By Margaret Curtin Special to UNHWildcats.com
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From the first time that Emily Tanski (Plymouth, Mich.) stepped foot on campus she has been proud to call herself a Wildcat and is grateful for the time she spent at the University of New Hampshire. The two-time All-Conference selection and 10-time America East Defensive Specialist of the Week, concluded her career ranked second all-time in program history with 1,487 career digs. She reflected on her time as member of the UNH volleyball team.
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 BEING A WILDCAT
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When looking at colleges, it was right after Tanski's visit to UNH that she knew it was the place for her.
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"After I came on my visit to UNH, I was in the car driving back down to Logan Airport and looked at my mom and said, 'I want to go to school at UNH,' and we both got a little emotional. It was the program and the closeness of the team, mixed in with the homey feel of the campus, that made me choose UNH."
UNH Athletics stood out to Emily in a different way than other schools' programs had. During her time at UNH, the athletic program made a big impact on her. It was the way that everyone truly cares for one another that stood out to her the most.
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Tanski is second all-time in school history in career digs
"Whether you needed help finding a tutor, nutrition advice or just wanted to vent to someone, someone's door was always open and wanting to help."
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Although Tanski considered all of campus home, Stillings Dining Hall is her favorite place on campus.
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"The other girls in my class will be the only ones to really understand why, but we had some of the funniest memories there. We would spend like three hours sitting there laughing, and eating of course. It was our place to just hangout and be with each other when we had some free time."
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Logan Welti, Emily Tanski, Hannah Petke, Jenny Weston and Kennedi Smith on Senior Day BEING A STUDENT-ATHLETE
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Many lessons are learned while being a student-athlete, as Tanski can attest to.
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"What I learned as a member of the volleyball team is that you have to work for what you want. Nothing is just handed to you at this level. If you want to see the court or get a good grade on a paper you have to put in everything you got."
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Tanski is a two-time All-Conference honoree
Being a student-athlete is about finding a balance between the two. Tanski saw success by utilizing her time to the fullest as she was named to the America East Academic Honor Roll all four years of her career, including earning America East Commissioner's Honor Roll accolades as a senior.
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"I took advantage of bus trips and lounge times at hotels. This was a time that I had zero outside distractions and no other place I could go, so I would focus on my school work during these trips."
As a member of the volleyball team, Tanksi's favorite memory is winning the America East Championship in 2016.
"It wasn't an easy win either, the battle was the best part. I will forever feel a connection with that team in particular."
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Her favorite off-court memory at UNH is Volley 4 Holly, a fundraiser for the Jimmy Fund of Boston's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute that is hosted each spring by the UNH volleyball team in honor of Holly Young, a former member of the volleyball team who passed away in 2008 after a three-year battle with Ewing's Sarcoma - a rare form of bone cancer. The event is a volleyball tournament with members of the UNH community participating in and making donations to the cause.
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"Watching the other athletic teams play volleyball and everyone having a good time was awesome."
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Volleyball and Men's Soccer at the 2019 Volley 4 Holly
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TAKEAWAYS
Tanski's biggest takeaway from her time as a Wildcat is "to never take for granted the opportunities you've been given. Make the most out of every situation and learn from your mistakes. The lessons you learn now will only benefit you in the future."
A message she would like to share with her fellow graduating seniors is "I wouldn't change our four years for anything."
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Seniors Logan Welti, Hannah Petke, Kennedi Smith, Emily Tanski and Jenny Weston
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Please check back to UNHWildcats.com as we continue our Senior Reflections series.
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