NCAA Division III Week Spotlight: Vanessa Hejnas

Widener University is proud to be a part of the NCAA's second annual Division III Week. The purpose of Division III Week is to call attention to each school's campus and highlight student-athletes achievements ranging from athletics, academics and community service. The event is part of Division III's Identity Initiative, which seeks to provide an assortment of tools and programs for use in sharpening the division's identity in explaining why they prefer to compete in Division III.

Today we are highlighting senior Vanessa Hejnas, who was an integral part in women's basketball advancing to the “Elite Eight” of the NCAA Tournament. The second team All-Commonwealth Conference player from 2012 and also the goalkeeper for women's soccer closed this season with 8.1 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. It was her layup with 2.9 seconds left that gave Widener a stunning 57-56 win at No. 9 Catholic in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The team became the first in the 41-year history of women's athletics at Widener to win an NCAA Tournament game, posting three victories. She also is a six-time member of the Middle Atlantic Conference Academic Honor Roll.

How do you balance your time as a student-athlete between your studies and time spent with your team?

During the week, balancing school work and time with the team was very scheduled. When I was at class, it was class time, when I was at practice it was team time, and after practice was homework time. On the weekends, I was able to have a choice of when I wanted to do school work or hang out with the team. The strict schedule I had during season helped me focus more on class and get better grades.

What is your favorite athletic moment here at Widener?

My favorite athletic moment was watching the NCAA bracket picks and finding out that we, Widener's women's basketball team, was going to the tournament and I got to continue my athletic career just a little further. The entire tournament was an indescribable experience.

Would you recommend to your friends, other students, or prospective students that they play a sport during their time at school?

I definitely would recommend playing a sport during someone's college career because it gets your more involved with your campus and provides a release from all the classroom stresses.

How do you think your DIII experience would have differed if you did not choose to be a student-athlete?

My DIII experience would not have been as eventful without college sports. I would not have made the friends that I have and I would not have all of the memories I have.

How did being a student-athlete help you make a positive impact on the community?

Being a student-athlete made me stand out from the rest of my classmates. Teachers knew who I was from athletics and classmates followed our team. I was able to set an example for the people that knew me. Our athletic programs also hold camps for some of the children in the surrounding areas so it makes you feel more involved in the community even outside of Widener.

From your own personal experiences, why would you recommend prospective student-athletes come to Widener?

I would recommend athletic to a student coming to Widener because you get to have the competitive nature of the sport while having coaches that understand your school work comes first.

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