Lauren Snider of the Women's Basketball team has been named the recipient of the 2020-2021 Mountaineer Athlete Scholar Award. Snider, a Brantford native, completed her second and final year of the Community and Justice Services program where she excelled over the past year with a 98 percent average.

There's no doubt this academic year has been a challenge for student-athletes being away from their sport while also dealing with the challenges of being a student during a pandemic. Snider, like nearly every student across the province and country, spent the past year learning from home in front of a computer. She says a consistent routine and balance was key to her success over the two semesters.

"I believe keeping a consistent routine everyday helped me excel academically online," says Snider, a 5-foot-5 guard. "Going to bed at relatively the same time every night, eating well, spending a certain amount of time outside and dedicating an hour or so to working out or doing something active essentially is what I found helped me to stay on top of my studies. Setting limits and taking breaks was also key."

Although the Mountaineers couldn't gather in person over the year, the department and coaching staff's have done their best to keep athletes engaged and keep that sense of community during a time when they need it most. Snider says the athletic activities that carried on virtually were another big piece to her academic success.

"Fortunately, there was still a lot of athletic involvement that I was required to balance along with my academics," says Snider. "I had virtual weekly team meetings, MSALP Speaker Series and Education Series, virtual team workouts and workout plans provided by my coaches. Keeping a relatively similar routine was important for me, especially during such difficult times."

Snider's hard work, whether it be in the classroom or during virtual workouts, rubs off on the rest of the women's basketball program as her coaches have high praise for her leadership skills. In a year that student-athletes could have easily just written-off, Snider bared down and made the best of the situation.

"Lauren has shown what it is to be a true leader through a very difficult year.  She has excelled academically and she has set the tone for our Women's Basketball program," explains Hali Burns, the first-year Women's Basketball head coach. "Lauren accepted many challenges throughout this year being a student-athlete and she not only excelled in the classroom but she has also succeeded as a leader of the Mohawk College Women's Basketball team."

The Mountaineers Athletic Department continues to preach the importance of academics, athletic performance, community engagement and leadership development. Snider excelled in these areas over the past year and truly showed what it means to be a Mountaineer.