Stickin' With Sam

I’ve been here at Richmond for eight days now and I’m getting much more comfortable with everything. My new classes, my new friends and my new home.

I now know my way around campus, which buildings are which, the best places to eat — you have to go to The Pier for the chicken tender wrap sandwich and the curly fries — and even where the locker rooms are.

I started my classes this week and my professors seem really nice, really energetic and they are definitely not like your average high school teachers, where they make sure you are there for class. You are totally on your own. It is up to you to figure out what assignments you miss and you are totally independent. I like it a lot. You don’t have teachers emailing grades home and your parents yelling at you.

It’s too early to tell about my classes, but the one I am really excited about is ceramics, which I took for two years in high school. Having a class where I’m a little ahead of everyone else is so much more comfortable.

I have become really close with my roommate Kara, who is from Syracuse and my teammate on the lacrosse team. We have been doing almost everything together and had a lot of fun. All the girls in my dorm are really close. We have become close with two girls from Virginia Beach and almost everyone I have met strangely has a connection either to Connecticut or someone else I know. It’s such a small world here.

It’s weird being on my own, having total control of everything and not having my parents saying “You can’t do that.”

We had our first team lacrosse meeting today and we met our coach, Stephy Samaras, and her assistant, Jill. They introduced themselves. She told us what kind of coach she is, what her goals are and about our schedule. We start out with some pretty strong teams. I think it is going to be a good opportunity for me.

The team had its first captains’ practice yesterday and at first I was so nervous playing with these older girls, on a brand new team, having no idea how to adjust to the play and if I would be good enough. I got continally more comfortable. My new nickname is Stevie because there is another girl named Sam on the team. I like it. I have never had another nickname other than Sam so it is cool.

After practice I felt more comfortable. I definitely felt like I was part of the team and not just a recruit.

I have been hanging out with my teammates a lot and they are so nice and welcoming. It’s not like high school where the seniors don’t really interact with the freshmen. It’s like the total oppositie. They are so nice and include us in everything.

On Monday we start our testing for the team, our vertical jump, how much we can clean with weights, 10- and 40-yard sprints and that kind of stuff. I’m curious and nervous about how I’ll compare to the other girls.

Overall, I’m happy, a little homesick but can’t wait to experience new opportunities.

I’ll talk to you next week!

I arrived at Richmond three days ago and I’m still getting adjusted to the new lifestyle here. I don’t have my own car anymore and can’t just do what I want to do, so I have to walk everywhere. My dorm is really far away from where the gym is, a 10-minute walk. It’s not like hopping in my car and driving to Darien High School to work out.

The food so far has been awesome: I guess I can understand the “freshman 15″ because it has been so good. I’m pretty much unpacked and settled in, and my roommate Kara, who is also my teammate on the lacrosse team, is great. I couldn’t have asked for a better roommate. We have been doing everything together.

My parents left yesterday afternoon and said their final goodbyes. It was sad: my mom started crying so I started crying. It was like, Oh my God I am by myself. It was kind of scary.

We have a strict schedule for orientation, all the freshmen are put in groups and you get tours of campus and get introduced to the college. It is very helpful but a little overwhelming.

I’m so surprised how nice the people are. I’m so used to people walking by you and just blowing you off. Here everyone says hello or smiles as you pass them.

I met my new coach two days ago and she seems really cool. She is really energetic. Kara and I had just unpacked and we wanted to stop and see if she was in because this is her first year at the school and she is just getting moved in like we are. We talked to her for about 20 minutes. She discussed our schedule and how we start off with Maryland. Great!

Because of the schedule I have only worked out once so far, which is kind of weird.

Tonight there is a dance and tomorrow there is going to be a get-together with the lacrosse team. Then on Sunday there is a picnic at the president’s house.

It has been a little overwhelming: I kind of feel like I am in camp because everything is scheduled. I’m in college and I want to do things on my own. Still, it has been very exciting.

I’m really looking forward to starting classes on Monday and really getting settled in at my new home.

I’ll check back with you next week and hopefully have more stories to tell.

This is Dave Ruden checking in for Sam, who as I write this Tuesday morning is on her way with her family to Richmond. Sam will be checking in later in the week to let us know how her first few days of school went, but before heading down south she had a special final night home.

Thanks to Stamford’s Sheila Mara, the daughter of late Giants owner Wellington Mara, Sam and her sister Mckenna got to see their first professional football game, attending the Giants’ preseason opener against the Panthers.

Not only did they get to sit nine rows from the field behind the Giants’ bench, but Mara got the girls onto the field during pregame warmups.

We will be hearing from Sam later in the week. Until then, here is a picture of Sam (in the Eli Manning jersey) and Mckenna before the game.

Sam Stevenson (right) and her sister Mckenna on the field at Giants Stadium before the start of Monday night's preseason game between the Giants and the Panthers.

To explore what it is like to be a first-year student-athlete, Darien High School graduate Sam Stevenson, who will be playing lacrosse at the University of Richmond, is writing her own blog for The Advocate.

Stevenson was the leading scorer for the Blue Wave last season as the team won league and state titles. During Stevenson’s career Darien won three FCIAC and three CIAC championships. Stevenson earned All-FCIAC and All-State honors three times.

Stevenson was also a starter for the Darien volleyball team, which won league and state titles all four years she was on the roster.

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