Spring Senior Scholar-Athlete Spotlight: Samantha Armas
3/24/2020 10:15:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Gavin McFarlin- Associate SID
Thirty-three seniors were on Davidson Wildcat rosters as this spring began, and though their 2020 seasons were abbreviated, their contributions to their respective teams, the overall athletics program and college itself make them worthy of recognition. Each Tuesday and Thursday, we will feature members of the class of 2020 as part of the Senior Spring Scholar-Athlete Spotlight.
Name: Samantha Armas
Sport you competed in: Women's Tennis
What is your major/minor? Biology/Pre-Medicine Track
What was your favorite class and why? My favorite class was Troy and the Trojan War in the Classics Department. This class took my existing interests in Greek and Roman culture and mythology and expanded it in ways I never thought possible. I greatly appreciated how this class dived into the Iliad by Homer and turned it into an investigation. We looked for all kinds of evidence: archeological, historical, literary, and artistic evidence that supported the existence of the ancient, mythical city of Troy. I loved how this class combined different perspectives to solve a common mystery.
Where are you completing your studies this semester? I've gone back home to the suburbs of Atlanta.
Though it was cut short, what will you remember most about your senior season? I will always remember the grit and competitiveness I brought to each of the 11 matches I played. I may not have gotten the results I wanted, but for every match I had memorable moments and highlights of fighting and pushing myself to keep going. I will remember the moments of struggle from this season that have made me so much stronger.
If you had to choose, what was the defining moment of your athletic career? I'd have to choose the 4-3 match we last played against Richmond University. After much battling, the match score was 3-3 and the deciding point came down to my match at line 4. In that pressured filled match, I had fought so hard to stay in it and worked through my struggles. I became so bent on winning for my team that I played points I never thought I could before. I won that match having to save two match points, forcing a final set tiebreaker, and winning playing tennis the way I wanted to. I'll always remember the last point where I yelled come on and literally got taken down to the ground by my teammate, Alexa Abele.
What was your favorite trip you took as a team and why? My favorite trip was a trip up north to compete against UMass and Fordham. It's my favorite because I had a ton of fun with my teammates as we got to travel to places we've never been before. It was special getting to play Fordham because the day before the match our coaches let us explore New York City. One of our teammates' sister works at Rumble, a boxing workout company, and a few of us got to join in a class. Lightly punching bags and exercising for an hour and then walking around the streets of New York to find some dinner was so fun.
What makes a Davidson scholar-athlete different? I feel we fully embrace both parts of "student-athlete". We are phenomenal in the way we handle our academic responsibilities and our obligations to the sports we represent. Time management, self-sacrifice, dedication, and integrity are just some of the skills and concepts we are excel in.
You can invite any three people to dinner, who is joining you? Roger Federer, Andre Agassi, and Alex Honnold.
What lessons from sports has helped you deal with the unusual situation of the spring semester? The sport of tennis has shown me what it means to be resilient and how important your attitude is in different situations. I am well familiar with setbacks and lost opportunities thanks to tennis. Although our situation is probably the greatest setback I have ever dealt with, I have placed great importance on the kinds of attitude and perspective I bring to this situation. I know what has happened is way out of my control and that was happened has zero effect on all that has happened in the past. I have leaned on all of my friends, family, professors/faculty on their words of support and understanding of this tough time. Nothing can take away all that I have achieved, all that I have learned, and all of the fun and special memories I've made with my team, family, and friends. I leave Davidson knowing there was more to be done, but what I have already done is incredible and amazing in itself.
What are you most proud of from your time as a Wildcat? I'm proud of my growth as a person. Despite being a tennis player since I was a child, I came into Davidson not having the best relationship with tennis. My time at Davidson and my time being with a supportive team and set of coaches transformed me into someone who loves the sport more than anything and is able to take the lessons on the court and use them in other aspects of my life. I've come so far and I've left Davidson knowing where I want to go.
Who do you want to thank for their support? I'd like to thank all of my coaches for helping me grow as both a tennis player and as a person. My family for starting me on this journey of tennis that led me to Davidson. All of my teammates current and past for being their incredible selves and making the team experience something I will treasure for the rest of my life. All of the professors and faculty that have supported me as a student-athlete. Lastly, I'd love to thank all my friends who've spent the time and energy checking on my progress, coming to matches, and making me laugh and enjoy the sport even more.
