Senior Spotlight: Abby Bessoir, Penn State Hazleton
Welcome to our Senior Spotlight series. In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the PSUAC had to cancel its fall and winter sport seasons. This prevented several student-athletes from receiving a proper senior day and minimized opportunities for Player of the Week awards. In its place, we will highlight seniors from around the conference throughout the remainder of the semester.
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Name: Abby Bessoir
Campus: Hazleton
Primary Sport: Volleyball
Primary Position(s): Outside Hitter, Middle Blocker
Hometown: Dunmore, PA
High School: Dunmore High School
Major: Psychology
Academic Achievements: Dean's List both freshman semesters, and both Junior semesters, as well as last semester; PSUAC Academic 2019 and 2020
Athletic Achievements: PSUAC All-Conference and USCAA All-American 2019 season
Additional Info: I have been to 3 Penn State campuses. I started at Scranton for a year and played volleyball, then at UPark where I played at the IM building and recreational leagues with my "old foggies." I then transfered to Hazleton, where I became an All-American with a 3.6 GPA in my first semester back in school.
How did your Penn State education prepare you for life after graduation? My Penn State education prepared to be the counselor I was meant to be. It is going to help me help others like my counselors helped me.
How do you hope to be remembered by teammates and coaches? I hope to be the fun and caring captain, who could always put a smile on anyone's face, but could also slam the ball down.
What is your favorite memory from playing your sport at Penn State? Leading my team to a victory after an 11 pt deficit at Penn State York.
What is the best advice you ever received from a coach or teammate that you would share with other student-athletes? You must be perpetually dissatisfied with yourself. You must constantly drive to be better.
What are you most looking forward to post graduation? Or in your transition to University Park (or other campus) to finish your degree? I'm looking forward to going out into the work force and finding a job I love, and to be financially independent.
What are some of the tools or skills that you learned through all the years of playing your sport that you plan to instill once you enter the workforce? You cannot get stuck on the past, you have to keep moving forward. It's a new point, it's a new day. If you made an error in the last point or day, make it up with a perfect point or day next.
What impact did athletics have on your experience as a college student? What is your favorite memory outside of athletics during your time as a student-athlete? Athletics really provided a family for me, and a home (the gym.) I've met many lifelong friends, and also discovered that I want to keep participating in or coaching athletics for the rest of my life. My favorite memory was my first day at Hazleton campus, where I welcomed by my teammates and friends, and knew I would fit right in.
Please use this space to thank anyone you wish to acknowledge for their support during your academic and athletic career. I'd like to thank my mom for originating volleyball in the family, and getting me to go to practice in 6th grade. I want to thank my High School coaches, Mama D and Trevor, for really pushing me to be my best and not accepting anything less from me. I want to thank my mom and sisters for coming to every game, taking me to every practice, and being my number one fans.