Hope College senior Jacqueline (Jackie) Canonaco of Arlington Heights, Ill. has been described by one of her professors as "a dream student -- always prepared, always engaged, contributing above expectations". Her volleyball coach considers her to be "the inspiration behind our team". Co-captain of the volleyball team, she has never started a varsity match. A psychology major with minors in neuroscience and creative writing, she is an accomplished poet and writer and her collaborative research in the behavioral sciences has been accepted at top professional conferences.

After playing two years on Hope's jayvee volleyball team, Jackie earned a spot on the varsity and has made an impact every day, according to coach Becky Schmidt. "She is a tireless worker and a servant leader. One of the most profound ways she influences the team is through her words; she has a way of saying what everyone thinks and feels but struggles to communicate."

For a team exercise, coach Schmidt asked each player to write a short essay describing the impact that playing volleyball has had on them. Jackie turned to poetry, a consistent outlet for her inspiration. The poem has been accepted for publication in the journal of the American Volleyball Coaches Association. (see below)

"Jackie consistently strives for excellence in her academic and research pursuits," says faculty mentor Dr. Sonja Trent-Brown. She has presented her research to conferences in Las Vegas and Montreal. "She has high standards, a great ear, and a sense of verbal play and intricacy that is unusual and fresh," English professor Heather Sellers says of a student who can write in Italian or English.

Jacqueline (Jackie) Canonaco -- the epitome of the Division III Scholar-Athlete.

This I Believe...

We play.
Constantly amending who we are,
pulsing at three beats per measure,
echoing each other in celebration
until we begin to move as one.

We laugh.
In the back of the bus,
on a long ride home from victory,
as we drift through the dark of night
that stole the colors off the autumn trees.

We learn.
The happy things, like how the joy within us can rise
as quickly as the flurry of orange in the stands.
And how to hold each other’s secrets
in hushed whispers and muffled laughter.

We learn.
The hard things, like how to fail,
sweaty and exhausted on the wood floor.
How growth often comes through adversity, and that to get better, we must first combat our own weakness.

We fight.
For each other, long after we have given up
fighting for ourselves. With a hope that is anchored so deeply within our soul, that we have no other drive but to get better with every day.

We grow.
Into roles left behind, into what our teammates need.
Into women with lofty goals and seasoned work ethics, no longer questioning what is possible,
knowing what it means to be successful.

We become.
Each other’s constant embrace.
Tightly knit at heart,
as we stand shoulder to shoulder, arms linked
offering praise and petition before the game.

We love.
An agape love that sacrifices the self
to empower another.
Pushing forward, but always ready
to catch the broken pieces if they fall.

We trust.
In the struggle that tests our tenacity,
and in the women beside us. In the dedication
that it takes to earn our success, and in the call
that has brought us here together.

We choose.
To do the little things that make a big difference,
to invest more than we take. To hold our heads high
even when they’re heavy. And to sacrifice our wants
for the good of the team.

We give.
Until we don’t know what else we can do.
Investing ourselves, our time, our lives
until there is nothing left. Because when each of us
is emptied, together we are fulfilled.

We will leave.
With grateful hearts and a home to return to,
confident that if we help even just one teammate,
challenge her, motivate her, push her ‘til she becomes more rooted in who she is, then we will leave our legacy.

Hope College Celebrates Its Student-Athletes
as Part of NCAA Division III Initiative

Hope College has been a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) since 1956 and Division III since its founding in 1973. The NCAA in 2010 launched an initiative in Division III that highlights its student-athletes as they excel on the athletic field, pursue their chosen field of study in the classroom, and participate in the life of their college and surrounding community. The MIAA and its member institutions are recognizing students, coaches and teams who exemplify that model.

Hope College students, teams and coaches are featured based on each of the six initiatives - Proportion, Comprehensive Learning, Passion, Responsibility, Sportsmanship and Citizenship.

Read Postings from 2011-12 School Year

Read Postings from 2010-11 School Year