By Bridget Letukas
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 4/25/09
When Neumann College senior Gabby D’Ambrosio isn’t scoring goals, she’s setting them.
In fact, upon graduation, the Elementary Education major is driven to achieve her goal
of teaching in a classroom and pursuing her Master’s in Special Education.
“I really enjoy (working with) the special education (students),” says D’Ambrosio, who is completing her student-teaching assignment working with autistic children. “I love it. I really enjoy helping them.”
In the meantime, the Wapner Newman, Wigrizer & Brecher Collegiate Scholar-Athlete of the Week is pursuing the Neumann school career record of 214 goals. In sixteen games, D’Ambrosia has netted 66 goals, putting her at a career total of 201.
D’Ambrosio has been equally adept off the field. She earned All-Academic honors in the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference in 2007 and 2008. And she is also intent about her team’s goal of winning the conference (now named the Colonial States Athletic Conference) championship. She believes the Knights, who finished 5-2 in conference play, have a strong enough camaraderie to achieve post-season success.
“I feel like we could go all the way,” said the native of Mt. Laurel, N.J., who also earned first-team All-PAC honors last year. “When we’re on, we’re really good.”
Whether pursuing personal, athletic, or academic goals, D’Ambrosio takes a strong work ethic to both the field and the classroom.
She credits her parents for teaching to work hard. She describes her mother as her academic role model, with her father pushing her to her athletic potential.
D’Ambrosio has found her experience on the lacrosse has reinforced the example her parents gave her, and it is her goal to take the same lessons to her future students.
“I’ve learned to never give up and always play the whole time, to play your hardest even if you feel drained,” she said.
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