Student-Athlete FeatureSarah Morin

Nursing major Sarah Morin ’21 has not only proven herself as a standout in the classroom, but also on the field as a dual-sport athlete. Growing up in Pelham, N.H., Morin started playing field hockey and lacrosse when she was 10 years old. Before picking up a field hockey stick, Morin was an ice hockey player. But with teams hard to come by, her mom found an opportunity for her to try field hockey. The rest was history. Later, to emulate her older brother, Morin began playing lacrosse and eventually fell in love with the sport for its speed, competitiveness and technical skills. While the teams are drastically different, Morin’s favorite aspect of both seasons is hands down, gameday. From the overall hype of the day to the camaraderie among her teammates, Morin looks forward to every gameday with a Charger on her chest.

While Morin has had many mentors through her athletic career, she says her current field hockey and lacrosse coach, Emily Dewdney, is her mentor. Feeling constant support from Dewdney on and off the field, Morin expressed that her coach is in tune with the mental wellness of her athletes and genuinely cares about their well-being. Morin calls Dewdney a very caring and approachable person, which is one of the many benefits of being a part her team. Morin referenced an extremely hard practice in lacrosse where the concept of mental toughness was reinforced by Dewdney.

Morin says, “We lost a game that we believed we had the ability to win.”

Throughout this practice, the team had to come together to push themselves and each other to make it through an intense series of sprints. While challenging, Morin says she believes that this was crucial to the team’s future success in their season and held a valuable lesson.

Being a college athlete is a huge commitment and is a decision that isn’t taken lightly. However, athletics have always been a crucial piece of Morin’s life, so she knew immediately that she was not ready to give them up after high school. Athletics have provided Morin with an escape and a place to let out all of her emotions in a controlled manner time and time again. Here at Colby-Sawyer, Morin’s favorite things about being a student-athlete are the sense of community and the additional support that she has been able to receive through her coaches and athletic trainers. She says they consistently provide her with the tools she needs to be successful on and off the field. Looking toward her future career as a registered nurse, Morin says that being a student-athlete has helped her learn how to balance all aspects of her life with discipline and grace.

“Colby-Sawyer athletics have brought me my best friends and some of the greatest memories that I will forever cherish,” she says.