What's next for you? I am currently searching for gap year opportunities. The ultimate goal is to enter medical school and become a physician in a specialty that suits both my skills and values.
Name: Samantha Armas
Sport you competed in: Women's Tennis
What is your major/minor? Biology/Pre-Medicine Track
What was your favorite class and why? My favorite class was Troy and the Trojan War in the Classics Department. This class took my existing interests in Greek and Roman culture and mythology and expanded it in ways I never thought possible. I greatly appreciated how this class dived into the Iliad by Homer and turned it into an investigation. We looked for all kinds of evidence: archeological, historical, literary, and artistic evidence that supported the existence of the ancient, mythical city of Troy. I loved how this class combined different perspectives to solve a common mystery.
Where are you completing your studies this semester? I've gone back home to the suburbs of Atlanta.
Though it was cut short, what will you remember most about your senior season? I will always remember the grit and competitiveness I brought to each of the 11 matches I played. I may not have gotten the results I wanted, but for every match I had memorable moments and highlights of fighting and pushing myself to keep going. I will remember the moments of struggle from this season that have made me so much stronger.
If you had to choose, what was the defining moment of your athletic career? I'd have to choose the 4-3 match we last played against Richmond University. After much battling, the match score was 3-3 and the deciding point came down to my match at line 4. In that pressured filled match, I had fought so hard to stay in it and worked through my struggles. I became so bent on winning for my team that I played points I never thought I could before. I won that match having to save two match points, forcing a final set tiebreaker, and winning playing tennis the way I wanted to. I'll always remember the last point where I yelled come on and literally got taken down to the ground by my teammate, Alexa Abele.
What was your favorite trip you took as a team and why? My favorite trip was a trip up north to compete against UMass and Fordham. It's my favorite because I had a ton of fun with my teammates as we got to travel to places we've never been before. It was special getting to play Fordham because the day before the match our coaches let us explore New York City. One of our teammates' sister works at Rumble, a boxing workout company, and a few of us got to join in a class. Lightly punching bags and exercising for an hour and then walking around the streets of New York to find some dinner was so fun.
What makes a Davidson scholar-athlete different? I feel we fully embrace both parts of "student-athlete". We are phenomenal in the way we handle our academic responsibilities and our obligations to the sports we represent. Time management, self-sacrifice, dedication, and integrity are just some of the skills and concepts we are excel in.
You can invite any three people to dinner, who is joining you? Roger Federer, Andre Agassi, and Alex Honnold.
What lessons from sports has helped you deal with the unusual situation of the spring semester? The sport of tennis has shown me what it means to be resilient and how important your attitude is in different situations. I am well familiar with setbacks and lost opportunities thanks to tennis. Although our situation is probably the greatest setback I have ever dealt with, I have placed great importance on the kinds of attitude and perspective I bring to this situation. I know what has happened is way out of my control and that was happened has zero effect on all that has happened in the past. I have leaned on all of my friends, family, professors/faculty on their words of support and understanding of this tough time. Nothing can take away all that I have achieved, all that I have learned, and all of the fun and special memories I've made with my team, family, and friends. I leave Davidson knowing there was more to be done, but what I have already done is incredible and amazing in itself.
What are you most proud of from your time as a Wildcat? I'm proud of my growth as a person. Despite being a tennis player since I was a child, I came into Davidson not having the best relationship with tennis. My time at Davidson and my time being with a supportive team and set of coaches transformed me into someone who loves the sport more than anything and is able to take the lessons on the court and use them in other aspects of my life. I've come so far and I've left Davidson knowing where I want to go.
Who do you want to thank for their support? I'd like to thank all of my coaches for helping me grow as both a tennis player and as a person. My family for starting me on this journey of tennis that led me to Davidson. All of my teammates current and past for being their incredible selves and making the team experience something I will treasure for the rest of my life. All of the professors and faculty that have supported me as a student-athlete. Lastly, I'd love to thank all my friends who've spent the time and energy checking on my progress, coming to matches, and making me laugh and enjoy the sport even more.
What's next for you? I am currently searching for gap year opportunities. The ultimate goal is to enter medical school and become a physician in a specialty that suits both my skills and values.
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