Saint Anselm College and basketball are two integral parts of Kayla Papazian’s life. A sophomore Communications major from Plymouth, Massachusetts, she has been playing since second grade.

It was her father’s love of the game that introduced Kayla to the sport. “He played, and he was a hall of famer in high school. I just grew up loving it,” said Papazian, “It’s a big part of my family.”

Being part of a team has positively impacted Kayla in many ways, especially by teaching her the significance of communication:  “Being on a team teaches you a variety of important aspects of life, like teamwork and working through times of adversity.”

Her favorite part of playing basketball at Saint Anselm College is that her team is her family here on the Hilltop. “Every day, we work towards the same goal of getting better and better.”

Papazian says that her best games were in her freshman and sophomore years of high school, when she had the opportunity to play in the TD Garden in Boston. “We got there in a tournament – not many people get that opportunity, or can say that they played there.”

While that was a while ago, Papazian is looking forward to the upcoming season – “It’s a new year. We have new coaching staff, and the Lady Hawks are ready to have a great season!”

Besides being on the court, Papazian is also active in other facets of campus life. She was a student leader in the Multi-Cultural Center at Transitions, a program for the incoming freshman, and volunteers at the Hillsborough Nursing Home.

Kayla has not only been a member of the basketball team and an avid volunteer, but has also been part of the second generation of Papazians to attend Saint Anselm College. SAC is where her parents met, and where her older brother goes now.  “It holds a special place in the Papazian household”, says Kayla.