It is with great honor that I introduce Ms. Carmen Bragg. Carmen came to UMA from Washburn District High School in Washburn, Maine. For those of you who don’t know where Washburn is just think of Woodland, Caribou, Presque Isle and nestled in the middle is Washburn. Or just think it was actually faster for her to drive to New Brunswick, Canada than to drive to Bangor, Maine. I first met Carmen when she was touring UMA as a prospective student. Carmen came to UMA with the goal of continuing her basketball career and studying Biology. She achieved this and more than she could have imagined when we first met! In addition to playing basketball she ran cross-country and had the opportunity to be a part of Team Impact - making a significant difference in the lives of Emma and Carter. As part of her capstone course in the Biology program, she volunteered at a health clinic in rural Haiti. Carmen, I am glad you found your way to UMA. During her time as a UMA student-athlete Carmen earned numerous player of the week honors, as well as being selected for the YSCC All Conference teams in both basketball and cross country. She also excelled in the classroom, making the Dean's list every semester and she was named three times as a USCAA National Academic All—American. In 2017, Carmen achieved what I/we view as the most impressive accomplishment, being named the USCAA National Student-Athlete of the Year, which is awarded to the Student-Athlete who is well rounded in the areas of academic success, campus and community involvement to go along with their athletic accomplishments. I will speak to Carmen’s accomplishments on the court, which were many. While at UMA, Carmen surpassed the 1,000 point mark for her collegiate basketball career. To be exact she completed her UMA career with 1,148 points which currently ranks six all time for a women’s basketball player. Carmen had exceptional ball-handling skills and was known for her three point shooting. - making 7 three-point shots in a single game against Pine Manor in 2015. This ties her for 4th for three pointers made in a single game. She is also tied for 5th for three pointers made in a single season with 62 (186 points), accomplishing that feat twice, first during her freshman year in 2014-15 and again during her senior year in 2017-18. Carmen’s contributions to the UMA community went beyond athletics and the classroom. While a student here, Carmen volunteered weekly at the Augusta Food Bank, at numerous blood drives, participated in campus clean-up initiatives, spent time caroling for the homeless during the holidays, and worked to obtain healthcare and educational supplies in support of our service partners in Haiti. Carmen served as the Public Relations coordinator for the Student Government Association where she helped to organize multiple events related to student engagement. She also served as the Secretary of the Honors Program and as an Admission Ambassador where she worked closely with potential new students. Having heard all this, it should come as no surprise to you that Carmen was presented the Kathleen Dexter Distinguished Student Award at her graduation in 2018. This prestigious award is given annually to UMA’s top all-around graduating student based on academic achievement, engagement and leadership in co-curricular activities, and service to the wider community.Today we add to Carmen’s list of well deserved accomplishments - to anime a few..YSCC All Conference teams in basketball and cross country1,000 point ClubThree time USCAA Academic All—AmericanUSCAA National Student-Athlete of the YearDistinguished Student AwardAnd now a member of UMA’s Athletic Hall of Fame