Playing softball at St. Lawrence has taught Amy Atkins ’10 that the best experiences come from pushing yourself as far as you can and then going a little further.  “I have learned that you get much more out of life if you can continue to challenge yourself once you’re off the field or finished with practice,” Amy says.  “Challenging myself on and off the field has made me a better, stronger, more knowledgeable and more diligent person.”

Amy, a Westerlo, NY, native and a graduate of the The Doane Stuart School, began playing tee ball at the age of 4, and continued to play until joining her high school’s softball team in just the seventh grade. 

“Growing up, what I most enjoyed about the game was that I was able to experience different aspects and learn from them all,” she says.  “Softball created a great environment to simply have fun and my high school experience gave me the chance to really fall in love with the game itself. It was also a great opportunity to help teach and learn to lead.”

Throwing out runners at home plate is a favorite of Amy’s, who was a National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America selection in 2008 and a 2009 Liberty League Second Team pick, but it seems she hits a home run when it comes to her efforts in the classroom and taking advantage of everything opportunity she has. In the fall of her junior year, the fine arts and environmental studies double major traveled to Italy to study abroad.

“I loved seeing all of the artwork,” she says.  ‘It’s an incredible experience to see works of art, especially famous works, in person when you have only seen them in books and slide shows up until that point. Sometimes they’re very different from what you’d expect.”