An excerpt from the remarks of former Stonehill College softball player Christine Donovan. Donovan is senior manager of Global Securities Lending at Brown Brothers Harriman:

"I was recruited primarily by Division I colleges in the Northeast yet decided to attend Stonehill College. I disappointed many of my friends and family by not going Division I. However, I wanted a collegiate experience that provided balance between competitive athletics, academics, and allowed me the opportunity to form a spiritual and social conscience....

"Great leaders and human beings are relational, compassionate and driven to create environments where individuals can flourish. Division II athletics allows and encourages the student-athlete to engage a broader reality with its dual emphasis on academics and athletics.

"This emphasis allows the student-athlete to develop a well-rounded perspective and skill set with regard to personal priorities and social and moral responsibilities -- skills that will continue to form and inform the person one becomes regardless of one's chosen profession or way of life."