job?

May’s Answer: Why am I passionate about my job.
Throughout my life, my coaches were and continue to be the most influential to my growth and development. As a coach, I hope to give the same guidance, support and love to those around me as I once received. I find true joy in watching others find their passion and grow into strong and beautiful people.

Question 2: What obstacles have you faced to help you where you are today?

May’s Answer:  Life is full of obstacles, some small and some big but the ones before always prepare you for the ones ahead. As a sophomore in college, I was faced with the hardest challenge of my life. On a road trip with my college team, my Dad passed away suddenly from a heart issue. In the middle of our season, I had a choice to continue or to give up. I knew that the most important thing for me to do was to remember what my parents instilled in me as a young girl. Never give up, always give your best and great things will happen. I am thankful for the lessons that my parents taught me as a young girl to help me be better as an adult.

question 3: What advice would you pass on to someone interested in what you are doing?

May’s Answer: In life, you will have many choices that will help or detour you in becoming the person you want to become. I encourage anyone to pursue their passion and their dreams with their whole heart! If that is coaching, give it everything you have and it will reward you in more ways than you can ever imagine. In order for you to be the best at whatever you choose, you must first love what you do and the rest will follow.

Question 4: would you be open to any further contact from Riverside students, and if so how could they contact you?

May’s Answer: Email= maysmithh21@gmail.com

Question 5 (made up question): what made you fall in love with basketball?

May’s Answer: I fell in love with basketball as a young girl shooting hoops on my driveway. From the time I was a young girl, it has consumed my thoughts, plans, and dreams. The ability to control my future based on my hard work and sacrifice motivated me to become the very best player I could only dream about at times.
As time passed basketball become my outlet from life challenges. Sometimes Basketball time was the only time in the day where I felt like I belonged. It was my strength when my Dad suddenly passed away while playing in college. No matter what life has thrown at me, basketball has always been a constant. For that, I will forever love the game.

Question 6 (made up question): who was your role model as a kid?

May’s Answer: The first one is as a kid who was ur role
mode and who did u aspire to be and why
My older sisters, Misty and Miranda. I like to think I’m lucky to have had the best examples and role models in my sisters. Being the baby sister by 10 years, I idolized my sisters as they performed in athletics, had girls nights with friends and went on to have families of their own. To this day, they are my role models who I am lucky to call my best friends.

Question 7 (made up question): What made you fall in love with basketball
The day I was released from the hospital as a newborn, my mom and dad picked me up and headed straight to the gym for my sister’s junior high basketball game. You can say I’ve been in the gym basically my whole life. As a young girl attending varsity camps with my sisters, playing against girls twice my age in youth sport, and shooting hoops in the driveway basketball was my escape and first love. The drive, passion, sacrifice and competitive atmosphere allow me to get lost in the pursuit of something bigger than myself. From the time I can remember basketball has always been the center of my world. I only hope I can give back to the game all that it has allowed me to learn and accomplish.

I had chosen May because she is such a kind and caring person and has always pushed others to be all-stars and I think people can really learn a lot from her. Obviously I absolutely love basketball and she has taught me that if you push yourself and work hard good things will come and I think she is the reason I am where I am today. I really enjoyed doing this project and I think people could really learn many new things from these projects.